Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC ended their pre-season campaign in fine style with a victory against Vanarama National League outfit Barrow AFC.

The away side started well and had the first opportunities of the game, but Josh Kay and Raul Correia were both denied by Bradford stopper Steven Drench.

Mark Bower’s men, wearing their new home kit for the first time, were chasing the ball down well in the final third, forcing defensive hesitations at the back. But the Avenue failed to capitalise on them.

Ben McKenna looked lively down the right wing and linked up well with new loan signing Jake Beesley. With his first chance, the striker could only head over from ten yards.

Despite Correia failing to find the target from close range, Bradford went down the other end of the pitch and McKenna’s low driven shot was well saved by Firth from 16 yards.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-0 Barrow AFC

After the break, the Avenue came close to scoring the opening goal but a Trialist’s strike was well saved by Firth. From the resulting corner, Luca Havern saw his shot easily caught.

After a flurry of substitutions from
both teams and half-chances for the Bluebirds, Bradford did break the deadlock.

Continuing his fine form, McKenna got his first goal in the green and white. A superb piece of play from a substitute Trialist saw him deliver a teasing delivery to the back-post, and McKenna calmly tapped the ball home from close range.

Minutes later, it was a proud moment for the club as the hosts doubled their lead. Once again McKenna was involved. His pull-back was side-footed into the roof of the net by Horsfall College of Sport scholar Matthew Rowntree to the delight of him and the home supporters.

The final whistle blew to signal the end of the game and the end of pre-season for Bradford.

The league action returns next Saturday when we host Brackley Town in the Vanarama National League North at the Horsfall Stadium (3pm).

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench (Trialist 81), Toulson, Lowe, Spencer, Branson, Havern, McKenna, Boshell (Nowakowski 71), Beesley, Dawson (Rowntree 74), Trialist (Trialist 54).

Subs not used: Ross, Ali.

Scorers: McKenna (79), Rowntree (85).

Barrow AFC: Firth, Brown (Barthram 66), Jones (Molyneux 66), Taylor, Granite, Elsdon, Hindle, Rooney, Correia, Kay (Burgess 66), Waterston (Mulholland 66)

Sub not used: Pollard

Huddersfield Town’s youthful side lifted the Yorkshire Rose Cup after a 2-0 victory at the Horsfall Stadium. 

The first opportunity of the half fell to Jamie Spencer, who stooped to meet Ryan Toulson’s cross but headed over the crossbar.

Ben McKenna was a thorn in Huddersfield’s side throughout and began causing problems within the first five minutes. He burst past Mason O’Malley with explosive pace but saw his low-drilled cross steered away from danger by Romoney Crichlow-Noble.

However, it was the visitors that broke the deadlock when Tom Bell struck from long-range and found the top corner despite watching Steven Drench get a fingertip to it.

Spencer had another opportunity to convert with his head when Nicky Wroe’s in-swinging cross found the young midfielder, but his effort flew over the crossbar and his blushes were spared with the raising of the offside flag.

McKenna combined well with Bradford’s trialist forward to release Toulson down the right wing, but the defender’s low drive was fired narrowly wide of the post.

The Terriers had a golden opportunity to double their lead when Aaron Rowe squared to Jordy Hiwula, but the first-team forward couldn’t find the target with his strike.

Spencer lifted a cross into the box from the right that appeared dangerous but eluded the head of an on-rushing Danny Boshell.

Hiwula found himself in a similar situation to when the earlier chance was presented to him, but blasted into the clutches of Drench from the left-hand side of the box.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-1 Huddersfield Town

Bradford introduced another trialist after the break and his first touch of the ball saw him blast over the crossbar from close-range after the ball fell kindly in the box.

The miss was followed up by a second opportunity shortly after, as Wroe’s corner delivery found Luca Havern in the box. The defender’s header, however, flew narrowly over the woodwork.

McKenna then found a trialist on the left flank with an inch-perfect pass, but the latter’s effort was blocked after he cut-in and darted into the box.

Chris Dawson then threaded through to McKenna, who forced Gabriel Rosario to make an excellent save as pressure began to mount on the visitors.

The Terriers did remain in contention despite the pressure and almost doubled their advantage when Olly Dyson burst through the Bradford midfield and forced the goalkeeper to palm wide of the post.

Dawson found more space in forward positions in the second-half and did so in the 75th minute but rifled wide of the post from the edge of the box.

Huddersfield had a flurry of opportunities late on but failed to convert any, and were let off the hook when O’Malley blocked a Ross Boyle cross that looked destined to find Jordan Botwood.

