Bradford Park At Edgeley To Make It A-Venue Without Goals
September began for the Hatters with the relative rarity of a goal-less draw in SK3 – only the second at Edgeley Park in well over a year – after a frustrating afternoon during which a series of County attacks were thwarted by a resolute Bradford Park Avenue defence.
But while Avenue adopted similar tactics in the away-half to EP’s previous visitors, Gainsborough Trinity, they also, unlike Gainsborough, enjoyed scoring chances of their own, as they sought to catch County on the break, and emulate their victory from last November – the most recent occasion on which the Hatters had suffered defeat at home in a competitive fixture.
County took to the field showing two changes from the starting line-up at Tamworth on August Bank Holiday Monday. Captain Harry Winter and leading goal-scorer Jason Oswell both returned from injury – replacing Scott Duxbury and Darren Stephenson within a 4-3-3 formation. Midfielder Gary Stopforth, for whom international clearance had now been obtained following his return to the club after a spell in Australia, was named among the substitutes.
Sam Minihan was allocated a right-sided role as part of the three-player attack, and he went close to fulfilling it with acclaim after just two minutes when he swivelled to volley a Matty Warburton cross from the left byline – only for visiting goalkeeper Steven Drench to parry the effort.
Drench also saved Jimmy Ball’s low drive from outside the area, as the Hatters continued a bright start. And former County skipper Mark Ross did well to deflect behind an Oswell shot, before Chris Smalley headed over the resulting corner.
Avenue, however, were to create opportunities that, by their very nature, should have seen the visitors go in ahead at the break. First, Adam Boyes skipped past Michael Clarke on the right before squaring to another ex-Hatter, Oli Johnson, who, with the goal at his mercy, scuffed a shot wide of the far upright. Then, Ben Hinchliffe had to be at his best on two occasions – tipping behind Nicky Clee’s 18-yard piledriver, and, two minutes ahead of half-time, catching a close-range header from Boyes.
HALF-TIME: County 0, Bradford Park Avenue 0.
The second half followed a pattern broadly similar to much of the first, whereby the Hatters were to enjoy a good share of possession – albeit without executing a cutting edge in the final third.
And when the visitors broke, they, too, continued to launch attempts in the general direction of County’s goal. Captain Nicky Wroe and Johnson drilled shots beyond, respectively, the left and right posts – before Javan Vidal, who had also once briefly plied his trade at EP, went close with a well-struck volley.
Stopforth took his second new bow as a County player with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, and the Hatters subsequently created their best chances of the half – with Warburton, 15 yards out, curling an effort narrowly wide of the left post, and Stopforth’s fellow substitute Stephenson blasting over Connor Hampson’s cross from the left.
A spark was briefly added to proceedings from the sidelines, as Jim Gannon clashed with Avenue’s assistant manager (and yet another former County player) Danny Boshell over time-wasting by the visitors.
Nevertheless, the remaining chances of the afternoon were to fall to the visitors – and, with two of the 90 minutes remaining, they hit the County woodwork after James Knowles (who had scored Avenue’s late winner in the previous season’s corresponding match) got a touch to a corner.
And in added time, both Jamie Spencer and Boyes fired wide when well placed to score.
FULL-TIME: County 0, Bradford Park Avenue 0.
Team: Hinchliffe, Cowan (Stephenson, 68), Hampson, Ball, Clarke, Smalley, Minihan (T Walker, 85), Winter (Capt.), Oswell, Warburton, S Walker (Stopforth, 68).
Unused Subs: Duxbury, Smith.
Booked: S Walker.
Man of the Match: Minihan.
Attendance: 3,018 (69 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
