Bobby Johnson missed out due to family commitments, with Lewis Butroid returning to the starting eleven. The only other change to the eleven saw a return for the fit again Dylan Wharton, in place of the unlucky Josh Render. Connor Shanks was not included in the sixteen against his former team. Serving the first of a three game ban, for his red card against Hyde, seven days ago.

Trinity were almost handed a dream start, when naive defending saw home defender, Mason O’Malley play the ball across the face of his eighteen yard box, with his defensive colleagues oblivious. Joe Stacey reacting first to centre for leading scorer Declan Howe. Howe inadvertently poking wide of the target from his prime position twelve yards out. When you are on fire in front of goal, you don’t let your head drop, and it wasn’t long after when skipper, Dylan Cogill found his centre forward, Howe finding the space, and the speed to control, and round Craig Ellison and roll the ball into the unguarded net. And there was little respite for the relegation threatened hosts.

One became two less than a couple of minutes later. Bailey Conway was the provider for the second, his diagonal ball, unerringly despatched on the half volley by Howe. netting his seventh double of a fruitful campaign. Ellison beaten all ends up. And Trinity two up by the midway point of the first half. Howe’s strike an incredible seventh in three games.

On 37, Fraser Preston netted with a low, controlled finish from twenty yards. Through a crowded box, Ellison would have been unsighted until it was too late. Preston doing well to grasp the opportunity, after those before him had failed to find the finishing touch, Butroid’s ball in from the right was helped on by Howe – Dayle Southwell striking the bar – before Preston’s crisp strike made sure.

Avenue finished the half strongly, and Trinity needed some alert Hamish Douglas defending to see the ball behind for a corner, but to boss Russ Wilcox’s disappointment, the visitors switched off, allowing Ted Lavelle time and space to glance home a header, at the near post, and reduce the arrears on the stroke of half time. Trinity having to be content with a two goal advantage at the break.

Half Time: Bradford (Park Avenue) 1 Gainsborough Trinity 3

A reshuffle at the break for Bradford, and the introduction of James Hanson added more impetus to the Avenue attack, which was bolstered further still, when Jake Daniels entered the fray, shortly before the hour mark. Skipper, Dylan Cogill was shown a straight red, and sent off on 65 minutes, for a high boot, and the hosts now had their tails up. Colliding with a combination of Hanson and own centre back Hamish Douglas, Wharton was unable to claim a high hanging ball from the right, and substitute Daniels helped the ball over the stricken keeper, and under the cross bar.

Jordan Preston then turned provider, as he found the ball into the feet of Daniels. His first touch brought himself room, his second a composed finish, out of the grasp of Wharton, to claim his second of the afternoon, and his second inside nine second half minutes. In the only real chance of the half for the Holy Blues, Howe was disposed as he looked to race through on goal. Waiting for the ball to drop, Ryley De Sana nipped in, to ease the ball away from the striker, who must have been thinking of back to back hat-tricks as he bore down on goal.

Wharton was twice called into action, beating away fierce efforts from range, and Avenue looked for a winner. And just a couple of minutes from time, the on loan Sheffield United ‘keeper found himself in the right place, to make a brilliant point blank save, that ultimately saw Bradford relegated from the Northern Premier League. Their fight, spirit and determination in the second half, not enough to see them beat the drop.

The point for the Blues, taking us on to 60 points. Only nine shy of the total that saw us competing in the play-offs. A points return of 1.72 under the management of Russ Wilcox have the Trinity faithful believing that a full season with the vastly experienced boss at the helm, can only mean good things for the Blue Army. One home game now remains, with players already re-signed, pre-season fixtures already in the pipeline and an astute manager who knows what he wants. There may be a summer break in place, but 2024/25 cannot come quickly enough!

The Teams

Bradford Park Avenue: Craig Ellison, Lucas Odunston Mason 0’Malley, Ted Lavelle Jake Young (James Hanson 46) Ryley D’Sena, Edy Maieco, Harrison Hopper, Adrien Thibaut, Jordan Preston, Harry Colville (Jake Daniels 58). Subs not used: Jacob Lara, Lewis Hey and Will Lancaster.

Gainsborough Trinity: Dylan Wharton, George Hornshaw, Ashley Jackson, Bailey Conway, Hamish Douglas, Dylan Cogill, Joe Stacey, Lewis Butroid (Nathaniel Wallace 46) Dayle Southwell, Declan Howe, Fraser Preston. Subs not used: Josh Render, Jack Moore-Billam and Kyle Simpson.

Referee: Jordan Crossley
Attendance: 569

Match report by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)
Photographs courtesy of (@shotbybamboo)