Bradford Park Avenue 1 Nuneaton Town 1

LAST-MINUTE drama continues to follow Park Avenue around and it cost them a deserved win as they were held to their third stalemate this season.

Having earned two late equalisers in their opening two matches, this time the boot was on the other foot.

They looked set to beat a strong Nuneaton side in their first Saturday home game of the National North season before keeper Ryan Jones gifted the visitors an equaliser three minutes into the five of time added on.

Jones, who had made three superb reaction saves in the second half, was devastated as he made an inexplicable decision. He rushed out of his area as left back Andy McWilliams was shepherding a hopeful long through-ball to safety.

The keeper reached the ball just outside his area and he stooped to head it but it dropped straight to Boro substitute Joe Ironside, who lobbed it into the empty net.

Bradford boss Alex Meechan said: “That was tough to take, very tough to take.

“An individual error in the last minute has robbed the players of a win that they thoroughly deserved. You know that you don’t always get what you deserve in football, that’s the nature of the game, but to come so close and not get it is harsh.

“I thought we played really well against a very good side that plays good football and pulls players out of position trying to break you down. We defended well, caused them a lot of problems and we also worked very hard to close them down in all areas of the pitch.

“The players are really down because it feels like a big defeat to them. But we’ve told them that they have got to get their heads up because we go again on Tuesday night. The games come thick and fast at this time of the season and you have to be ready for the next one.”

It was a game both keepers will want to forget as Callum Burton also dropped a huge clanger that led directly to Avenue's goal.

The 20-year-old Shrewsbury Town and England under-18s keeper was making his first appearance on loan but blotted his copybook in the 38th minute when his attempted clearance fell at the feet of Liam Dickinson on the edge of the area.

The striker, who along with Ben McKenna put in a sterling performance, back-heeled the ball to Nicky Wroe and, though he failed to get a shot in, he laid it back for Chris Sharp to drill home.