Brackley Town 3-0 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Three second half goals settled this well contested game but the home side had to wait until the later stages to claim the points as a determined Park Avenue side rode their luck and defended doggedly to deny Saints.

Brackley were unable to convert three excellent first half chances when first Jimmy Armson’s fierce shot struck team-mate Wes York on the line, Glenn Walker’s shot was well saved by George Sykes-Kenworthy and then Matt Lowe hit the cross-bar.

On the hour Brad Dockerty brought a fine save from Danny Lewis in Bradford’s clearest chance of the game before Armson struck to put the home side ahead on 74 minutes. Fine work by York saw Armson steal in to finish neatly.

Lowe’s header was well saved as captain Gareth Dean won the aerial battle from Armson’s free-kick before a carbon copy brought the second goal, Dean rising highest to find the net with a looping header from another Armson free-kick on 83 minutes.

Lowe’s long range shot brought out the best in Sykes-Kenworthy at full stretch before loanee Max Dyche grabbed the third heading in after an added time scramble.

The win extends Brackley’s unbeaten run to eight games as Kevin Wilkin’s side recorded an 18th clean sheet of the season. With games in hand the gap to leaders Gateshead has narrowed to four points.

“We had some gilt-edged chances in the first half we should have taken to put us in the lead but we didn’t,” Wilkin said. “I thought Bradford in the second half were early on slightly the better side but delighted we won the game in the manner we did in the end but it certainly wasn’t easy. Bradford were really difficult to break down today. The clean sheet is pleasing because you need everyone focused for the 90 minutes. It’s rare we win by three nil but we take it and will enjoy it. And look forward to next week‘s game now.”

Brackley Town: Lewis, Culinane-Liburd, Dyche, Murombedzi, Lomas, Dean, Lowe, Armson, Ndlovu (Gordon 69), York, Walker (Yusuf 66). Subs unused: Myles, Richards, Putz.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Sykes-Kenworthy, Ross, Lund, Hopper, Havern, Fielding, Knight, Richman (Odunstan 83), Dockerty, Nowakowski (Mottley-Henry 65), Clee (Hinds 85). Subs unused: Toulson, Guilfoyle.

Attendance: 597