2 Nov 2022

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

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