Cammell give Cam the hump!

4:48pm Sunday 26th October 2008

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Park Avenue 1 Cammell Laird 2

Another three valuable UniBond Premier Division points slipped through Avenue’s grasp on Saturday as Cammell Laird came to Horsfall Stadium and were allowed to walk away with a maximum haul.

It could be argued that Lairds were the form team going into the game, having gone three games unbeaten – winning two and drawing one. But Avenue fans will know that had they been on top of their game they would have swept the Merseysiders aside.

Avenue underperformed once more at home, and instead of being a fortress Horsfall is becoming a place from which opposition sides expect to take something.

Lairds made the most of that, although they did need two set-pieces to get their goals.

Bradford boss Dave Cameron was unimpressed: “What can I say. Yet another abysmal display on the back of a very good performance,” he said, referring to the midweek draw at second-placed Ilkeston.

“The chances we missed in this game were unbelievable. If we had taken half of them we would have got the win, despite not playing well. Once again we were let down by individual mistakes.

“What I said to the players involved in those incidents will stay within the confines of the dressing room. Had we not given the free-kick and the penalty away, Cammell Laird would have struggled to score. They didn’t threaten much from open play.

“But it’s gone now, its all about tonight and the visit of Matlock Town. We can put the huge disappointment behind us very quickly if the players get their attitudes right in time for the game.”

The wind was almost galeforce so it was never going to be a classic.

Had the supporters been warmer in their seats they might have nodded off at any point during the goalless first half.

The home side’s only two chances in the first half fell to Rory Patterson, who latched onto a through ball but saw his shot blocked by Lairds keeper Richard Whiteside before a free-kick sailed safely into the arms of the well-positioned Whiteside.

Lairds centre forward Mark Reed drilled in a shot from the edge of the area in the 36th minute but Avenue keeper Jon Worsnop parried it at full stretch and was able to gather the rebound.

Just four minutes into the second half, Avenue took the lead through substitute Mark Bett. Patterson, who had shot inches wide seconds into the second half, sent a low cross through the area and Bett clipped it in at the far post.

The lead lasted just six minutes before on-loan centre back Raphael Evans gave away a free-kick just outside the area and Lairds left back Antony Lynch fired the dead ball into the top corner.

With just seven minutes to go, Reed raced onto a low through ball and Worsnop ran to the corner of his six-yard box to meet him. The Avenue keeper spread himself, the striker went to ground like a dying swan, and after the ref awarded a spot-kick Reed stepped up and drilled home the winner.