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 4th 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.