Match Report: Bradford (Park Avenue) 2-3 Radcliffe

For many, todays result was a foregone conclusion as a struggling Bradford faced off against top of the league Radcliffe.

With only four games remaining and as many points adrift ahead of todays fixture, Bradford (Park Avenue)‘s situation was looking desperate before kick-off. A miracle looked to be on the cards in the first half with a brace from Edy Maieco seeing the home side enter the half time break with a glimmer of hope. But, in a repeat of their fortunes against Ilkeston on Saturday, the Avenue let the lead slip.

The match commenced with intensity as Radcliffe took control early on, displaying the confidence of league leaders. The visitors tested Bradford’s resolve with a corner in the opening minutes, but the home side managed to fend off the threat. As the half progressed the home side began to settle into the game, with Lewis Hey and Harrison Hopper showcasing their attacking intent, though their efforts didn’t result in a goal.

Radcliffe continued to press but were met with a resilient Bradford defence. The breakthrough for Bradford came from a penalty on 25 minutes, which was confidently converted by Edy Maieco, igniting hopes among the home supporters. Bolstered by the goal, Avenue picked up the tempo and caused further trouble for the Radcliffe defence, before Maieco extended Bradford’s lead with a stunning curling strike. Goalkeeper Craig Ellison played a crucial role throughout the half, making several key saves to maintain Bradford’s lead.

Leading 2-0 at half-time, Bradford seemed to have found the formula for an upset. However, the second half painted a different picture. Radcliffe’s quality came to the forefront as they quickly asserted dominance across the pitch. Heartbreak finally came for the home fans, with Lois Maynard scoring in the 56th minute and Jake Thompson levelling the score a minute later.

Radcliffe continued to dominate before Scott Duxbury found the net just 9 minutes later, giving Radcliffe the lead. The reversal in fortunes forced Bradford’s manager to make a number of changes in an attempt to reclaim control of the game, bringing on seasoned striker James Hanson alongside Jake Daniels, before Jordan Preston joined them a few minutes later. This move injected some energy into Bradford’s play, with Hanson and Preston combining well to create chances, though they failed to convert these into goals.

Despite a handful of chances towards the end, the match ended 2-3 in favour of Radcliffe, a result that has almost certainly shattered Bradford’s survival hopes. With the gap to safety now at seven points and only three games remaining, Avenue need to win all of their remaining fixtures and rely on other results to go their way to avoid relegation.

Teams:

Bradford (Park Avenue):

Starting 11: 1 Craig Ellison, 2 Lucas Odunston, 3 Mason O’Malley, 4 Ted Lavelle, 5 Jak Whiting, 6 Ryley D’Sena, 7 Edy Maieco, 8 Lewis Hey, 9 Adrien Thibaut, 10 Harrison Hopper, 11 Harry Colville

Subs: 12 Jake Daniels, 14 James Hanson, 15 Jake Young, 16 Jordan Preston, 17 Will Lancaster

Radcliffe:

Starting 11: 1 Mateusz Hewelt, 2 Brad Jackson, 3 Scott Duxbury, 4 Lois Maynard, 5 Olly Thornley, 6 Willem Tomlinson, 7 Josh Hancock, 8 Nicky Adams, 9 Anthony Dudley, 10 Jake Thompson, 11 Jude Oyibo
Subs: 12 Jamie Morgan, 14 Luca Navarro, 15 Sean Tse, 16 Isaac Modi, 17 Ewan Bange

Attendance: 808

Managers Reaction: