North Ferriby United 0 Bradford Park Avenue 1

BRADFORD Park Avenue had assistant player-manager Danny Boshell sent off 20 minutes from time but held on to earn three points after Oli Johnson's early strike had given them a slender lead.

Avenue were facing National North basement boys North Ferriby but the hosts belied their lowly position with a good display.

It was an end-to-end encounter and the result remained in doubt until the referee blew at the end of four minutes of time added on.

Relieved Avenue boss Mark Bower said: "People will have looked at this fixture and expected us to win – but it's never that simple. They (Ferriby) have experience and picked up a good result last weekend.

"We didn't play brilliantly but you've only got to look at Salford City (the league leaders who were delighted to get away with maximum points from a 2-1 win over Avenue at Horsfall just two games ago).

"They've been grinding results out and we did the same in this game. Winning without playing particularly well is what good teams do.

"It's very pleasing that we got the three points, especially considering we played the last 20 minutes with ten men.

"We will look at appealing Danny's red card though, because the referee's explanation of the situation doesn't match ours."

The home side's biggest bone of contention was obviously not the sending off, it was the fact that it was they who were down to ten men when the only goal of the game was scored.

Just 13 minutes in, the match was held up when home forward Jordan Cooke suffered a facial injury. He was required to leave the pitch after initial treatment as he was bleeding and needed a new shirt.

Five minutes later, Avenue had a set-piece and when the ball was played in, Luca Havern's knock-down fell kindly for Johnson and he slotted in from close range.

Two minutes later, Cooke was allowed back onto the field as the partisan home crowd made their displeasure known.

However, four minutes before the break, Cooke's wound reopened and he left the pitch for more treatment but could not continue and was replaced by substitute Callum Rzonca.

In the time that both teams had a full complement of players, both had a goal chalked off.

Ferriby thought they had equalised in the 35th minute after Havern had conceded a free-kick. The ball was delivered by Steve Brogan and stabbed in by Mark Gray but an offside flag curtailed any celebrations.

Just before Cooke departed for the second attempt to stem the bleeding by the home team's medical staff, Avenue thought they had doubled their lead. A good cross from Graham Kelly was converted by Adam Boyes but he was also offside.

Ferriby played a full part in a game that entertained and frustrated in equal measure for both managers and sets of supporters.

Avenue goalkeeper Steve Drench made some good saves and a header from Kuda Muskwe for Ferriby clipped the bar on the way over.

Drench's opposite number Ross Durrant also earned his money but was saved by the woodwork when Adam Boyes hit the bar with only the keeper to beat in stoppage time.