Bradford (Park Avenue) will face what is likely to be their sternest test of the season on Saturday when they host table-toppers Chorley.

The league leaders have been unassailable thus far, conceding just five goals in twelve National League North games and accumulating thirty points.

However, confidence will be coursing through the veins of Mark Bower’s men after they dismantled Nuneaton Borough in their last game.

Saturday’s opponents have an Emirates FA Cup first round tie to look forward to after advancing in the competition at the expense of Barrow last week. Although a clash with Doncaster Rovers is on the horizon, the Magpies will be returning their focus to league matters as they look to maintain their unbeaten record.

GUIDE TO THE OPPONENTS:

The Gaffer:

Jamie Vermiglio

Chorley supporters were stunned by the shock departure of Matt Jansen in the summer but the man chosen to replace him has certainly stepped up to the plate. A former midfielder and coach at Victory Park, Vermiglio was already a popular figure at the club and is even more popular now after taking the club to the league summit. As a player, he also represented AFC Telford United, Scarborough and Northwich Victoria before moving into management.

One To Watch:

Marcus Carver

The 25-year-old has played a significant role in the club’s ascension to top spot. An industrious forward, he has led the line tremendously this season and notched in last week’s Emirates FA Cup win over Barrow. He began his career with Accrington Stanley and enjoyed loan spells at Marine, F.C Halifax Town, Barrow, AFC Fylde and Chorley before joining the Magpies on a permanent basis in 2016.

Match Day Drinks Offer

In honour of this clash of non-league titans, Bradford (Park Avenue) has a special drinks offer on for season ticket holders of any club (including rugby clubs) and members of our mailing list.

*Buy two bottles of Coors or Magners and get your third one free on production of any season ticket or pre-match programme e-mail.

Bradford (Park Avenue) will be in West Riding County Cup action on Monday 5th November.

The recent draw confirmed that the club will visit Brighouse Town, who play in the Northern Premier League Division One East.

The match will kick off at 7:45pm at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium and Bradford will be hoping to progress in the competition after last year’s early exit.

Here are the next six tests that Mark Bower’s side face:

20/10: Nuneaton Borough (A) – VNLN

27/10: Chorley (H) – VNLN

30/10: Darlington (H) – VNLN

03/11: York City (A) – VNLN

05/11: Brighouse Town (A) – WRCC

10/11: Curzon Ashton (A) – VNLN

Over five months after they clashed in last season’s play-off elimination round, Bradford (Park Avenue) and Kidderminster Harriers meet again. 

Today’s game also marks Non-League Day 2018, but in the midst of the celebrations there is a game between two of the National League North’s top three sides which looks set to be thoroughly entertaining.

Mark Bower’s side will be pleased to be back in league action after crashing out of the Emirates FA Cup last week and that will also be the case for the visitors, who were beaten by Stourbridge last week.

Gianluca Havern and Chris Dawson may not feature after picking up injuries during the defeat to Altrincham, but Bradford boss Bower has insisted that neither will be long-term absentees.

Speaking after last week’s cup defeat, Bower admitted that today’s test will be a stern one:

“Next week’s game is obviously going to be a really hard one against the team I expect to go on and win the league. But we’ll learn lessons from today’s defeat, we’re disappointed but we’ve got to keep things in perspective. Overall, this season, we’ve done okay. We’ve looked solid for most parts but we’ve got make sure we’re right back at it and putting in the kind of performances that we’ve put in over the last few weeks to give ourselves a chance of getting something out of the game against Kidderminster.”

Captain Shane Killock also discussed today’s challenge:

“We know Kidderminster are a good side. They’re full-time and they’re fit but we always raise our game against the better teams. There are no easy games in this league so we’ve got to keep going every Saturday and put the performances in.”

There’s never been a better time to come and support Bradford (Park Avenue). Season ticket holders from any cub can watch today’s game for just £5* and students can purchase a season ticket for just £10**.

*When season ticket is presented

**When valid student identification is presented

Photo: John Rhodes

Bradford (Park Avenue) visit National League North counterparts Altrincham tomorrow, looking to keep the Emirates FA Cup dream alive.

The two sides met less than a month ago in league action, but the Robins left the Horsfall Stadium with three points in the bag after a narrow 3-2 win.

Prior to the last meeting, Bradford had shipped seven goals in their previous two games but Altrincham will face a different beast at the J. Davidson Stadium tomorrow. Mark Bower’s side have tightened their backline significantly, keeping two consecutive clean sheets on the road against Darlington and Alfreton Town.

Altrincham progressed into the Third Qualifying round of the competition with a convincing disposal of Whitley Bay, finding the back of the net on five occasions with no reply from their opponents. Bradford’s test was considerably sterner but they advanced regardless, edging past Darlington with a 1-0 victory.

Despite impressing in the Second Qualifying Round, Phil Parkinson’s side head into the clash with Bradford on the back of a defeat to Kidderminster Harriers. Three first-half strikes from the Harriers helped see off the Robins, who failed to mount a comeback despite a flurry of late chances.

Mark Bower is well aware of the threat Altrincham pose but claims that his side are confident ahead of the game:

“You’ve got to take each game on its merits, both teams know each other well, we only played each other a couple of weeks ago and I’m sure they’ll have a plan for us and we’ve got to have a plan for them. It’s a difficult tie away from home, we saw how Altrincham are and they pushed Kidderminster all the way in their last game. But the lads are confident, we’ll go and give it everything we’ve got and hopefully we’ll get that bit of luck that seems to elude us in cup competitions and hopefully get into the fourth qualifying round.”

GUIDE TO THE OPPONENTS: 

The Gaffer:

Phil Parkinson

Parkinson was appointed as Robins manager in April 2017. He joined the club from Nantwich Town, who he had been in charge of since February 2015. During his time with the Dabbers, he guided the club to the semi-finals of the FA Trophy in 2016 and the semi-finals of the Northern Premier League play-offs in 2017. An FA Vase-winning captain as a player with Nantwich, he also represented Port Vale after having spells with Crewe Alexandra and Reading as a youth player.

One To Watch:

Jordan Hulme

Hulme is undoubtedly one of the division’s most potent forwards. The clinical finisher has found the back of the net on eight occasions already this season, picking up where he left off last season when he was the Robins’ top-scorer. He was also crowned the Northern Premier League Player of the Year after breaking the 30-goal barrier. Hulme worked with management duo Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson at Ramsbottom United and Salford City before making the move to Moss Lane in July 2017.

Coverage: @BPAFCOfficial on Twitter (live text commentary)