Change Of Fortunes As Avenue Secure 3-1 Victory Over Grimsby Borough
September 1, 2024Bradford (Park Avenue)’s form has made an about turn this weekend, as the struggling side took all three points from their visit to Grimsby Borough.
Following a tumultuous week which saw the club part ways with their manager, Bradford delivered a much-needed victory yesterday, defeating Grimsby Borough 3-1 at the Bradley Football Development Centre.
The win, overseen by interim manager James Hanson, marked a positive turnaround for Avenue after a challenging start to the season.
Match Report: Grimsby Borough 1-3 Bradford (Park Avenue)
The match began with Bradford asserting themselves early. Dan Francis met with a cross from Kelan Swales in the 3rd minute, but the headed effort went wide. The break through came quickly though, courtesy of a 5th minute goal from Connor Shanks. The forward received the ball at his feet from a contended header and burst forwards, sending a superb shot goal bound with the outside of his foot.
Both goal keepers were called into action as the half progressed, with Jack Richardson testing Ellison before Liam Higton was called into action to smother the ball as Avenue broke through. It was Jack Richardson who would next find the net though, equalising in the 30th minute. With a burst of pace, Richardson latched onto a well-placed through ball from Luis Adlard, sending a shot past Craig Ellison to bring the hosts level.
Bradford quickly regained the lead however. Just six minutes later, Oli Norman was brought down in the box by Grimsby captain Adam Drury, and Norman himself converted the resulting penalty with a composed low shot into the bottom right corner.
Half-time: Grimsby Borough 1-2 Bradford (Park Avenue)
The second half saw Bradford (Park Avenue) continue to press, and their efforts were rewarded in the 60th minute. A corner from Harry Colville found Josh Askew, whose half-volley was pushed onto the bar by Higton. The ball then fell to Dan Francis, whose shot was deflected to the back post where Norman was on hand to slot home his second goal of the match, extending Avenue’s lead to 3-1.
Both sides continued to press, with Grimsby’s Barlow registering a shot on target after a lovely move through the middle and Avenue testing Higton in a one on one just minutes later.
With just 10 minutes to play, Bradford were reduced to ten men after Josh Askew was sent off with a second yellow card for dissent. Grimsby dominated possession after the red card, but Bradford’s deep defensive line kept them at bay.
The victory is a significant boost for the Bradford squad, who move up to 12th in the Northern Premier League – East Division. With newly appointed manager Craig Elliott set to take charge for the first time in their upcoming FA Trophy tie against Witton Albion, this result will provide a solid foundation for him to build upon.
Attendance: 169
Goals: Connor Shanks (5′), Jack Richardson (30′), Oli Norman (36′ pen), Oli Norman (60′)
Teams:
Grimsby Borough:
Starting 11: 1 Liam Higton, 2 Bradley Wood, 3 Luis Adlard, 4 Jack Richardson, 19 Michael Jacklin, 6 Alfie Taylor, 7 Adam Drury (C), 8 Josh Venney, 9 Luke Horne, 10 Reece York, 11 Jaedyn Chibanga
Subs: 12 Tom Jamieson, 14 Jake Brown, 15 Lewis Collins, 16 Jack Barlow, 17 Tom Sawyer
Bradford (Park Avenue):
Starting 11: 1 Craig Ellison, 2 Kareem Hassan-Smith, 3 Dan Francis, 4 Luke Hogg, 5 Ben Whelan, 6 Josh Askew, 7 Kelan Swales, 8 Connor Dimaio (C), 9 Paddy Sykes, 10 Oli Norman, 11 Connor Shanks
Subs: 12 Harry Colville, 13 Ed Hall, 14 Joe Crosby, 15 Theo Hudson, 16 Alex Francis
