Fresh from signing their contracts, the management pairing of Phil Sharpe and Clive Freeman are plotting to make some ground back on second-placed Eastwood Town on Saturday.

Until last week, Avenue could have displaced their UniBond Division One rivals from the runners-up spot had they won their games in hand.

But a surprise home defeat to Woodley Sports last Saturday put a spanner in the works.

That makes this a genuine six-pointer'. Avenue need the win and the by-product it will bring of robbing hosts Eastwood of any points this weekend.

A victory for the Bradford side will reduce the gap to eight points and Avenue will still have played three games less.

Neil Grayston is a doubt for the game. His exit against Woodley Sports preceded the collapse of the system Avenue were deploying.

"Nezza has had treatment on his back every day since but he will still be struggling to make the starting line-up," admitted Freeman.

"The back injury that flared up is a long-standing one and our physio Ray Killick has been looking after him. He has not trained this week so I think we may have to change our plans.

"But whoever plays I expect a positive reaction after Woodley Sports. The players owe Phil a big game after that shambles.

"We didn't take our chances and gave a couple of sloppy goals away - it was a bad day at the office.

"Our season so far has been built on a defence that is pretty solid but we didn't show that last Saturday - that is what was most crushing about the defeat.

"It was a wake-up call for the players who thought we would keep the unbeaten start to 2007 going just by turning up against Woodley."

Bradford PA (from): Skiba, Lennon, Grayston, Wilson, Connor, Shaw, Shuttle-worth, Redfearn, Clarke, Cooke, Flynn, Parke, Ross, Farrand, Sherman, Ball.

Avenue have been drawn at home to either Wakefield or Guiseley in the semi-finals of the West Riding County Cup. The other tie is between Harrogate Railway and Goole.