The visitors started well, and despite failing to find the net after efforts from Matty Downing and Luca Havern, they eventually took the lead just before the interval thanks to a superb individual effort from Academy product Jamie Lyons. The young striker cut inside onto his favoured left-foot and drilled an excellent strike into the bottom corner from 16 yards.

After the break, both sides made several changes. With few opportunities, Avenue doubled their advantage after the hour mark. Substitute Lewis Knight was set free on goal and he slotted the ball past Luke Wilson from 12 yards.

Soon after, Knight got his second with a tap-in following good work from the excellent Brad Dockerty. The winger ran towards goal and unselfishly spotted the run of Knight, who put the ball into an unguarded net.

Bradford scored a fourth when Knight secured his hat-trick with an exquisite free-kick from 20 yards.
A minute later, Adam Muller nodded home from a corner for the home side. Straight from the restart, Mark Bower’s side went on the attack and a cross from the right wing fell to the feet of Dockerty to give Avenue a comfortable win.

Thackley AFC:

Wilson, Marsh, Murphy, Whiteley, Hargreaves, Rothel, Mitchell, Scaroni, Matthews, Grech-Brooksbank, Haigh.

Subs: Hunter, Holroyd, Faulding, Underdown, Butcher, Basi, Muller, Sibanda, Jones, Poole.

Goal: Muller (88)

BPA:First half:

Atkinson, Trialist, Lund, Havern, Downing, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Dockerty, Lyons.

Second half:

Atkinson (Trialist), Trialist, Ross, Lund, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist (Dockerty), Hibbs, Trialist (Lyons) Knight, Trialist.

Goals: Lyons (42); Knight (62), (76), (87); Dockerty (88).

Our next outing is against Liversedge on Tuesday. Please note that this game is currently being played behind closed doors so please don’t travel to the game. If this changes we will update our social media platforms as soon as we hear.

#UTA

Bradford (Park Avenue) fell to their first pre-season friendly defeat when they conceded a late header from Jack Cowgill to give Ossett United a dramatic victory.

The visitors broke the deadlock with a magnificent effort from Trialist C before Elliott Harrison equalised on the stroke of half-time with a well-executed lob into the top corner from outside the box.

With time ticking away, it looked like the game would end as a draw, only for Cowgill to nod home from close range to the delight of the majority 200 spectators inside Ingfield.

The Avenue took a deserved lead after a bright opening. Despite watching a couple of headers from Adam Nowakowski failing to trouble goalkeeper Max Dearnley, Mark Bower’s men made their pressure count. A loose pass from Luke Blackburn was picked up Trialist C, and his impressive footwork allowed him to unleash a stunning right-footed strike into the top corner from 20 yards.

A few minutes later, the Avenue nearly doubled their advantage with another well-worked move. Nicky Clee, playing in an unfamiliar left-back role, spotted the run of Brad Dockerty at the back-post with a superb delivery, and the young winger timed his volley to perfection, but skimmed the top of the bar from 14 yards.

Just before the half-time whistle, an Ossett United corner caused problems amongst the Bradford defence. A solid header from Mark Ross was collected by the unmarked Harrison on the edge of the box, who controlled the ball and fired a right-footed looping effort past Dan Atkinson into the roof of the net.

The second half saw plenty of changes for both teams. The visitors had a new starting eleven apart from Trialist A who played the full 90 minutes. 
With few notable goalscoring opportunities for the first 30 minutes, the game started to open up a bit more. Wayne Benn, a former Avenue favourite, watched on from the dugout as left-back Cameron Clark had a couple of chances on goal, one brushing the post from 25 yards and Cowgill poking an effort wide from a corner.

With five minutes remaining, it was Cowgill involved from a corner. The tall defender rose above his marker to nod the ball home past the Avenue’s substitute goalkeeper. 

The away side tried to respond with a quick equaliser as young Academy product Jamie Lyons was set free, but with the goalkeeper off his line trying to narrow the angle, the striker looked to curl the ball around him only for his left-footed strike to be  easily saved from 20 yards.

Ossett United:

Dearnley, Blackburn (Connolly 45), Clark, Cowgill, Viggars, Cass (Whittaker 16), Harrison (Ripley 45), Hogg (Teasdale 45), Greaves (Chipamaunga 65),  Guest (Stockdil 45), Green (Haswell 65)

Goals: Harrison (40), Cowgill (85)

BPA First half:

Atkinson, Ross, Nowakowski, Havern, Trialist A, Hibbs, Clee, Trialist B, Dockerty, Trialist C, Johnson

Second half:

Atkinson (Sub 70), Trialist A, Toulson, Trialist D, Trialist E, Trialist F, Trialist G, Marriott, Knight, Trialist H, Lyons.

Goal: Trialist C (18)

Attendance: 200

Attendance: 139

In the first pre-season friendly of the 2020-21 campaign, Bradford (Park Avenue) narrowly defeated neighbours Silsden AFC at the Cobbydale Construction Stadium.The visitors took the lead just before the break when the impressive Isaac Marriott dribbled 50 yards but he was brought down inside the box, just before he was about to shoot. From the spot, Oli Johnson sent Silsden’s goalkeeper Alfie Drake the wrong way to make 1-0 at half-time.

Shortly after the restart, young Academy product Jamie Lyon doubled the Avenue’s advantage with a well-taken left footed finish from the edge of the box, following good work by a couple of Bradford trialists. Then, Danny Forrest’s side halved the deficit with a powerful header from Shaun Airey but, despite a couple of chances in the final few minutes, the National League outfit held on.

The Sils could’ve taken an early lead as winger Chris Wademan capitalised on a defensive mistake from a Trialist, but his shot flew over the bar from 12 yards.Mark Bower’s side started to gain some momentum, with Marriott and Nicky Clee looking to orchestrate opportunities from the middle of the park. Clee, with his usual great footwork, opened up space to fire an effort on goal, only for Drake to save well with his feet. Learning from former Avenue striker Forrest for the Sils, Antony Brown tried to copy what Clee had just done at the other end of the pitch, but debutant Dan Atkinson in the Bradford goal managed to catch his strike from close range.

With half-time approaching and Atkinson diving at the feet to deny Wademan the opening goal, Marriott showed his class. The new signing dribbled past a few players to find himself in a position to put his side in the lead. But, the midfielder was fouled by Lewis Morgan and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Johnson, wearing number nine, calmly slotted the ball into the corner to break the deadlock.

With a brand new team for the second half, the Avenue started brightly and following some good work by two trialists down the left wing, the ball found its way to Lyons. The striker who featured in the first team last season, curled a lovely left-footed strike past Drake from 12 yards.The home side also made changes to their starting eleven, and as the weather continued to be a challenge for both teams, the Sils scored from a corner. Defender Airey rose above his mark to nod the ball home from six yards.The hosts pushed forward to equalise and nearly snatched a dramatic draw, only to be denied by the returning Mark Ross who was alert and cleared the ball off the line to give the Avenue a narrow victory.

The next pre-season friendly for the Avenue is on Tuesday 25th August, away at Campion AFC.

#UTA

First Half Team: 

Dan Atkinson, A Trialist, Mitch Lund, A Trialist, Matty Downing, A Trialist, Isaac Marriott, Nicky Clee, Lewis Knight, Ollie Johnson, Brad Dockerty 

Second Half Team: 

Jacob/Atkinson, A  Trialist, Mark Ross, Luca Havern, Ryan Toulson, A Trialist, Adam Nowakowski,  Jake Hibbs, Jamie Lyons (Danny Boshell 60), A Trialist, A Trialist 

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