Northern Premier League – East Division
Venue: The Ashcourt Group Stadium
Attendance: 220
Referee: Alex Clark
Bradford (Park Avenue)’s remarkable nine-game unbeaten streak in the Northern Premier League East Division came to a halt on Saturday, as they fell 3-1 away to Newton Aycliffe. Despite a spirited fightback to equalize in the first half, Avenue couldn’t find a way back after conceding twice more in quick succession.
Newton Aycliffe opened the match with intensity, and Jack Hall was called into action within the first 15 minutes, producing an excellent save to keep the game level. Avenue responded through Ted Lavelle, whose first-time shot from the edge of the area was denied by the Aycliffe goalkeeper.
The hosts broke the deadlock soon after, catching Avenue on the counter as Liam Jarvie slipped through the defense and squeezed a shot past Hall. However, Avenue responded immediately through a moment of brilliance from Connor Shanks. Picking up the ball just outside the box, Shanks expertly cut inside his marker and unleashed a powerful strike, drawing the visitors level.
But Newton Aycliffe quickly regained the lead when Liam Adamson’s shot took a wicked deflection, leaving Hall with no chance. Minutes later, Wayne Whitfield extended Aycliffe’s advantage with a superbly struck free kick that curled into the top corner, putting Avenue two goals down before half-time.
In the second half, Avenue pushed hard to find a way back into the game, with manager Craig Elliott making a triple substitution on the hour mark, bringing on Myles La Bastide, Connor Dimaio, and Alex Francis in a bid to spark a comeback. Despite their efforts, Avenue struggled to break through Aycliffe’s resolute defense, and their best chance came when they hit the post late on.
Paddy Sykes, normally a reliable attacking presence, was replaced by Jimiel Chikukwa after a subdued performance, and Elliott threw on Jack Normanton for defender Josh Ashman as a last-ditch attempt to claw back into the game. Unfortunately, Avenue couldn’t turn their pressure into goals, and the match ended in a frustrating 3-1 loss.
Manager Craig Elliott’s Post-Match Thoughts
Following the game, Elliott expressed his disappointment:
“I’m disappointed with how we played and how we gifted them goals. They’re a good team, and fair play to them – the best team won. But we can’t gift goals like that, especially when we got it back to 1-1 so quickly. Young Jack made an error, and that can happen. I was really disappointed with how it went after that.”
The referee’s decision to award a free kick that led to Aycliffe’s third goal left Elliott frustrated:
“You just feel like it’s not your day when things like that happen. In the second half, the lads did well; they gave it a go, hit the post, and had a couple of chances. Maybe we could’ve pushed harder toward the end.”
Elliott also highlighted the absence of key players and the need for a tactical reset:
“We missed Beevs [Mark Beevers], and we tried something different. Maybe that contributed, but I’m almost glad this happened. It’s a reality check, a reminder there’s still a lot to do. I learned a lot about some players today.”
Despite the setback, Elliott remains focused on the season’s goals, acknowledging the competitiveness of the league:
“When I took over, we were in the relegation zone. Now, we’re in sixth. This league has unpredictable results, with nine or ten teams in contention. We’ll just keep chipping away and meeting our targets.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s home fixture against Dunston, Elliott expressed optimism:
“I told the lads setbacks are part of football. On Monday, I want everyone focused on training and a massive game against Dunston, one of the promotion favorites. We need to be better because there were aspects today I wasn’t happy with.”
Teams
Newton Aycliffe
- Jim Pollard
- Ryan Lincoln Barrow
- Joe Ferguson
- Alex Nelson
- Toby Pascoe
- Wayne Whitfield
- Ethan Wood (C)
- Jake Petitjean
- Dean Thexton
- Liam Jarvie
- Liam Adamson
Subs: 12. Cieran Jackson, 14. Cole Kiernan, 15. Jack Clarkson, 16. Mark Wood
Bradford (Park Avenue)
- Jack Hall
- Kareem Hassan-Smith
- Dan Francis
- Luke Hogg (C)
- Ben Blythe
- Josh Ashman
- Ted Lavelle
- Sonny Whittingham
- Paddy Sykes
- Connor Shanks
- Will Calligan
Subs: 12. Myles La Bastide, 14. Connor Dimaio, 15. Jamiel Chikukwa, 16. Jack Normanton, 17. Alex Francis
Avenue will look to regroup as they return to Horsfall Community Stadium this Saturday, facing Dunston in a crucial matchup for the play-off race.
