A SINGLE strike from Jake Beesley was all that was needed as Bradford (Park Avenue) beat Chorley and ended the Vanarama National League’s last unbeaten tag for this season.

The Magpies had won nine and drawn three of their 12 previous games in National North and were the only club in the three division structure yet to taste defeat.

The Lancashire side had also progressed through two rounds of FA Cup and are looking forward to hosting Football League outfit Doncaster Rovers next – but they met their match at the Horsfall Stadium.

The visitors conceded a 77th minute free-kick when Scott Leather fouled Chris Branson. Avenue players claimed a penalty but the referee indicated the offence was outside the area. Beesley met Lewis Knight’s delivery and nodded it past Chorley keeper Matt Urwin.

The Magpies remain top of the league but are now just four points clear of both Kidderminster Harriers and Avenue, who are level on points with the Harriers after they were held to a goalless draw at Guiseley.

Park Avenue manager Mark Bower remarked: “It was a tough game and a very tight game but I thought we played well and did what we had to.

“They had a couple of chances late on but we’d had a couple throughout the game and it was never going to be one with a lot of chances. It was a very windy day and the pitch was dry and bumpy, so neither team could really play much football on the ground.

“I thought we had done well to win the free-kick initially and it’s great for Bees (Beesley) to finish it off. It’s a big thing for a striker to get the goal in a 1-0 win and for what he brings to the team, his work-rate and his overall play, he has deserved that.

“Chorley’s run was always going to come to an end at some point but I’m glad that it was us who were the first to win against them. It was a tight game and it could have gone either way just as the Kidderminster game could have done.

“We’ve had the top two clubs down here in our last two home games and they’ve been very close games. I think the difference between this one and the Kidderminster game was the substitutes we were able to bring on today.

“We had a few missing with injuries when we played Kidderminster and they just got away from us in the last ten minutes. This time, we could bring Ben McKenna and Nicky Clee on, and Adam Nowakowski came on and played in front of the back four to make us stronger when they (Chorley) had some late pressure.

“When we’ve got a full squad I think we can match anyone in this division.”

The visitors almost equalised just minutes after Beesley’s goal but Courtney Meppen-Walter’s header from Adam Blakeman’s corner was cleared off the line by Jamie Spencer.

Chorley went close again late on but Avenue keeper Steve Drench tipped Magpies’ substitute Josh Wilson’s header, from an 87th minute corner, over his crossbar.