AVENUE boss Mark Bower thinks it was his side's own fault that they were beaten 2-1 by Gloucester City at Horsfall.

Bernard Mensah and Lewis Brunt bagged the goals for the visitors while Liam Hughes' 67th-minute header only turned out to be a consolation.

The defeat means Avenue are now 15 points away from safety with City the ones floating above the drop zone.

Bradford dominated possession throughout the contest but failed to have that cutting edge coupled with a few defensive errors which allowed Gloucester to travel back to Worcestershire with the three points.

Bower was adamant that his players should have been the ones celebrating at the final whistle if they had a bit more quality at both ends of the pitch.

He said: "How we lose the game based on chances created, shots, corners and the number of balls we threw into their box.

"They have produced two good finishes from half chances. We have had glaring opportunities from close out with just the keeper to beat and we have not taken them.

"I am very disappointed in the result in what was a massive game for us. We came short in both boxes again.

"We are just unreliable at times and are not consistent enough by doing our jobs properly.

"I just said that you have beaten yourselves; there is no way that game should have ended in defeat for us.

"It has been a consistent theme through the course of the season since we have been here."

Bower added: "We are always looking at next season no matter where we are in the league.

"Before the game I said 'lose it and it is a mountain to climb' and that is what we are facing now.

"All we can do is continue to try be our best."

When recalling the two goals his basement team conceded, the Bradford manager said the lack of luck was the difference between the two sides.

Bower said: "The lad has half hit it and it has come off the outside of his foot into the far corner. I don’t think he meant it.

"When that ball is in the air, we talked about it before the game, we have got to be switched on but we had too many people ball-watching. Even with Billy’s header we should have bodies around that to complete the clearance.

"It is a free kick on the edge of the box which the lad scores from and it is a long way back from there.

"Even at 2-1, Lewis (Knight) has one that hits the inside of the post and rolls along the line into the keeper's hands, which sums up how it is going for us."