29.3.2008
Well, we felt happy before kick off.
A blinding Bradford soundtrack consisting of Oasis, Blur, The Jam, Robbie Williams, Green Day, Lightning Seeds and Puff Daddy's 'I'll Be Missing You' preceded the fixture, and set the stage for a good game of football despite the previously glorious day and fine playing surface degenerating into murky, grey skies and rain, and a swamp respectively. Two lucky goals, over-officious refereeing, the world's worst display of ball boy provision, cynical fouls, time wasting tactics and some unsportsmanlike behaviour later, and still the enthusiasm of the loyal Town support was not dampened, the travellers chanting for their beaten team as all around wet Bradford fans hurried away, searching for a respite from the pouring rain.
The dream of promotion is probably over for this particular season, a harsh reality that became inescapably clear as not one corner but two sailed over the head of our goalkeeper, but the immediate future looks bright as Town proceeded to dictate the play for the majority of the match, against an outfit cocksure of league ascension.
Okavango in Botswana. Everglades in Florida. And the third largest quagmire known to humankind, the Horsfall Stadium Swamp in Bradford. Such were the surroundings Garforth Town had to ply their trade in today, as they fell victim to these disadvantageous conditions and the ruggedness of the more seasoned Avenue players, as the Miner's struggled to string together their trademark passing manoeuvres. Bradford seemed content to play on a surface with less grass than an Amsterdam café, and the final score-line was reflective of their relative suitability.
Town were never able to get into any real sway and control, as after only eight minutes of give and take, a wrongfully given in-swinging corner fooled the visiting defence and Karl Spratt, as the ball sailed over the stricken keeper's head and was forced in at point blank range by PA captain Steve Connors at the far post. Three minutes later, an almost carbon copy goal was scored as shell-shocked Town conceded another corner - this time rightly awarded - and Chris Williams curled a second effort over Spratt, this one sailing straight into the top corner of the net. Daedalus himself could not have flapped any better than the America bound shot-stopper.
The period saw the referee earn the ire of the away support, who for a time screamed 'corner' after every decision he made. The Town support remained spirited, and chanted, shouted and sang for their team incessantly throughout.After twenty minutes of play, a long high ball played up field by the returning Nathan Kamara was controlled beautifully by Luis de Melo, who turned his marker in the process and sped for goal. Perplexingly, a foul was given against the foreign striker, and a glorious chance to reduce the deficit was denied Town.
Soon after, a Garforth corner (the award of which drew inevitable cheers) was played short to Greg Kelly, who crossed to Brett Renshaw. The captain headed the ball back into the six-yard box, but failed to reach his intended target Milton Turner, and the ball was cleared.
A period of Garforth dominance ensued, as the visitors controlled the ebb and flow of the game but were unable to fashion decisive opportunities to score. The erosion of playing conditions contributed greatly, as there were murmurs the game was in danger of being abandoned as the rainfall became progressively worse. Older members of the crowd, or as some would say, the crowd, collectively sighed with nostalgia. Pig bladder's, rugby boots and a team bath for all. Garforth's attackers suffered due to this, being that they came expected a game of football worthy of the 2008 era, but the playmaker pulling Bradford strings was similarly affected, winger Chris Williams.
The Williams in question was slid through late in the half, and troubled Spratt with a low shot that was deflected narrowly wide. Garforth tried to counter attack but the ball was sticking underfoot and an attempt at dribbling represented a brave option. Long ball service duly commenced, as Garforth rode out the half on the crest of ascendancy but on the wrong side of a two-goal deficit that looked impossible to overturn in such conditions. The final act of the first half was a GBH committed on young Town midfielder Duncan Williams, who rose to win a header on the halfway line and was brusquely elbowed in the head by an opposing player. Even Pride Fighting Championships do not allow elbow strikes to an opponent. However, due to the godless heathen of an official, and the virtuous nature of our young midfielder, the criminal act of violence went unpunished, on and off the pitch.
Garforth were first onto the field in the second, visibly invigorated andbegan the half determinedly. A passing movement culminated with a de Melothrough ball that was intercepted, and a Casa Simpkins lay off fed Lee Ryan, who cut in to the edge of the area and saw his shot blocked by more stout defensive exertion. Still only in the 50th minute of play, Greg Kelly was put through on goal. The entire crowd witnessed a blatant pull by the Bradford defender, but the cynicism went without punishment and Kelly was only able to get a weak toe on the ball before goalkeeper Jon Worksnop forcefully claimed it.
Five foul filled minutes later and Town broke down the left wing, and the ball was played inside to Duncan Williams. The midfielder allowed the defenders to approach him before sliding in de Melo, who cut inside his man before his placed shot from eight yards was blocked.
