After five uncomfortable meetings in the last eight months, many at Avenue will be pleased when Accrington Stanley's expected promotion puts an end to these ill-tempered encounters.

And no one more so than Lutz Pfannenstiel.

The German keeper was on the end of some nasty racial abuse from the hostile Crown Ground faithful on Saturday and was also spat at by a Stanley forward during the 3-1 defeat.

He was beaten twice from the spot as Avenue went down to their fourth straight league defeat, a controversial penalty once again costing the side dear.

Pfannenstiel and manager Trevor Storton both criticised referee Keith Lawton's handling of the game.

The controversial injury-time spot-kick was converted by the dangerous Lutel James, cancelling out Avenue's openingminute lead.

It had taken Bradford just 42 seconds to score in front of nearly 900 passionate fans on a murky, freezing afternoon in Lancashire.

Rory Prendergast, who was fouled for three of Stanley's four bookings, was taken out by Michael Knowles on the touchline and Matt Daly flicked the subsequent free-kick in off the far post.

Avenue then had to weather a storm of pressure during a fast-paced first period which saw the visitors play some of their best football in weeks.

But the quality of the cash-backed promotion chasers shone through as the attacking quartet of tricky wingers Russell Payne and former Avenue bad-boy Dean Calcutt provided plenty of service for James and Paul Mullin.

But confident displays at the back by James Stansfield and Richard Tracey repelled most of the attacks only for the mystery penalty to spoil all the good work.

Skipper Wayne Benn, playing in a peacetime recording equalling 353rd appearance for the club, wasted a four on one opportunity and two minutes later James was sticking a penalty home with a furious Matt Daly picking up a harsh booking.

On 59 minutes, Jason Maxwell left the field destined for an ambulance after fracturing a cheekbone in a sickening clash of heads and Anthony Bingham entered the fray for another shot at glory.

And, after a mercurial piece of skill, the youngster was denied by a double save from Jamie Speare before Stanley were given their second penalty of the afternoon.

Stansfield was adjudged to have

handled in the box and James stuck in his second.

Six minutes later the game was over when Mullin fired home from close range after some neat passing by the now-confident home side.

Another mystery penalty opened the door for Avenue with six minutes left but Graham Mitchell's second miss of the season summed up the afternoon.

A better performance but no reward and losing Maxwell, expected to be out for at least a month, will be a massive blow for a club in danger of sliding away from the league summit.