27-04-18 – Preview – Harriers Vs Bradford Park Avenue

Is it really the end of the season proper? It has all gone by so fast and, as last season, it doesn’t all end with the arrival of Bradford Park Avenue at Aggborough tomorrow. Bradford themselves are aiming for a place in the play offs with seventh place up for grabs and Spennymoor, Blyth, York and Boston hoping to get there at the death too but at the moment it’s BPA who are in the driving seat after Spennymoor could only manage a single point at home to North Ferriby last night.

In a repeat of last season BPA  are the last team we face on the original fixture list and that ended 3-1 in our favour but then we crashed out of the following play off games at the expense of Chorley. This season they’re in sixth place and will be facing Stockport County while we could be facing any one of the afore mentioned five teams. If we get through the first play off game – the new fangled eliminator round – then we’ll be up against Brackley.

For the game tomorrow there has been quite a bit of discussion as to whether we should do a bit of squad rotation as we did at North Ferriby last weekend. In that 3-1 victory we saw Nathan Vaughan between the sticks in place of the resting Brandon Hall and also some time out for Sam Austin, Manny Sonupè, Elton N’Gwatala and Joe Ironside who all went to the bench. Missing injured were Dan Bradley and James Pearson while Fraser Horsfall took a bad knock early in the game and was quickly withdrawn before the injury became aggravated.

Will John Eustace drop a few more to keep them fit or will he play his strongest possible team to keep them sharply honed for the upcoming onslaught?

Last Saturday, while we were 3-1 up at Ferriby, Bradford were beating second placed side Harrogate by the same scoreline to claim their seventh place spot. That win crowned a good run of late coming on the back of consecutive wins against Boston and Leamington.

They have no known injuries and will include former Harriers loanee Adam Boyes in the squad. He’s scored fourteen times for them since he joined them from Guiseley AFC before the start of the season. 

Last season in this corresponding game we had high hopes of joining AFC Fylde in the National Premier and we all know how that turned out. This time we have to make no such errors and go for it in the only way we know how. Play teams off the park but be tough at the back and make no mistakes.

Photo © KHFC

Teams:

Harriers from:

B Hall, N Vaughan, Palmer, Taylor, Horsfall, O’Connor, Digie, L Vaughan, Pearson, Croasdale, Truslove, Weeks, Austin, Bradley, A Brown, Sonupè, McQuilkin, N’Gwatala, Ironside, Waring.

Bradford PA from:

E Hall, Drench, Havern, Toulson, Hill, Vidal, Killock, Ross, Atkinson, Clee, Nowakowski, Boshell, Brooksby, Wroe, Lyn, Spencer, Recizac, Smith, Boyes, Johnson, Knight, Mulhearn.

Talk about the game here and phone the Harriers Hotline on 01905 577 777 after the game too.

Links to Bradford Park Avenue websites here

Find Pubs around Kidderminster here