On the hour mark, Chris Brown replaced Ryan and the Geordie made an immediate contribution, shooting low from twenty yards just wide of the near post. He was then involved in a passage of play that saw Greg played through once more and manage to flick the ball before the rapidly advancing Worksnop blocked his effort. The ball rebounded free for de Melo to fire into the empty net fromeighteen yards, but a desperate, last ditch slide tackle denied him, only made possible in the miserable conditions.
In the 72nd minute, a rare Bradford counter attack caught the overstretched Garforth cold, and a cut back from the wing to Connors saw the captain claim his second with a left footed placed finish to the far left post, that skidded agonisingly over the wet surface past Spratt. While the battling Town players looked justifiably dejected, their supporters raised their own volume in a show of appreciation, solidarity and loyalty.
With the result all but sealed, Town continued to dominate. The excellentMilton Turner received the ball at the edge of his own area, and seeing the space available in midfield, thrillingly burst through the centre and to the edge of the Bradford box, and laying off Chris Brown, watched his team-mates' shot saved by Worksnop, who performed well given the state of the ground. Fleet-footed Achilles himself would have watched Turner's run approvingly, as the Bradford defenders fell by the wayside like overwhelmed Trojans falling before the wrath of the Myrmidon.
Bradford peculiarly continued to waste time despite being three goals to the good, and their dugout refused to replace the single match ball when it was hoofed well out of play, despite possessing a bag full of replacements. Nathan Kamara opted to burst through from defence also, and his low shot drew another save from Avenue's best player by proxy. A Chris Brown header from a corner beat Worksnop and was cleared from the goal line, and another de Melo shot was intercepted. A late Bradford run ended in a shot struck disastrously wide, and Garforth responded with numerous balls curled up field into the host's danger zone. The score notwithstanding, Town's support were not dispirited as they applauded their players at the climax of the match, regardless of the outcome.
And so, Garforth failed to emerge from the mud with any points, and will probably remain in the Unibond Division 1 for another season. Bradford, currently tied with league leaders Skelmersdale may well be promoted and go on to inflict their quagmire upon more unsuspecting adversaries, but with a reportedly affluent owner and financial security the question remains; why no grass or ballboys? Town meanwhile, look to bounce back with a pleasing performance on April 5th at home to Chorley, and this time Sir Alex Ferguson's watch will not be a factor as the Miner's look to avenge the most blatant of footballing robberies.
Showing posts with label Bradford Park Avenue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bradford Park Avenue. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Garforth Town 1 - Bradford Park Avenue 4
29.1.2008
Garforth missed a vital opportunity to take the initiative in their Unibond promotion push, crashing to third placed Bradford Park Avenue by an emphatic if disproportionate 4-1 deficit in front of their home fans. The Miner’s outfit were narrowly outthought and outfought in an absorbing encounter, as the Bradford club mounted further pressure on league leaders Curzon Ashton, thus increasing the distance between themselves and Garforth.
Bradford immediately pressurised the Garforth defence, taking the ascendancy quick and effectively shellshocking Town. Were it not for the assured defending of Duncan Williams, Mark Piper and captain Brett Renshaw, Avenue would have broken through the resistance early and achieved that which they deserved – an early goal. Avenue grew in confidence, and the marauding Bradford right back could have scored from a long, relatively unchallenged run but for a well timed Williams tackle. Piper and Renshaw each blocked a dangerous low cross and a goal bound shot.
The dominant nature of Avenue’s play led to the Garforth midfield playing further back than perhaps accustomed, subsequently leaving Town striker Jason St Juste isolated upfield. The marooned forward resorted to fruitlessly harrying the Bradford midfield, but to no avail. Garforth’s infrequent first half attacks consisted of hopeful long balls played to St Juste and the aforementioned Piper, but with the strong wind affecting these passes the ball inevitably overran. At one point the crowd were abruptly roused – Williams picked up a stray Avenue pass and ran downfield into the expanse of open space before him; however, the following through ball was intercepted and the ensuing Avenue attack almost led to a goal. A corner saw Town keeper Spratt fumble the ball into the path of Avenue winger Chris Williams, who struck over.
Garforth were, however, unfortunate when a set in stone penalty claim was somehow dismissed by the insufferably pedantic referee, as Carl Simpkins was bundled over in the Bradford area in what would be regarded by police as sufficient for an attempted GBH charge, yet the seemingly imminent penalty kick was not given.
