BRADFORD (Park Avenue) suffered a blow to their Northern Premier League East Division play-off hopes on Saturday, as unfancied visitors Silsden pulled off arguably the best result in their history.
While Avenue were a Football League club for over 60 years, the eighth tier is the highest the Cobbydalers have ever been, with many observers predicting an immediate relegation.
But perhaps they will not be returning straight back to the Northern Counties East League Premier Division after all.
Their seismic 1-0 away victory at Horsfall on Saturday, courtesy of a late winner from substitute Youssef Chentouf.
It was a bright start to the game from both sides, Jordan Carroll whistling a shot just wide for Silsden, before Avenue headed a good chance over from a cross.
Marcus Carver then had two chances in two minutes for Bradford, curling one shot over the bar and forcing a good save out of Tommy Brown with the other.
Carroll’s volley curved off target at the other end, while Kayle Price also had a chance, only to head Cody Cromack’s cross into the ground and straight at Avenue keeper Maison Campbell.
In the second half, both Campbell and Brown had to show alert reactions, racing off their respective goal-lines to deny a big opportunity apiece.
Brown was in the wars, going down injured on the hour mark and only returning to take his place between the sticks after several minutes of treatment.
As the game moved into the last quarter, Avenue began to create chances and they should have scored when a loose ball dropped to the back post, only for the eventual shot to get prodded wide from inside the six-yard box.
Former Avenue forward Myles La Bastide is now at Silsden and his free-kick tested Campbell.
He was substituted seconds later and just four minutes after coming on, his replacement Chentouf gave Silsden the lead.
Cromack’s free-kick on 78 minutes was flicked on by Jake Cassidy and a poor Avenue clearance fell at the feet of the recently-introduced winger, who lashed the ball into the net past the helpless Campbell.
Avenue pushed hard for the equaliser in the final stages, sending a free-kick just over the crossbar and then somehow missing with a back-post header from just a few yards out.
But Silsden held on for a result that moved them three points clear of the relegation zone ahead of their midweek game at fellow strugglers Newton Aycliffe.
Conversely, Avenue now only have a two-point buffer inside the play-offs, with the side immediately below them, Pontefract Collieries, also having a game in hand.
Seventh-placed Consett are another side hoping to overtake Avenue, so that makes the pair’s game up in the North-East on Saturday a potentially huge one in the promotion race.
