Today we travel to West Yorkshire to take on Bradford Park Avenue, who have started the season really well and are riding high in 3rd place in the Vanarama National League North.
Mark Bower and Danny Boshell have done a really good job since taking over a couple of years ago and we will need to maintain our high quality performance levels away from home to get a result. The game has added interest for Alty fans as Bradford have a couple of former Alty players in their side, Nicky Clee and Luca Havern, who were very popular with supporters in their time at the J Davidson Stadium.
Highlights from the defeat against Curzon Ashton last week:
Jordan Hulme will return after his one-match suspension. Jordan would have missed last week’s 2-0 defeat to Curzon Ashton due to an eye infection and it was touch and go earlier in the week as to whether he would make it today, so it’s a big boost to have him back.
Andy White was also a big miss against Curzon… he had been ill all week leading up to that game with gastro-enteritis, which is very debilitating, but he has trained this week and will return to a ground where he scored last season for Southport.
James Poole missed last week’s game with a groin strain picked up in training but we are hopeful that he may be fit enough to play at least some part in today’s game.
Connor Hampson, Ben Harrison and Shaun Densmore will all be missing… Ben and Shaun are down at the Community Sports Hall this morning helping out with the Junior teams.
The three recent signings – Callum Harris, Ross Woodcock and Joe Thompson – will all be playing for the reserves today. Callum made his debut last Saturday, coming on late in the game and he has good pedigree having played for Manchester City at youth level and then Wolverhampton Wanderers. Last season he was playing in Belgium and we signed him after he had been training with us for a few weeks and impressed.
Ross Woodcock and Joe Thompson are two young players who have signed this week. Ross was released by Crewe Alexandra in the summer and gives us cover at right back where we have struggled this season due to injuries. Joe is a pacy young striker who will give us a different striking option.
After two defeats at Blyth Spartans and at home to Curzon Ashton, we are very keen to get back to winning ways and I’m sure that our great travelling support will see another good display this afternoon at the Horsfall Stadium.
Pictures: Michael Ripley
