Saturday, October 5th, 2024 | Attendance: 496
Bradford (Park Avenue) secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Garforth Town, with a spectacular second-half volley from Connor Shanks proving to be the difference.
The match started with an early moment of controversy in the 4th minute when Shanks went down in the box, but the referee waved away appeals for a penalty. Bradford (Park Avenue) continued to press, with Jack Normanton firing a free kick over the bar in the 9th minute.
The visitors created further chances as Normanton tried to play Shanks in on goal in the 15th minute, only for the forward to be flagged offside. Garforth responded quickly and won a corner from the resulting free kick, but their header sailed harmlessly over the bar.
As the first half progressed, Avenue began to take control, playing some positive football. Sonny Whittingham looked to play Kareem Hassan-Smith in on the 29th minute, but his ball ran out of play. Despite some promising moments, both sides went into half-time with the score still 0-0.
Half-time: Garforth Town 0-0 Bradford (Park Avenue)
The second half began with Luke Hogg picking up a booking, but Avenue soon made the breakthrough. In the 52nd minute, a long ball from new signing Jack Hall found Paddy Sykes, who flicked it on with his head. After a touch from the opposition, the ball dropped kindly to Normanton, who hooked it over to Shanks. The forward unleashed a stunning volley that flew into the net, giving Avenue a 1-0 lead.
Bradford (Park Avenue) made a series of substitutions as the game wore on, with Joe Crosby replacing Whittingham in the 71st minute, followed by James Hanson coming on for Normanton in the 78th minute. Despite Garforth’s efforts to get back into the match, the Avenue defence, marshalled by the experienced Mark Beevers, stood firm.
A final substitution saw Theo Hudson replace the goalscorer, Shanks, in the 87th minute as Avenue looked to see out the game.
Bradford (Park Avenue) held on to their slender lead, securing all three points and moving further up the table. Garforth, despite their efforts, couldn’t break through the solid defensive unit.
Full-time: Garforth Town 0-1 Bradford (Park Avenue)
Goal: Shanks (52′)
Bradford (Park Avenue) Starting XI:
Jack Hall, Josh Ashman, Dan Francis, Luke Hogg (C), Ben Blythe, Mark Beevers, Connor Shanks, Sonny Whittingham, Paddy Sykes, Jack Normanton, Kareem Hassan-Smith
Substitutes: Joe Crosby, James Hanson, Josh Askew, Theo Hudson, Myles La Bastide
Garforth Town Starting XI:
Harry Flatters, Rinor Ejupi, Max Tweddle, Dexter Ball, Harry Viggars (C), Jamie Barkway, Charlie Marshall, Dan Coupland, Jordan Emery, Matt Savage, Matt Antcliff
Substitutes: Joe Smith, James Burgess, Jay Davis, Alex Zachariou, Max Bauer
Next Match:
Bradford (Park Avenue) face another tough away fixture as they travel to Stocksbridge Park Steels on Wednesday, 9th October, with a 7:45pm kick-off at Bracken Moor Stadium (2 Bracken Moor Ln, Stocksbridge, Sheffield S36 2AN). After three consecutive wins, Craig Elliott’s squad is looking more settled with each game, and they’ll be aiming to extend their winning run.