The visitors doubled their lead in stoppage time as Scott High converted a penalty that was won by Kit Elliott.

FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-2 Huddersfield Town

Bradford (Park Avenue): Drench (Trialist 45′), Toulson (Boyle 87′), Lowe (Ridley 78′), Wroe, Branson, Havern, McKenna, Boshell (Trialist 45′), Trialist (Nowakowski 61′), Dawson (Rowntree 78′), Spencer (Botwood 87′).

Huddersfield Town: Rosario, Jackson, O’Malley, Gibson, Crichlow-Noble, High, Dyson, Bell, Obiero, Rowe, Hiwula.

Substitutes: Spratt, Davison-Hale, Eli, Bamford, Raymond, Danaher, Elliott.

Referee: Elliott Swallow

An injury to Horsfall College of Sport scholar Lewis Johnson brought a premature end to Bradford’s sixth pre-season friendly.

James Bicknell’s Campion provided the opposition for what was a close-fought yet good-natured encounter until the abandonment.

The first opportunity of the afternoon fell to Campion’s Alex Cussack, who volleyed wide after meeting Leon Hurles-Brook’s cross from the left.

After an bright start from the hosts, Bradford began to find their rhythm and Jamie Spencer was unlucky to see his teasing delivery elude the outstretched leg of a trialist by mere inches.

Two Bradford trialists then combined well before sending one through on goal, but Danny Brown recovered well to make a last-ditch challenge.

The hosts, however, continued to pose a threat and almost opened the scoring when Talent Ndlovu struck with power from the edge of the eighteen-yard box. Fortunately for Bradford’s trialist goalkeeper, the effort flew narrowly wide of the post.

Omar Habeeb then slipped through to Cussack, who opened up to shoot but was challenged strongly by the recovering Spencer.

Shortly after thwarting Cussack in front of goal, Spencer fired Bradford into the lead with a long-range effort that rattled the post before nestling in the bottom corner.

Campion were rallied by the opener and replied instantly, drawing level thanks to a chipped effort from Hurles-Brook.

Aiden Day almost edged Campion ahead on the stroke of half-time but his effort from around 25-yards failed to find the right side of the post.

HALF-TIME: Campion 1-1 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Campion’s tempo quickened after the break and James Bicknell’s side were on the front foot instantly. Hurles-Brook forced Bradford’s newly-introduced trialist stopper to scramble across and save his thunderous effort early on in the second-half.

A golden opportunity then fell to Adam Nowakowski, who headed over from a corner despite beating his marker in the air.

Jason Davis was introduced to the right-hand side of Campion’s midfield after the interval and caused endless problems with his incisive darts down the wing. An audacious half-volley from deep on the right hammered the woodwork before dropping into the grateful clutches of Bradford’s goalkeeper.

Davis then turned provider, delivering the ball on a plate for Ben Bodle but watching as the latter blazed over from just inside the six-yard box.

It was then the turn of the visitors to come close to taking the lead in sensational fashion, as a trialist shook the crossbar with a dipping free-kick from distance before Nowakowski headed over the rebound.

Mark Bower’s side did eventually regain their lead, as scholar Ross Boyle accelerated down the right flank before pulling back to a trialist, who steered past Declan Lambton.

Two Horsfall College of Sport scholars, Matthew Rowntree and Jordan Botwood, then linked up well to send the latter through on goal. Lambton, however, was alert to the danger and pounced at Botwood’s feet before the young forward could strike.

With nine minutes remaining on the clock, a collision between Lewis Johnson and Jason Davis left the former on the ground. After receiving treatment for a lengthy period, the referee abandoned the game.

After visiting Bradford Royal Infirmary, it was confirmed that the young defender had suffered ‘significant’ ankle ligament damage and would begin rehabilitation with Sports Rehabilitator Tally Clayton and specialists from the BRI after resting for a number of days.

Campion A-A Bradford (Park Avenue)

Campion: Lambton, Hassan, Farnhill, Ndlovu, Hall (c), Brown, Aitken, Day, Cussack, Habeeb, Hurles-Brook.

Substitutes: Kendall, Bodle, Davis, Parchment.

Bradford (Park Avenue): Trialist (Trialist 45′), Boyle, Ridley, Spencer, Nowakowski, Branson (L. Johnson 45′), Trialist (Boshell 61′), Trialist (Ali 74′), Trialist (Trialist 61′), Trialist (Botwood 74′), Trialist (Rowntree 61′).

Referee: James Price