Bradford (Park Avenue) return to the road this weekend as they travel to Greater Manchester to take on Altrincham at Moss Lane.

After a very tough season, Avenue find themselves bottom of the table with only three wins on the season. However, one of those wins was against Altrincham just over a month ago in which Bradford ran out 2-0 winners over the Robins in what was an excellent performance. Goals from Tom Clare on his debut and Oli Johnson late on secured the three points for the Green Army and they will be hoping for a repeat of that this weekend.

Altrincham, meanwhile, are on a good run of form. Despite losing their last game away at Gateshead, their previous loss before that was against Avenue back on the 7th of December. Following that, they went on a seven game unbeaten league run, winning six. They sit tenth in the league table, albeit with a number of games in hand on the teams above, so their fate is in their own hands as we reach the last couple of months of the season.

For Avenue, it was another case of what-if last weekend against Brackley. In an evenly contested game at the Horsfall Stadium, it was unfortunately the away side who showed their quality when it mattered most, edging out a 2-1 win and sending Avenue further to the bottom of the table.

Manager Mark Bower has admitted that escaping relegation this season will be tough, and that it is irrelevant to focus on what other teams are doing, stating that “we’re just focusing on each match one-by-one”.

Focus will be paramount this weekend against one of the league’s inform sides, and three points are necessary if Avenue are to have any hopes of avoiding the drop this season.

After coming away with a point at Hereford, Avenue manager Mark Bower was left stunned at the fact that his side weren’t able to leave the Midlands with all three points, largely down to a brilliant goalkeeping performance from Will Henry and Bower will be hoping for better luck for his team this time around. 

However, the fixture this weekend may bring back a few memories that Avenue fans want to forget as Bradford welcome 4^th placed Brackley Town to the Horsfall Stadium, the same team that they were thumped by 8-0 in September.  

Fortunes haven’t changed much for either side as on one side of the table, Brackley are trying to continue their incredible run of form – undefeated in their previous 10 league games – to try and push on for automatic promotion, or at the very least, secure themselves a playoff spot. Bradford, on the other hand, are struggling for points and after a run of form which saw them lose five straight league games, find themselves deeply rooted to the bottom of the table and are desperate to claw themselves out. 

It’s fair to argue that Bradford should be in a much better position that they do find themselves in right now, though. Since the return of Mark Bower as manager, performances for the Avenue have steadily improved, and they will feel hard done by to have only returned with just one point in their previous three games, games in which Avenue were, for most part, the better side. 

Brackley enter the game as the league’s inform team. They are undefeated in their previous 10 league games, winning 6 and drawing 4, and will be eager to continue positively in their quest for promotion to the National League.  

It all makes for what should be an intriguing team as one side, Bradford will be hungry for revenge to try drown away the early season memory and help their cause for safety, while Brackley will be looking to inflict more woe on an Avenue side, who at this point, have no room to slip. 

The Avenue make the long trip to Herefordshire this Saturday as they look to pick up a vital three points away at Hereford.

Avenue, currently residing at the bottom of the table, need to start picking up wins very quickly and very consistently if they are to have any hope of avoiding the drop from the National League North this season. It has been a frustrating few weeks for Bradford, who have been able to put together a string of impressive performances, especially in their last two games against York City and Boston United, but unfortunately have come away with nothing to show for it.

Hereford, meanwhile, enter the game on just as bad a run of form, if not worse, with just one win in their last 13 league games, which came against Kidderminster two weeks ago. The home side currently sit in 16th place in the league table after having a decent start to the season, but they have spent the last couple of months slipping and sliding down the table.

In the reverse fixture, which took place at the Horsfall Stadium in October, the Avenue ran out 3-2 victors which should give Bradford plenty of confidence heading into the game this weekend, with goals from Adam Nowakowski, Lewis Knight, and Dan Sweeney sealing the three points for the Avenue in which was a very entertaining and back-and-forth affair.

With the Avenue desperate to pick up points to avoid the drop, being 12 points behind 20th placed Curzon Ashton at the moment, and Hereford determined to put a halt to their slide down the table, it makes for a very interesting game between two sides who don’t just want, but need three points.

Bradford (Park Avenue) return home to the Horsfall Stadium when they host Boston United this Saturday (4/01/20). 

Avenue are coming off two straight away games at Farsley Celtic and York City while Boston United travel to Bradford after hosting two straight games against Kettering Town and Kings Lynn.  

Despite a 5-0 loss to Farsley last week, the Avenue were much improved in their New Year’s Day game at York City, and despite the scoreline, were the better team for most spells of the match and manager Mark Bower hopes that they can carry on those types of performances, stating that playing the way that they did against York will get them a good result against “many of the teams in the league”. 

Boston United, too, are coming off a tough loss from New Years Day after being dispatched 3-0 at home by top of the table Kings Lynn. United sit in 9^th in the National League North table, just three points behind the playoff spots, albeit with a number of games in hand on the teams above so they will be travelling to Horsfall with the hopes of strengthening their cause for a playoff spot. 

It’s a much different story for the Avenue though. After a rough offseason after finishing in the playoffs last season, Bradford, now five months into the season, find themselves bottom of the table by five points and ten points from safety with Bower insisting that although it will be difficult, he still has confidence in his players that they will be able to pull off what would be a miraculous escape.  

The Avenue will be without Jon Royle, who has now returned to his parent club AFC Telford, after a brief spell on loan whilst Jake Hibbs could make his return to the Avenue squad after joining on loan from Spennymoor Town earlier this week.