Bradford Park Avenue 1 Darlington 3

Spencer 4 mins, 1-0, Fielding og 45 mins, 1-1, Beck 61 mins, 1-2, Beck 75 mins, 1-3

Attendance 705

We'd like to thank Cleveland Containers for being our sponsors:

https://www.clevelandcontainers.co.uk/

Quakers comfortably won their first away game of the season in style at the Horsfall Stadium.

The only surprise was, that they didn't score more in a one-sided game, with Mark Beck scoring twice -- his second was an absolute gem -- in the second half to give him six for the season and make him the league's top scorer.

Bradford could hardly live with Quakers fast, passing football, with Kaine Felix a constant threat, and the visitors missed a string of chances until they broke through just on half time.

Quakers, who have picked up ten points from the last twelve,  are now into the top five, and are looking forward to the FA Cup tie against Southport on Saturday.

Quakers threatened first with a good move down the right which ended with Kallum Griffiths putting in a cross that Sykes-Kenworthy held under pressure.
But Bradford took the lead on 4 minutes. Quakers carelessly gave the ball away, and Jamie Spencer had time and space to pick his spot and find the bottom corner.

Quakers nearly levelled on 9 minutes. Ben Hedley found Jack Lambert inside, in turn he found Jacob Hazel who turned quickly and hit a left foot shot that Sykes-Kenworthy pushed around the post.
And in their next attack seconds later, Hedley whipped in a left wing cross that Hazel headed over the top.

A better chance came on 15 minutes when Lambert got to the left bye line and pulled the ball back for Hazel, whose close range shot was saved by the keeper.

Bradford were forced into a change on 18 minutes when defender Luca Havern went off injured following an aerial clash with two Darlington players, Simon Richman replacing him.

Another chance came along on 22 minutes when Mark Beck headed down Jassem Sukar’s long ball for Lambert to latch on to, run in the box, but then pulled his shot inches wide.

Quakers were well on top, and a deep free kick from the right by Kallum Griffiths was headed goalwards by Beck, but a defender hacked the ball away.

Lambert then picked the ball up on the halfway line on 36 minutes, ran at the Bradford defence and hit a low shot that Sykes-Kenworthy saved.

It was one way traffic at this point, and after Quakers won possession close to the Bradford box, Beck struck a low shot that the keeper saved down to his left.

Quakers deservedly levelled just on half time. Lambert put in a good cross from the left that Hazel got a slight touch to, and with Beck putting the defence under pressure, Sam Fielding sliced the ball into his own net.

Half time 1-1

Quakers started the second half with a deep cross from the right by Griffiths that Hedley, coming in on the blind side at the far post, headed straight at Sykes-Kenworthy.

There was a half chance on 59 minutes when Adriano Moke crossed the left, and Kaine Felix miscued at the far post.
But Felix nearly scored on 60 minutes, when he chased a crossfield ball and hit a first time shot that Sykes-Kenworthy pushed around the post.
Quakers scored from the corner that followed. Lambert whipped the ball in from the right, it was flicked on at the near post for Beck to head past the keeper, his fifth goal of the season.
Quakers surged forward again in their next attack, when Felix set up Moke, who fired into the side netting.

Sub Ben Liddle came on to replace Alex Purver on 65 minutes, and his first action was a left foot shot from a Lambert pass that went over the top.

It was 3-1 on 75 minutes. Thanks to some great pressure on the ball, Quakers won possession through Jassem Sukar just outside the Bradford area, and he set up Beck, who  swivelled to hit a left foot shot that arrowed into the top corner, for his second of the game and sixth of the season.

Felix nearly made it 4-1 when he won possession outside the area, got into the box and with two defenders in front of him, nearly caught the keeper out with a low shot.

Quakers kept the game tight after that, with sub Diogo Barbosa coming on, although Tommy Taylor, who had been a spectator for most of the night, pulled off a flying save from Richman in the last minute.

Team: Taylor, Griffiths, Lawlor, Sukar, Hedley, Moke (sub Barbosa 83), Purver, (sub Liddle 65) Lambert, Felix, Beck, Hazel (sub Rose 65)
Subs: Rivers, Mondal, 

Bradford: Sykes-Kenworthy, ODunston, Staunton, Lund, Havern (sub Richman 18), Fielding, Dockerty (sub Longbottom 66), Spencer, Blyth, Johnson, Hopper

Subs: Smith, Church, Nowakowski