BRADFORD (Park Avenue) suffered a rare defeat in 2022, as they went down 2-0 at Fylde on Saturday.

Fylde consolidated their grip on fourth place in National League North, while Avenue remain down in 16th, but a whole 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

The Coasters saw off Avenue on the Lancashire coast thanks to goals from Ben Tollitt and Nick Haughton.

Avenue started brightly enough at Mill Farm against a side with an interim manager and still smarting from a midweek home loss to York City.

And there was further bad luck for Fylde when Mark Cullen after he was stretchered off after landing awkwardly on his right leg.

Avenue’s Dylan Mottley-Henry had an opportunity to open the scoring but his darting run came to nothing when he blazed over from 35 yards out.

Once again, Avenue’s keeper George Sykes-Kenworthy was in sparkling form and denied Fylde striker Jorome Slew more than once.

Just as it looked as if the two would go into the break on level terms, Tollitt met a cross supplied by Nathan Shaw and headed it into the net from close range in first half injury time.

The goal seemed to take the fight out of Avenue and Fylde were on top for much of the second half.

Haughton was unlucky to see a shot go wide, but Avenue’s defence held firm and Sykes-Kenworthy performed well to keep the Coasters out.

Brad Dockerty was a constant thorn in Fylde’s side too, and he forced a great save just after the hour mark after rounding the defence.

However, with eight minutes to go, the previously imperious Sykes-Kenworthy’s made a mistake and Slew was on hand to cross for Haughton to score.

Simon Richman headed over for Avenue in the last few minutes and Dockerty was unlucky to be ruled offside when he looked to be in with a chance.

Avenue manager Mark Bower said: “We expected an onslaught from them early on but after the first 15 minutes, I think we got back into the game and looked reasonably comfortable.

“I was really disappointed with the goal we conceded in injury time at the end of the first half.

“If we had gone in at 0-0, the second half would have been a completely different game. It was a poor goal to concede.

“In the second half I thought we grew into it. Going into the last 20 minutes we were putting a little more pressure on and had a few chances.

“But then we’ve given the second goal away and at 2-0 it’s game over.

“I think we lacked a little bit of composure at times and didn’t put any sustained pressure on Flyde at any time during the game.

“The lads gave us absolutely everything but against a very, very good team, we just didn’t have enough to get something from the game.”

Second-bottom Guiseley's game at Kettering was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, but the Lions remain two points clear of the drop zone, as basement dwellers Farsley Celtic were beaten 2-1 at home to Spennymoor Town.