Match Preview provided by Charlie Elliott
Bradford (Park Avenue) are away from home on Saturday as they face Dunston at the UTS Stadium, with kick-off at 3pm. After suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Newton Aycliffe last weekend, Avenue will be looking to bounce back and climb the table, currently sitting in 9th place in the Northern Premier League East Division.
This will be another tough test for the Avenue as they take on a strong Dunston side, who are currently 3rd in the league. With both teams fighting for top positions, this promises to be an exciting encounter.
Dale Pearson is the man in form for Dunston, having scored three goals in his last three matches. Avenue’s defense will need to be on high alert to keep him quiet in this fixture.
Looking at recent form, Dunston have won two of their last three games, drawing the other. Notably, they secured an impressive 3-2 home win over league leaders Cleethorpes Town, who sit nine points clear at the top. However, they more recently drew 1-1 away at Grimsby, a match they may see as points dropped, given that Grimsby sit in 13th place. A win in that fixture would have seen Dunston climb to 2nd, so they will be keen to get back to winning ways and strengthen their promotion push.
Avenue’s recent form has been mixed, with one win and two losses in their last three games. However, both defeats—1-0 losses to top-of-the-table Cleethorpes Town and Newton Aycliffe—came in closely contested matches. Craig Elliott’s side will be determined to turn their form around and secure three crucial points to push further up the table.
In their previous meeting this season, Avenue and Dunston played out a 1-1 draw at Horsfall Stadium in November. Avenue took the lead in the 33rd minute through Hassan-Smith, but Dunston equalized just before half-time, with Dan Turner finding the net.
With the season entering its final stages, every point is vital. Dunston will be aiming to solidify their playoff position, while Avenue will be eager to disrupt their plans and build momentum. It promises to be an exciting and hard-fought contest at the UTS Stadium.