Dom Roma stays positive despite Gainsborough Trinity being pegged back at the death

Liam Dickinson equalised for Avenue in stoppage time and then missed a penalty as the Blues hung on for a draw.

Gavi Rothery had previously opened the scoring from the spot for the Blues after Jacob Hazel was brought down.

Speaking after the game, Roma believes his side need to work on their game management more.

He said: “For the first 60 minutes we did well, we should have been two or three up at half time. After then we started to not look after the ball as well in their defensive third, which led to us not putting enough pressure on the ball.

“It’s just the game management which we need to learn from, and they will, so I am disappointed but we have picked up a point.”

Match report: Gainsborough Trinity 1 Bradford PA“I don’t think are fitness was a question as we never looked to sit on our box. We were still getting up, we were still getting higher up the pitch it was just keeping the ball in their final third.

“We have players in our team who can handle a football and when we get up there we need to have a little bit about us to keep possession and see the clock down. We were pretty rampant in the first half and created some great opportunities and I just think it was choosing the right decisions at the right time.

“The first game of the season is always totally different from the pre-season games so I was pleased with a good 60 minutes of that and there are a lot of positives to take into Tuesday’s game at Alfreton.”

Roma was pleased with the impact of the new signings, particularly some of the football being played by the front three of Rothery, Hazel and Ashley Worsfold as well as the impact of Eastwood who almost gifted the visitors the lead in the first half.

He said: “They have had six games in pre-season and they have gelled really quickly but it is nice to have the options of Jordan Thewlis and Jarman off the bench as well as Jake Scott.

“We still have Liam Davis to come back so lads are going to be fighting for places from now on and that’s how we want it to be.”

“I don’t know what happened in the first half with Jake but he made a mistake and then straight after he has come out and punched a corner 20 yards so that is what we want from him.

“We keep stressing to the lads if you make a mistake, you get on with it, as there is nothing you can do. Mistakes happen and you get on with it and try and put it right.”