Bradford Park Avenue 1 Telford 1 - Report

Analysis

Going into this one, Telford had only scored eight league goals while Avenue were bottom of the National League North table and had conceded 33 goals.

Very few people would have expected a classic and it certainly was not, with a dull first period followed up by a slightly better second.

Before the game started, word spread that the players had to make their own way to the ground as there was no team coach provided.

Also, it was announced Micah Evans has left the club to join Worcester City.

Telford made two changes from the 0-0 draw with Chorley last time out.

They brought in in Ben O'Hanlon, who was signed on loan from Wolves on Friday, and Jordan Sangha in place of Josh Wilson and Darren Campion, who was not included in the squad.

It was a bleak first half, with very few chances for either side, but the game sprung into life for a short spell in the second.

Chris Sharp, formerly of Telford, put the home side ahead inside the 51st minute with a neat finish from an acute angle.

The visitors made an almost instant response though, with Ben Bailey's header levelling the scores after 52 minutes.

Both teams had a few half-chances to get a winner prior to the final whistle but a draw was a fair result.

The same old story for Telford - fairly solid at the back but lacking in quality going forward.

Key moments

32 - Avenue striker Emile Sinclair, who has previously played for the likes of Peterborough United and Northampton Town, completely fools

Telford skipper Luca Havern with a neat turn. He bursts through on goal and shoots, when others were there to pass to, and James

Montgomery makes the save.

40 - Telford's best and, to be frank, only real chance of the half. Connor McCarthy fizzes in a cross from the left which is met by Dave Hibbert but his header is off-target.

51 - GOAL 1-0 Bradford Park Avenue. Former Bucks man Shane Killock's header after a free-kick is saved but the ball falls to Chris Sharp, who strokes the ball home from a tight angle.

52 - GOAL Telford. Less than a minute after falling behind, Rob Smith's men respond. James Hurst whips a cross into the box and Ben Bailey's header beats Avenue goalkeeper Joe Cracknell. Bailey was unmarked between the six-yard box and the penalty spot.

61 - A really good chance for Telford to go ahead. Hibbert bursts through on goal, after a neat pass by Hurst, but his effort is blocked and the ball goes out for a corner, which nothing comes from.

69 - A good attack by the home side. Sharp hits the ball across goal and, just as substitute Lee Spires looks to pounce, Dwayne Samuels makes the clearance.

80 - Samuels puts a great cross in from the right which finds Jordan Sangha. The effort from the Walsall loanee is topped over the bar by Cracknell but referee Paul Brown awards a goal kick to the home side.

Man of the match

Ben Bailey - His best game in a Telford shirt since signing over the summer from Hednesford Town. The centre-half made a number of important tackles and also got Telford's equaliser, heading home after a James Hurst cross.

Position in the table

18th (12 points from 13 games)

Teams

Bradford PA (4-5-1): Cracknell; Toulson, Killock, Nowakowski, Hill; Sharp (McKenna, 83), D.Boshell, Dean, McWilliams (Spires, 60), N.Boshell; Sinclair. Subs: Coates, Eccles, Ryan.

Telford (4-3-3): Montgomery; Samuels, Havern (c), Bailey, O'Hanlon; Rea, Williams (McCone, 90), Sangha; Hurst, Hibbert (Reid, 73) , McCarthy (Reynolds, 79). Subs unused: Preston, Wilson.

Goals: Sharp (51), Bailey (52)

Attendance: 318

Referee: Paul Brown