After gargantuan attempts to maintain parity, disaster struck as Duncan Williams tried to dribble the ball out from the edge of the Town penalty area, was tackled, regained the ball and unwisely attempted the same feat, conceding a free kick. Duncan’s Avenue namesake struck a low shot which somehow eluded the wall, the Town defence and the goalkeeper and nestled in the bottom left corner. The goal was unremarkable, unfortunate but somewhat inevitable.
With stranded striker St Juste substituted in favour of a new approach, Garforth began the second half much the stronger side, forcing Avenue onto the back foot and playing with more flair and guile than was on show in the first period of play. After several heartening attacks on the Avenue goal Chris Brown found himself on the ball 25 yards from goal, and with Bradford’s left sided players apparently unwilling to challenge him, duly tried a speculative shot. To the delight of the crowd, the fiercely struck ball soon hit the net of the top left corner, completing what must surely rank as a goal of the season contender.
Garforth were now performing much better, and the crowd numbering hundreds duly responded. Bradford responded to the recurrence of honours even, and countered with incisive attacks, adding to the viewing spectacle of the game. Lewis? of Garforth conceded a free kick and the exellent Chris Williams, who despite playing a side with ties to Brazilian football showed the games most dextrous skills, curled a high ball into the Garforth area, which Chris Gaghan thunderously fired past Parry.
Mark Piper attempted an ambitious through ball to Seb Muddel after the restart, but the Bradford defence proved adept at covering for each other, and continued to do so over the course of thirty minutes. Town continued to try and implement the decisive attack in this period whilst looking to regain equality with Avenue, but paid dearly when a counter-attack caught the advanced Garforth by surprise, and Bradford won a corner. A Bradford header was met by a goalline clearance from Muddel, but which was to no avail as Avenue immediately played the ball wide, and the cross was successfully converted into the net via the head of Stuart Howson. With less than ten minutes to play, battling Town sensed that the day was not theirs.
Garforth rallied but found themselves facing a revitalised Park Avenue buoyed on by their success. With mere minutes left a measured, curled through ball from Bradford caught Town cold, and when keeper Spratt beat the lunging Avenue forward to the ball, the outstretched foot of the attacker caught the shotstopper’s hand, injuring his ligaments. As the agonised keeper fell to the floor, Avenue’s Mike Moseley slotted the ball into the net, thus perhaps unfairly completing the rout. Duncan Williams oversaw the final moments in net, and was lucky not to concede as another Moseley shot struck the post, the final occurrence of note in an eventually intriguing affair whose scoreline suggested otherwise.
Garforth missed a vital opportunity to take the initiative in their Unibond promotion push, crashing to third placed Bradford Park Avenue by an emphatic if disproportionate 4-1 deficit in front of their home fans. The Miner’s outfit were narrowly outthought and outfought in an absorbing encounter, as the Bradford club mounted further pressure on league leaders Curzon Ashton, thus increasing the distance between themselves and Garforth.
Bradford immediately pressurised the Garforth defence, taking the ascendancy quick and effectively shellshocking Town. Were it not for the assured defending of Duncan Williams, Mark Piper and captain Brett Renshaw, Avenue would have broken through the resistance early and achieved that which they deserved – an early goal. Avenue grew in confidence, and the marauding Bradford right back could have scored from a long, relatively unchallenged run but for a well timed Williams tackle. Piper and Renshaw each blocked a dangerous low cross and a goal bound shot.
The dominant nature of Avenue’s play led to the Garforth midfield playing further back than perhaps accustomed, subsequently leaving Town striker Jason St Juste isolated upfield. The marooned forward resorted to fruitlessly harrying the Bradford midfield, but to no avail. Garforth’s infrequent first half attacks consisted of hopeful long balls played to St Juste and the aforementioned Piper, but with the strong wind affecting these passes the ball inevitably overran. At one point the crowd were abruptly roused – Williams picked up a stray Avenue pass and ran downfield into the expanse of open space before him; however, the following through ball was intercepted and the ensuing Avenue attack almost led to a goal. A corner saw Town keeper Spratt fumble the ball into the path of Avenue winger Chris Williams, who struck over.
Garforth were, however, unfortunate when a set in stone penalty claim was somehow dismissed by the insufferably pedantic referee, as Carl Simpkins was bundled over in the Bradford area in what would be regarded by police as sufficient for an attempted GBH charge, yet the seemingly imminent penalty kick was not given.
After gargantuan attempts to maintain parity, disaster struck as Duncan Williams tried to dribble the ball out from the edge of the Town penalty area, was tackled, regained the ball and unwisely attempted the same feat, conceding a free kick. Duncan’s Avenue namesake struck a low shot which somehow eluded the wall, the Town defence and the goalkeeper and nestled in the bottom left corner. The goal was unremarkable, unfortunate but somewhat inevitable.
