Bradford (Park Avenue) produced an emphatic 6-1 victory away at Heaton Stannington to maintain their place at the top of the Northern Premier League East Division and extend their record-breaking unbeaten start to the season to 14 matches.
The Avenue needed just six minutes to break the deadlock at The Willow Park in wet and windy conditions. Louie Chorlton’s out-swinging corner was glanced on by Scott Duxbury, allowing Adam Haw to tap home at the back post and score his first goal of the season.
Haw doubled his tally and Avenue’s lead in the 20th minute. Clever work from Marcus Carver on the left side of the penalty area drew a foul from the home defence, leaving the referee with little hesitation in pointing to the spot. Haw confidently took responsibility from 12 yards, sending Heaton Stannington goalkeeper Daniel Lister the wrong way to make it 2-0.
Bradford almost added a third just two minutes later, as they continued to dominate. Pushing forward from left-back, Duxbury found space on the edge of the area, but his low, left-footed effort drifted narrowly wide.
As the first half progressed, the hosts began to grow in confidence and, on the half-hour mark, fashioned their best opportunity of the game up to that point. Bayley Hester’s cross from the left was not dealt with by the Avenue defence, however, Declan Lambton produced a superb reflex save amid a crowded penalty area to preserve Bradford’s two-goal advantage.
After a nervy end to the first half, the Avenue emerged from the break with renewed vigour and almost claimed a third goal in the 49th minute. An attacking set-piece fell kindly to Marcus Carver, but the Bradford forward could only prod his effort wide of the target.
Carver would prove instrumental in the build-up to Avenue’s third goal just four minutes later. Showing excellent strength down the left, the Bradford number nine forced Heaton Stannington captain Daniel Capewell into a short back-pass to his goalkeeper Lister, who inexplicably picked up the ball, prompting the referee to award the visitors an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area.
The ball was laid off to Haw, who completed his hat-trick with a powerful strike. Lister could only get a hand to the effort, helping it on its way into the net as the Avenue extended their advantage to 3-0.
The scintillating Haw struck again, just two minutes later, to claim his fourth of the afternoon. Brimming with confidence, the forward tried his luck following a sweeping Avenue attack, and his goal-bound effort took a wicked deflection that wrong-footed Lister and nestled in the net, putting the game beyond any doubt.
Haw capped a five-star individual display with his fifth goal of the afternoon in the 68th minute. Chorlton, a constant threat down the right flank, delivered another dangerous cross into the penalty area, which the home defence could only clear as far as Haw. The forward picked out the bottom corner with an accurate finish that gave Lister no chance, and extended Avenue’s lead to 5-0.
The hosts did manage to pull a goal back nine minutes from time. A cross from the left was met sweetly by substitute Sado Djalo, whose well-placed first-time effort looped beyond the impressive Lambton and into the corner of the net to make it 5-1.
Bradford soon restored their five-goal advantage, however, to put the finishing touch on an emphatic away performance. In the 88th minute, substitute Ben Andreucci won possession on the right before cutting the ball back to fellow replacement Luke Parkin, who drilled a powerful left-footed finish into the bottom corner to complete the scoring at 6-1, and cap an outstanding afternoon for the Green Army.
The Avenue’s sixth league victory in a row keeps them four points clear at the top of the table, as they extended their record-breaking unbeaten run in style.
Bradford’s next fixture will see them host South Leeds at the Horsfall Community Stadium on Tuesday evening in the first round of the West Riding County Cup. Manager Craig Elliott has indicated that the tie is likely to provide an opportunity for the reserve players to gain valuable minutes, allowing him to rest key members of the squad ahead of another trip to the North East next weekend.
The Green Army travel to face Consett AFC on Saturday, 31 October, as they look to continue their remarkable start to the campaign.
Match Report by Ste Grimshaw
Date: Saturday 24 October 2026
Full Time: Heaton Stannington 1-6 Bradford (Park Avenue)
Attendance: 357
Kick-off: 15:00pm
Referee: Joel Tilmouth
Venue: The Willow Park
Heaton Stannington: Lister, Fil, Hester (Milburn 58′), Parkinson (Savage 68′), Capewell (c), Shepherd, Errington (Giraud 58′), Walker, Pearson (Boothroyd 74′), Gascoigne, Hopper (Djalo 58′)
Goalscorer: Djalo (81′)
Bradford (Park Avenue): Lambton, Brown, Duxbury (Winfield 69′), Abbott, Ible (c), Misambo, Chorlton, Ekpolo (Moke 76′), Carver (Andreucci (80′), Haw (Parkin 70′), B. Thompson (Fox 63′)
Goalscorers: Haw (6′, 20′ pen, 53′, 55′, 68′), Parkin (88′)