A deflected shot from full back Greg Drummond four minutes from time was enough to condemn Avro to a second successive home defeat and loosen their grip on fifth place in the table on a disappointing afternoon at the Vestacare Stadium.
Manager Alex Frost made just one enforced change from the side which had been unlucky to suffer a midweek loss at Charnock Richard. Louis Potts was ruled out with a hamstring injury, so Liam Ellis moved up front and Kyle Jacobs returned in midfield.
Neither side created much by way of clear cut goal scoring opportunities in an even first half, with Michael Afuye coming closest to breaking the deadlock. However, the young winger was twice denied by visiting keeper Damien Eastham, who got down low to his left to keep out both efforts. Kane Wallwork also had two long range attempts, but one flew over the bar whilst the other was comfortably gathered by the visiting keeper.
However, both players’ involvement in the game had come to an end by the interval. First the Avro full back was shown a red card for an off the ball incident, and then Eastham took exception to a challenge by Ellis and was shown two yellow cards in quick succession.
With no substitute keeper on the bench, Motors brought on Simon Thelwell to take over goalkeeping duties. However, the home side failed to make the most of this obvious advantage, and were also unable to capitalise on a ten minute spell playing against nine men after Joe Heath was sent to the sin bin for dissent.
Sam Rathbone volleyed just over from a corner, but Thelwell was largely untroubled, and as the possibility of a first goalless league draw for over eight years loomed large, Drummond strode forward unchallenged and left fly with a left foot shot which cannoned off a defender and completely wrongfooted Ollerenshaw.
