16 Nov 2022

MATCH REPORT – Alfreton Town 0 – 0 Bradford (Park Avenue)

Bradford (Park Avenue) held firm as they earned a hard-fought and valuable point away at Alfreton

With injuries and illness plaguing the Avenue’s side, they travelled to playoff hopefuls Alfreton Town and defied the odds to come away with a valuable point.

Bradford came out with all guns blazing as they tried to catch the home side napping in the opening 10 minutes, but Alfreton’s defence was wise to their attacks limiting them to very few opportunities.

The first real chance of the half came for the home side, a great cross into the box led to an open shot on goal but George Sykes-Kenworthy was able to parry the ball away, the game opened up as both sides went on the attack both teams had their chances to open the scoring, if it wasn’t for some from some resolute defending and fine saves, the game went into the break all square.

And it was Avenue who came out stronger in the second half and had a few chances to break the deadlock, they held their own against a side that Mark Bower has tipped to be right up there challenging for the play offs by the end of the season.

Bradford, who still find themselves in a relegation battle after a poor start to the season, but after this result they can hold their heads up high, they gave a great account of themselves against a very strong Alfreton side.

After the game Mark Bower said,

“We had to throw a team together, we lost a few players to illness at the last minute, but I thought the lads were magnificent. “

“It’s a tough place to come to Alfreton, you’ve just got to look at the players they have at there disposal, these are tipped to get the playoffs and for us to come and get a draw and in all honesty, we could’ve won the game.”

He continued to say,

“I was very pleased with the squad and a great reaction from the defeat on Monday night, their determination was great, and I was really proud of them today.”

UP NEXT – We host neighbours Farsley Celtic in the FA Trophy this Saturday 19th November! Kick Off is set for 3pm at the Horsfall Community Stadium

FA Trophy Admission prices – Tickets are purchased on the gate. Card/Cash is taken at the Cemetery Road turnstiles, and the Park Road turnstiles are CASH ONLY

Adults: £10
Concessions: £8
12-18s: £3
U12s: £1

2 Nov 2022

MATCH REPORT – Bradford (Park Avenue) 2 – 1 Gloucester City

by BPAFC Officials | posted in: First Team Match Reports, First Team News, News | 0

The Avenue’s faithful were treated to a ‘Spooktacular’ three points beating high-flying Gloucester City on Horsfall’s hallowed ground.

Mark Bower wanted a response from his side’s 1-2 defeat to Brackley Town at the weekend and he got just that.

A rain-soaked evening that could have been a nightmare turned out to be a thriller as Bradford secured an entertaining 2-1 win over a Gloucester side boasting a six-game unbeaten run.

Avenue took a seventh minute lead through the in-form Jacob Blyth. He got on the end of a low cross into the box and tapped it in from close range.

This provoked Gloucester into a response which they secured in the 35^th minute through Matt McClure, taking them into the break on even terms.

Avenue weren’t disheartened by the set back and it was they who eventually found the killer blow. Bradley Dockerty hit a fabulous strike from the edge of the box ten minutes into the second half, the ball taking a deflection on its way past the helpless Gloucester keeper.

Gloucester had their chances to equalise, including a scary long-range lob which hit the top of the Avenue bar, but the home defence held firm.

The victory lifts Avenue into 21^st position and makes it four wins out of five.

Avenue have now put a bit of daylight between themselves and the bottom two as they go into this weekend’s game, confident they can pull off another upset against mid-table Chester FC.

Writer: James Fletcher

23 Oct 2022

MATCH REPORT – Bradford (Park Avenue) 1 – 0 Hereford

by BPAFC Officials | posted in: First Team Match Reports, First Team News, News | 0

Late Jacob Blyth penalty gives Bradford Park Avenue their second win of the season

1-0 win at home against Hereford FC means back-to-back wins.

The home team Bradford (Park Avenue) came into the game on the back of their first win of the season against Curzon. Their aim was to build on that and ensure it wasn’t a false dawn.

Their opposition Hereford came into the fixture in fine form having not lost in their last 6 matches and coming off a 2-1 win in the FA Cup and a 4-2 demolition of Boston United.

The game started slowly with chances coming few and far between, Avenue looking to create through crosses from Reece Staunton into the target man Jacob Blyth.

This led to a near chance for joint top scorer Jamie Spencer whose shot from the edge of the box was blocked by a Hereford center back.

Hereford’s first clear cut chance came in the form of an Evans cross dropping to right-winger Mclean who scuffed his shot into Sykes-Kenworthy’s gloves.

Both teams looked to build up quickly, Hereford with their midfield double pivot and Bradford using the height of Blyth with Dockerty making runs off him.

The last chance off the half came in the 32^nd minute when Hereford’s Tyler failed to claim a Staunton free-kick, the ball falling nicely to Hopper whose attempt was cleared just in front of the 6 yard box with the keeper in no man’s land.

Hereford began the second half lively, building up on the left then creating a chance for Hanson just on the edge of the box. His shot was collected calmly by Avenue’s keeper.

