IT WOULD be safe to say that Bradford Park Avenue have endured a tough time in National League North and have been flirting with relegation for most of the season.
They currently sit in 18th place in the standings, with 37 points from 36 games played and are six points above the dreaded drop zone.
That daylight is thanks largely to a couple of vital wins that ended a run of three straight defeats, with a 3-1 triumph at AFC Telford followed by a 2-1 success at home to Altrincham.
A controversial 1-0 loss to Darlington on Wednesday put a slight downer on proceedings but, with six games to go, the Avenue may well have enough to keep them in the division and an opportunity to rebuild over the summer and bring in some new faces.
This weekend’s game against Alfreton Town will be close given the home side are only three points ahead. While Alfreton are probably odds-on favourites for the win, it would be worth checking out the advice here if you’re considering a punt. The Avenue may yet capitalise on their recent run of form making a spread bet worthwhile.
February was a good month for the West Yorkshire outfit, with wins over Curzon Ashton, Gainsborough Trinity and Nuneaton Town giving Mark Bower’s men some breathing space but they cannot afford to rest on their laurels at the business end of the campaign.
With that in mind, Bower decided to bolster his squad with the loan signing of Huddersfield Town utility player Jamie Spencer, who will stay with Avenue until the end of the season.
The 19-year-old is primarily a central midfielder but can also feature in defence and he will give the club options heading into the final couple of months.
The youngster is not afraid to get his foot in and will provide some steel in the middle of the park when the pressure is on, having been a regular in the Terriers’ Under-23 side this term.
Avenue have also extended the loan of Jake Hibbs until the end of the season after his initial one-month deal ended on Saturday.
The 21-year-old has made three starts for Avenue and four appearances in total since moving from Halifax Town and now has the chance to further impress in the right-back position having switched from central midfield.
He has been particularly impressive in the recent back-to-back wins and created his side’s first goal in the victory over AFC Telford.
Despite his tender years, Hibbs made 38 appearances for Halifax last season and played a full part in Town’s FA Trophy final triumph at Wembley.
Bower will hope the pair can play their full part in a successful end to the campaign for the Horsfall Stadium outfit.
