Reds lose third straight game with defeat to Avenue

It was three consecutive defeats for FC United as Bradford Park Avenue moved off the bottom of the table with a 3-2 victory at Broadhurst Park on Saturday.

After the 2-0 victory at Kidderminster three weeks ago it’s safe to say that back to back defeats against Halifax and Gloucester had taken any momentum away from the Reds, but against an Avenue team at the bottom of the table and having only won once in the league this season this was an ideal opportunity to get back to winning ways.

The Reds began the game well and had gone close with a George Thomson free kick early on and had got on the front foot early with control of possession and taking the game into the Bradford half.

That good start was undone quickly as Avenue hit two goals with their first two strikes on goal, both coming in a five-minute period. The first goal was a wonderfully struck volley from outside the box by Ben McKenna which left Dave Carnell no chance, before Luke Dean found some space coming into the box before firing hard and low past Carnell to give the visiting team an unexpected two goal lead.

Those two goals took the wind out of the sails and it took another good ten minutes for FC to get themselves back where they were; in terms of controlling the possession, but you felt that a goal before the break and the added factor of attacking the packed St Mary’s Road End in the second half could still see them winning this game.

Just before the break there was a goal for the Reds after good link up between George Thomson and Jason Gilchrist saw the latter put the ball past former FC ‘keeper Jon Worsnop to cut the deficit to just one at the break.

But for the second week running FC conceded an early goal in the second half when Nicky Boshall scored with ease just three minutes into the half, making the task twice as difficult.

The remainder of the half was very one sided with the home team enjoying good periods of possession in the away half but it seemed like this lacked any real tempo or urgency and an early goal was needed to raises spirits both on and off the field.

The best chances came when a powerful Luke Ashworth header from a corner was tipped over the bar by Worsnop and a placed George Thomson free-kick came off the bar but it looked as though Worsnop had that one covered as well.

Thomson did grab a late goal for FC deep into stoppage time after bungling a goal mouth scramble over the line, but it was too little too late and the third defeat in a row was sealed.

The result sees the Reds falling two places to 17th in the league, with one less point than after the same amount of games last season. Next up is a short trip to struggling Stalybridge Celtic, a team we lost three times against last season.

Website man of the match: Sam Sheridan – Came on as an early substitute and brought some much needed fight and drive to the FC midfield.

Report by Craig Phillips