With stranded striker St Juste substituted in favour of a new approach, Garforth began the second half much the stronger side, forcing Avenue onto the back foot and playing with more flair and guile than was on show in the first period of play. After several heartening attacks on the Avenue goal Chris Brown found himself on the ball 25 yards from goal, and with Bradford’s left sided players apparently unwilling to challenge him, duly tried a speculative shot. To the delight of the crowd, the fiercely struck ball soon hit the net of the top left corner, completing what must surely rank as a goal of the season contender.
Garforth were now performing much better, and the crowd numbering hundreds duly responded. Bradford responded to the recurrence of honours even, and countered with incisive attacks, adding to the viewing spectacle of the game. Lewis? of Garforth conceded a free kick and the exellent Chris Williams, who despite playing a side with ties to Brazilian football showed the games most dextrous skills, curled a high ball into the Garforth area, which Chris Gaghan thunderously fired past Parry.
Mark Piper attempted an ambitious through ball to Seb Muddel after the restart, but the Bradford defence proved adept at covering for each other, and continued to do so over the course of thirty minutes. Town continued to try and implement the decisive attack in this period whilst looking to regain equality with Avenue, but paid dearly when a counter-attack caught the advanced Garforth by surprise, and Bradford won a corner. A Bradford header was met by a goalline clearance from Muddel, but which was to no avail as Avenue immediately played the ball wide, and the cross was successfully converted into the net via the head of Stuart Howson. With less than ten minutes to play, battling Town sensed that the day was not theirs.
Garforth rallied but found themselves facing a revitalised Park Avenue buoyed on by their success. With mere minutes left a measured, curled through ball from Bradford caught Town cold, and when keeper Spratt beat the lunging Avenue forward to the ball, the outstretched foot of the attacker caught the shotstopper’s hand, injuring his ligaments. As the agonised keeper fell to the floor, Avenue’s Mike Moseley slotted the ball into the net, thus perhaps unfairly completing the rout. Duncan Williams oversaw the final moments in net, and was lucky not to concede as another Moseley shot struck the post, the final occurrence of note in an eventually intriguing affair whose scoreline suggested otherwise.
Garforth Town vs Bradford Park Avenue - preview
On Saturday, East Leeds outfit Garforth Town will host three time FA Cup quarter finalists and rival Yorkshiremen Bradford Park Avenue, in what promises to be a full blooded affair at the Genix Healthcare stadium. The two sides met earlier in the season, with Bradford edging a closely fought encounter by a single goal, and the return promises to be a hot ticket to the followers of BPA and the Miner’s fans alike.
Garforth have been inconsistent as of late – an impressive victory over FC United of Manchester has been followed by eight wins, four draws and eleven losses, a record which conjures connotations of a talented but unreliable journeyman boxer. Avenue are flying – third in the league table on 42 points with five games in hand over second placed Osset Albion and a two game advantage over current pacesetters Curzon. A win would elevate Garforth right back in promotion contention – currently somewhat jeopardised by the inability to win the most recent games played, thus handing the initiative to teams with games in hand. To capitalise on their advantage in matches played would firmly place Bradford in the title race, and create a more comfortable gap between themselves and FC United, just outside the playoff zone.
The miserable weather should suit Bradford better – Garforth’s now inextricable link with Brazilian football has given the Miner’s side a reputation for comparative flair in English amateur football. Should the outfit gain promotion it would be for the third time in four seasons – a Clifford inspired rise from the tenth pyramid level of English football to the seventh. As improbable as it sounds, try suggesting a former Brazil captain would ever be enticed to an NCE league club....
Daniel Fletcher
Garforth have been inconsistent as of late – an impressive victory over FC United of Manchester has been followed by eight wins, four draws and eleven losses, a record which conjures connotations of a talented but unreliable journeyman boxer. Avenue are flying – third in the league table on 42 points with five games in hand over second placed Osset Albion and a two game advantage over current pacesetters Curzon. A win would elevate Garforth right back in promotion contention – currently somewhat jeopardised by the inability to win the most recent games played, thus handing the initiative to teams with games in hand. To capitalise on their advantage in matches played would firmly place Bradford in the title race, and create a more comfortable gap between themselves and FC United, just outside the playoff zone.
The miserable weather should suit Bradford better – Garforth’s now inextricable link with Brazilian football has given the Miner’s side a reputation for comparative flair in English amateur football. Should the outfit gain promotion it would be for the third time in four seasons – a Clifford inspired rise from the tenth pyramid level of English football to the seventh. As improbable as it sounds, try suggesting a former Brazil captain would ever be enticed to an NCE league club....
Daniel Fletcher
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