A long period of possession for Bradford lead to Thomas Angell having a great chance in the 57th minute, as he faked onto his weaker right foot and shot into a Hereford defender.

Clever footwork from Reece Staunton who drifted over to the right wing gave him space to get a shot off which was saved comfortably by Hereford’s Cian Tyler.

In the 84^th minute the pressure paid off. Hopper was slotted in behind on the right and was bundled over winning a penalty for the home side.

Jacob Blyth Bradford’s number 9 then blasted the penalty into the top left corner making it 1-0 with 5 minutes to go.

From that point onwards, Avenue’s only aim was to run down the clock as much as possible. They did this successfully not allowing Hereford any late chances with game finishing 1-0.

Bradford (PA) now see themselves off the bottom of the table. This puts them in a great position going into their next game against Blyth Spartans on Tuesday.

Attendance:561

Referee: Helen Conley

Writer: Ethan Illingworth

13 Jul 2018

Bradford Brushed Aside By Stags

by BPAFC Officials | posted in: First Team Match Reports, First Team News, News | 0

Bradford brushed aside by Stags

Mansfield Town condemned Bradford to their first defeat of pre-season at the Horsfall Stadium.

Mark Bower fielded an experimental side once again, opting to take a further look at numerous trialists and handing first-team opportunities to scholars Lewis Johnson and Matthew Rowntree. American trialist Aaron Onion also appeared as a second-half substitute after joining on a temporary basis from Bugeaters F.C in Nebraska. Both sides made eleven changes during the game but whereas Bradford’s changes were staggered, Mansfield made eleven substitutions during the half-time break.

The hosts started brightly and a trialist was unlucky to see his curling effort fly wide after he had raced in behind the Stags backline. In fact, Bradford looked the more threatening side in the opening exchanges, and some deft footwork and neat passing from the attacking contingent left Mansfield chasing shadows for a brief spell.

The visitors, however, grew into the game and began to ask questions of Bradford’s defence. Otis Khan and Tyler Walker forced Steven Drench to produce saves in quick succession as pressure began to mount on the National League North side.

Craig Davies tried his luck from around 20-yards out but despite generating considerable power in his shot, couldn’t find the target.

As Mansfield’s tempo quickened, Bradford were forced to deal with a Stags onslaught in the final 20 minutes of the first-half. The ball was threaded through to Walker who spun in the box, but was denied the chance to shoot by an expertly-timed sliding tackle from a trialist.

The League Two side’s frustrations at not being able to convert chances threatened to boil over midway through the first-half, as Pearce was booked for dragging Nicky Clee’s shirt and Nathan Cameron was penalised for bundling Danny Boshell to the ground.

The best opportunity of the half fell to Mansfield’s Khan, who hammered the woodwork with a rising effort from close-range. After almost converting himself, Khan turned provider and delivered the ball on a plate for Malvind Benning, who fired over with a volley.

HALF-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-0 Mansfield Town

After Mansfield’s wholesale changes, they posed a considerably greater threat to a Bradford backline that now seemed disjointed following the changes of their own.

Five minutes after the restart, former Chelsea midfielder Jacob Mellis fired Mansfield ahead with a well-struck effort that nestled in the bottom corner.

Mansfield’s advantage was doubled shortly after, as Lee Angol latched on to a perfectly weighted pass from Will Atkinson before steering past Bradford’s trialist goalkeeper.

Atkinson then whipped in a cross in search of a second assist, but the delivery eluded the advancing CJ Hamilton.

The visitors pressed forward relentlessly in spite of their comfortable lead, and Calum Butcher saw a header hooked off the line superbly by a Bradford trialist.

Mellis then found Lewis Gibbens with a delivery, but the young defender’s header was palmed away by the Bradford stopper.

The continual pressure was eventually rewarded as Angol added a third, causing the back of the net to bulge with a thunderous strike from close-range after linking up with Atkinson.

Hamilton raced down the right flank with impressive speed as full-time approached, but failed to maintain his composure and rifled over the crossbar.

The final opportunity of the game fell to Atkinson, who forced the Bradford stopper to palm away a powerful effort. The trialist goalkeeper then moved quickly to scramble across and pounce on the ball before Angol could net his third.

FULL-TIME: Bradford (Park Avenue) 0-3 Mansfield Town

Bradford (PA): Drench, Trialist, Lowe, Trialist, Killock, Trialist, McKenna, Boshell, Trialist, Trialist, Clee.

Substitutes (all featured): Toulson, Trialist, Wroe, Havern, Spencer, Nowakowski, Johnson, Trialist, Onion, Johnson, Rowntree.

Mansfield Town (first-half): Olejnik, Pearce, Preston, Cameron, White, Benning, MacDonald, Bishop, Khan, Walker, Davies.

Mansfield Town (second-half): Logan, Atkinson, Wilder, Digby, Gibbens, Hamilton, Butcher, Mellis, Sterling-James (Blake 83′), Angol, Graham.

Referee: James Bell