Match Preview – Bradford (Park Avenue) vs Hereford FC – The Green Army play host to the Bulls in the Vanarama National League North.
Bradford (Park Avenue) will be hoping to build on their vital 2-1 home win against Curzon Ashton last time out as they welcome Hereford to the Horsfall Community Stadium on Saturday. That win gives Avenue a much-welcomed confidence boost, as they head into their second home game in a row, having displayed great character to come from behind and pick up their first three points of the season. The result may not have moved Avenue off the bottom, but it doubled their points tally and brought the club to within three points of safety.
The visitors this weekend sit in 13th place in National League North and are enjoying something of a revival, having picked up seven points from a possible nine in their last three games. Hereford fans will be hoping the inconsistency shown in the early part of the season is behind them.
One potential headache for Avenue boss Mark Bower is the question whether to stick with the eleven players who started the victory over Curzon Ashton. One player who will certainly be arguing his case for selection is super-sub, Will Longbottom who, not for the first time this season, came off the bench late on to grab a vital goal for his side.
Hereford have enjoyed a rich vein of form in front of goal this season. They have the joint sixth highest tally in National League North and their seventeen goals have been scored by ten different players. Experienced dangerman and joint-top scorer Tyrone Barnett will be hoping to be on the scoresheet again after netting in the Bulls’ 4-2 thrashing of Boston United last time out. The 36-year-old struck in the league for the first time since his double against Spennymoor Town on the opening day of the season and will be aiming to become the club’s outright top-scorer.
Avenue will look to take confidence from their excellent head-to-head record over Hereford FC since the formation of the latter as a phoenix club for Hereford United in 2014. Of the seven official meetings between the two sides, Avenue have won four, drawn two and lost one, remaining unbeaten against the Bulls in all fixtures at the Horsfall Community Stadium. The Green Army will be hoping to continue this impressive record beyond the upcoming fixture this weekend.