By Ben Lightfoot
Just two days after their last Blyth are back in action as they travel to Horsfall Stadium to face Bradford (Park Avenue on Monday night.
Blyth won a vital three points on Saturday against Kettering Town after Troy Chiabi’s first-half header separated the two sides.
TICKET INFORMATION
All ticket information for the trip to Bradford is as follows:
- Adult – £14
- Concession – £10
- Student – £5
- Youth (12-17) – £3
- Junior (under 12, must be accompanied by an adult) – £1
TEAM NEWS
Spartans remain without Nathan Buddle, Lewis McNall, JJ O’Donnell and Michael Richardson.
OPPOSITION
Bradford suffered a 4-1 defeat away to Brackley Town after they went 1-0 up through Will Longbottom after five minutes, but they couldn’t hold out after the side in third place scored four in succession.
The Green Army sit just three points ahead of 23rd-placed Blyth in 19th, with four teams in-between each other heating up the relegation battle for the rest of the season.
WHAT WE’RE SAYING
After a spectacular 1-0 win over Kettering Town, Graham Fenton said: “I’m really pleased, it was good. The first half was the best 45 minutes of football this season for us
“I thought the way we played we looked penetrating and decisive and we suffocated them, every time there was a turnover we were really sharp and won the ball back in a fraction of a second.
“So just in terms of a complete performance in that first 45 that’s what we are looking for and that has now set the bar for what we will try and emulate as often as possible.”
Speaking on the goal he said: “We had a few before that and we just kept floating them in and then Devs [Nicky Deverdics] has come up with a quality, quality cross, really flat and Troy [Chiabi] finished it really well.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Following a 4-1 defeat away from home, said: “ I think the performance as a whole you could say we played quite well, but the moments in the game are what has cost us.
“We went in front through a great free-kick, playing well and their first time in our penalty area we didn’t deal with the ball in our box, a couple of ricochets and drops to the lad (Levi Amantchi). I say it might have been offside but we have to defend that better.
“Second one, I think it was a foul, to be honest, a deflection and it goes in, then after that, I thought we had a stonewall penalty, a blatant foul on Harrison Hopper, can’t believe how that is not given and in the second half I thought we came out really well and dominated the ball, possession, we moved it well and got into some good areas and we just lacked a bit of quality on the final third.”
LAST TIME WE MET
Earlier in the season at Croft Park, Bradford (Park Avenue) managed a 1-0 win as Jacob Blyth’s goal after 14 minutes was the only goal of the game.
In recent history, Blyth have not won against Bradford since February 2018 (six games winless) when they won 3-0 at Croft Park as Dale Hopson, Jarrett Rivers and Robbie Dale were on the scoresheet.
MEDIA COVERAGE
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