FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round

12 September, 2009

 

Bradford Park Avenue 4 : Bishop Auckland 1

 

 

Team: Peter Jeffries, Carl Robinson, Jake Richardson, Chris Lawson, Paul Moss (David Hill 62mins), Simon Ord, Mark Henson (Adam Strong 63mins), Stephen Salvin, Wayne Gredziak, Dan Lennon, Gavin Parkin (Darren Richardson 73mins)  Subs Not Used: Liam Clough, Steven West

 

Just like old times as Bishops arrived at UniBond League Premier Division Bradford Park Avenue’s excellent Horsfall Stadium on an amazingly hot and sunny September afternoon.  The team was weakened by the injured or unavailable Joe Grant, Amar Purewal, Arjun Purewal, Andrew Richardson and Neil Wilkinson.

 

This match was always likely to be a tough encounter for the Bishops and a solid start was essential.  Peter Jeffries was into action early as he bravely grabbed a low shot on ten minutes.

 

Bishops picked up the first of four yellow cards on 14 minutes when Chris Lawson was penalised for a 50:50 tackle.  Peter Jeffries was tested again on 18 minutes with a good save when a shot was volleyed in from a corner kick.

 

20 minutes gone and a cross into the Bishops half headed towards Jake Richardson but the breeze carried the ball over the young defender’s head.  The ball bounced off the player’s neck but the referee awarded an incredibly harsh free kick which Mark Bett curled in direct for 1-0.

 

1st Half:  Bett curls in Bradford’s opener

 

Bishops were soon back in the game when a high ball found Gredziak who muscled his way past the Avenue No.5 before being hacked to the floor just inside the box on 23 minutes. No yellow card.  Stephen Salvin became Bishops third penalty taker of the season and fired the spot-kick home successfully for 1-1.

 

1st Half: Salvin equalises from the spot

 

Two minutes later and Paul Moss becomes the second Bishops defender to go into the fussy referee’s book when he was penalised for an innocuous challenge on inside the centre circle.

 

Just after the half hour and Park Avenue were ahead after Bishops defence daydreamed as the home side took a short corner and with the defence pushing out to defend the cross Savory stabbed the ball home low at the third attempt.

 

37 minutes and Peter Jeffries made a great save with his legs but the ball rebounded to another forward whose shot was blocked by Lawson.  Somewhere, the referee saw an offence and awarded a penalty.  Carl Robinson was shown a yellow although he appeared to be peripheral to the incident.

 

The spot kick was fired low to the left but Jeffries flew to palm the ball wide for his second FA Cup penalty save of the season.

 

The four minutes of injury time signalled at half time looked surprisingly generous and it was even more surprising when we were still playing six minutes later as Park Avenue added a third.  Some great work from Gredziak set up Lennon to turn and shoot but the ball was well saved and quickly cleared.  The quick break left Savory with space to knock in the third.

 

3-1 flattered the home side at half time, but Bishops never got going in the second half and were lucky to only concede one further goal.  That came on 56 minutes when Ainge headed home a corner for the fourth set piece goal of the day.  4-1.

 

A minute later and Bishops had a chance to get back into the game when Henson cut a low cross back to Salvin who mishit his shot which was easily cleared.

 

More injuries in the second half with Moss limping off with a cut face on 62 minutes to be replaced by Hill.  Henson also went off injured on 63 minutes with Adam Strong coming on.

 

Peter Jeffries was working hard and Jake Richardson pulled off a great last ditch tackle on 66 minutes.

 

In the final 20 minutes Peter Jeffries made two more decent saves, but it was the woeful finishing from Bradford’s forwards which left the scores unchanged.  Four great chances were spurned, three by Bett with shots flying past both posts with only the ‘keeper to beat.

 

Daniel Lennon pinged a 40 yard shot just inches over the bar on 93 minutes before the whistle finally blew.

 

Park Avenue recorded a comfortable victory which puts Bishops out of the FA Cup and attention now focuses on two vital games in the next seven days.

 

Fixtures and Results