Late Salvation for County, As Good Friday Becomes A Great Friday!
The Hatters made their second successive homeward trip across the Pennines with three points, courtesy of another triumph by the odd goal in five that also gave them their fourth win in a row.
Unlike in Gainsborough just under a fortnight ago, there was no appearance during the late stages at Bradford Park Avenue of a ‘Beast from the East’ storm. But the match nevertheless ended with a thunderous climax, when Jimmy Ball’s 94th-minute volley secured County’s dramatic victory.
The team, together with significant numbers of County fans, had travel plans affected by heavy Good Friday traffic resulting from a motorway accident that closed the eastbound M62. Kick-off was consequently put back to 3:15pm – when the Hatters took to the field showing one change from their starting line-up at Edgeley Park against Leamington the previous weekend. Dan Cowan, now recovered from illness, replaced Darren Stephenson as part of a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Any disruption to the Hatters’ pre-match preparation was well and truly laid to rest after only seven minutes, when they took an early lead. Rhys Turner’s low ball into the Avenue box found Matty Warburton, whose shot was flicked into the bottom-left corner of the net from six yards by the shin of Jason Oswell for his first National League North goal of 2018.
Much of the remainder of the first half was concentrated in the home half, as County strove to extend the advantage. That they did not manage to do so owed much to Avenue goalkeeper Steven Drench, who, in quick succession just before the half-hour mark, made excellent saves to keep out Jamie Stott’s point-blank header and a sweetly-struck volley from Oswell.
HALF-TIME: Bradford Park Avenue 0, County 1 (Oswell, 7).
Both sides began the second half in attacking mode, and the hosts were soon to have their first proper sight of goal when Adam Boyes was put through by Matt Hill. But his shot from 10 yards out lacked pace, and Ben Hinchliffe dived to smother.
Then, a minute before the hour was up, Oswell doubled his and the Hatters’ tallies for the day. A County corner was only partially cleared, before Scott Duxbury delivered a looping ball from the left that Drench spilled at the feet of County’s leading scorer, who sharply turned in the chance.
The hosts made changes, and substitutes Adam Smith and Jamie Spencer were both looking lively, as they strove to claw their way back into the contest. But, in the event, they halved the arrears thanks to two of four former Hatters on the pitch – with Javan Vidal converting a Mark Ross cross from the right, with 71 minutes played.
Just over 10 minutes later, the Avenue got back on terms – following a counter-attack from deep in the home half that culminated in a through-ball from Spencer to Guiseley loanee Frank Mulhern, who fired past Hinchliffe to register his third goal at the Horsfall Stadium in four days.
The hosts almost went in front immediately afterwards – only for Smith’s 30-yard pile-driver to be saved by Hinchliffe. But, halfway through five minutes of added time, Michael Clarke glanced over a Duxbury corner, which suggested that any chance for County of regaining the lead, as well as vital ground on other play-off contenders, appeared lost.
Not for the first time this season, though, a late strike of the ball by Ball was looming! A cross from the right by substitute Sam Minihan was headed on by Oswell for County’s Number Eight to fire home a fitting winner, and – by propelling the Hatters up to sixth place – got this Easter weekend off to eggs-actly the right start!
FULL-TIME: Bradford Park Avenue 2 (Vidal, 71; Mulhern, 82), County 3 (Oswell, 7 and 59; Ball, 90 + 4).
Team: Hinchliffe, Cowan, Duxbury, Winter (Capt.), Clarke, Stott, Thomas (O’Halloran, 76), Ball, Oswell, Warburton (Minihan, 64), Turner (Stephenson, 55).
Unused subs: Ormson, Turnbull.
Booked: Minihan, Stott, Duxbury, Ball.
Attendance: 1,044 (770 representing The Twelfth Man).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
