Bradford (Park Avenue) return to Horsfall this Friday night for an FA Trophy clash under the lights against fellow NPL East outfit Heaton Stannington.
Craig Elliott’s men come into the fixture full of confidence after extending their unbeaten league run to 11 matches with a 2–1 victory over Ashington on Tuesday evening.
Avenue started brightly in that contest, storming into a two-goal lead inside the opening 15 minutes. Joe Ackroyd continued his fine scoring form with a stunning chest-and-volley from 25 yards that thundered off the post and into the net. Shortly after, Kareem Hassan-Smith capped off a flowing team move with a clinical finish across the goalkeeper to double the advantage.
Although Ashington pulled one back through Scott Lowery’s header, the Green Army stood firm to secure another three points, maintaining their place at the top of the NPL East and six points clear of Matlock Town, who have games in hand.
Reflecting on Tuesday’s win, Elliott praised his side’s start and the quality of both goals, particularly Ackroyd’s strike which he described as “brilliant,” and Hassan-Smith’s effort which came from “as good a move as you’ll see at Horsfall for a good few years.”
Attention now turns to the FA Trophy, where Avenue have already progressed past Redcar Athletic and Consett in previous rounds. Elliott is keen for his squad to keep momentum going:
“It’s another game in a different competition, but we’re on an unbeaten run and we want to get through to the next round. We’ve had two good wins in it so far, so it’s important that we keep the momentum going.”
Match Details
📍 Horsfall Community Stadium, BD6 2NG
📅 Friday 3rd October 2025
⏰ Kick-off: 8:00pm
Admission
- £10 Adults/Concessions
- £5 Students/Bluelight/Forces (ID Required)
- £3 Youth (12–17)
- £1 Juniors (U12s)
- Hospitality: £15 per person
🎟 Tickets available now via Fanbase:
https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Tickets/SelectType?fixtureId=15282