Quakers beaten by early goal
By Ray Simpson
Hit the bar twice
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Darlington 0 Bradford Park Avenue 1
Havern 15 mins 0-1
Quakers are still without a home win this season after losing to an early goal at Blackwell Meadows.
The only goal of the game came early on, courtesy of a free kick that caught the Quakers' defence napping.
The result left manager Alun Armstrong scratching his head, after two excellent away performances at Guiseley and Alfreton.
Quakers had the first chance on 7 minutes. Erico Sousa played the ball into the box for Tyrone O’Neill, who from an acute angle, pulled a right foot shot across the face of goal.
Bradford opened the scoring after 15 minutes. They were awarded a free kick on the left just outside the Darlington penalty area, and it was floated in for Luca Havern to head past Saltmer.
Quakers nearly levelled on 20 minutes. Erico Sousa made a good diagonal run and found Campbell on the left. He floated the ball into the middle where Dan Maguire headed against the bar.
A minute later, the woodwork prevented Quakers scoring again. This time. O’Neill picked up the ball on the edge of the box, and curled a right foot shot over Dan Atkinson, but against the underside of the bar.
Quakers had another chance when Louis Laing ran forward from inside his own half, and struck a right foot shot a couple of yards wide of the left hand post.
Quakers had to make a sub on 31 minutes when Dan Maguire limped off, and Luke Charman replaced him.
Saltmer pulled off a good save on 36 minutes when Lewis Knight raced through the middle and hit a powerful right foot shot that Saltmer saved at full stretch.
Half time 0-1
Sousa had an inswinging free kick headed out for a corner at the start of the second half, and then he cut in from the right and hit a left foot shot over the top.
Wheatley then played a good crossfield ball to Charman on the right, he sidestepped a challenge, but his effort was partly blocked and ran through to the keeper.
Quakers made their second sub on 64 minutes, Jarrett Rivers coming on for Adam Campbell.
Joe Wheatley nearly levelled on 66 minutes when he hit a right foot shot from the edge of the box that Atkinson saved at full stretch.
Wheatley then thought he’d won a free kick on the edge of the box when he seemed to be tripped, but the referee booked him instead.
Quakers then pressed forward more, with Wheatley more advanced, and they nearly equalised on 79 minutes when O’Neill was stopped on the edge of the box and Rivers tried to chip the keeper, who just managed to grab the ball.
Bradford nearly got a second though with a right foot shot by Dockerty that Saltmer just managed to push at full stretch on to the post.
Bradford defended in depth to protect their lead, but Charman nearly scored in the last minute when he showed some good close control to get in the box past three men, but fired over.
And in the dying seconds, Ben Hedley moved up and hit a powerful right foot shot that just cleared the bar.
Final score: Darlington 0 Bradford PA 1
Team: Saltmer, Hedley, Laing, Atkinson, Watson, Wheatley (sub Hudson 86), Reid, O'Neill, Sousa, Campbell (Sub Rivers 64), Maguire (sub Charman 31)
Subs: Minter, Storey
Booking: Wheatley
Bradford PA
Atkinson, Ross, Boyes, Marriott, Havern, Windass, Toulson, Hibbs, Dockerty, Knight (Sub Clee 76), Sanyang
Subs: Lyons, Huffer, Downing, Ibrian
Booking: Havern
Team: Saltmer, Hedley, Laing, Atkinson, Watson, Wheatley, Reid, O'Neill, Sousa, Campbell, Maguire
Subs: Rivers, Hudson, Minter, Storey, Charman
Bradford PA
Atkinson, Ross, Boyes, Marriott, Havern, Windass, Toulson, Hibbs, Dockerty, Knight, Sanyang
Subs: Lyons, Huffer, Clee, Downing, Ibrian