BRADFORD (Park Avenue) suffered a rare defeat on Good Friday, losing 2-1 at Boston United.

Mark Bower’s side were unbeaten in five National League North games going into the encounter, and went 1-0 up in Lincolnshire through Brad Dockerty’s penalty.

But former Bantams favourite James Hanson equalised after an hour, with Shane Byrne winning it for the hosts with 20 minutes to go.

Brad Abbott went close for Boston after only two minutes, but his shot flew wide.

Marcus Dewhurst, a former Guiseley keeper, had to be at his best to thwart Avenue’s Lewis Knight soon after, who had given his defender the slip.

Abbott went closer than earlier when he belted an effort off George Sykes-Kenworthy’s crossbar, but Avenue then won a penalty when Joe Leesley felled Dockerty in the box.

Dockerty dusted himself down and put the penalty beyond Dewhurst to give Avenue the lead.

Leesley saw a shot tipped wide, before Sykes-Kenworthy recovered well to gather Brad Nicholson’s header on the line after he’d spilled it.

After the break, Nicholson headed on to the roof of the net, before the recently-introduced Hanson powered home a Leesley corner.

Ten minutes later, Boston got the winner when Byrne cracked home from 18 yards following a fine Danny Elliott pass from the left.

Tom Platt and Elliott both went close towards the end, as the hosts eventually claimed a deserved win.

After the game, Avenue boss Mark Bower said: “We’re disappointed to lose and I felt we had the better chances in the first half.

“I still thought we could have done more (in that first 45 minutes). I don’t feel we kept the ball well enough and then in the second half they strangled us and we couldn’t string anything together.

“We didn’t clear the ball well or put it in good areas, and we didn’t execute our passes either to relieve pressure.

“I didn’t feel they were banging the door down but we couldn’t get out and they were putting throw-ins, free kicks and corners into our box.

“When you have someone of the quality of James Hanson in there, and you give him too many opportunities, you run the risk of being punished.

“Even after their second, we never really hurt them, and didn’t play with enough quality into the front men.

“It probably turned into a pretty comfortable win for them in the end and you’ve got to hold your hands up and say they deserved it.”

Bower added: “You only have to look around at the surroundings here at Boston, they’re geared up to do well, with a massive squad of really good players.

“I can’t fault our lads’ efforts again, I thought we defended gamely and gave everything.

“But we just lacked quality. I feel we’re better than what we showed.

“That’s the disappointment, that we couldn’t impose ourselves more on the game to give ourselves a chance of getting another result.”

Meanwhile, Guiseley remain rooted to the foot of the table after they capitulated 6-0 at home to Gateshead.

They are three points adrift of safety now after nearest rivals Blyth Spartans won 2-1 against fellow strugglers Farsley Celtic.