Ground: Horsfall Stadium (3500 capacity) Location: Bradford, England Ticket price: £5
The first away trip of Wakefield AFC's pre-season was against NCEL Premier Division side Albion Sports. The Lions, founded in 1974, are going through a similar transitional phase to ourselves in that they've returned home, after spending years playing at The Citadel - home of Farsley Celtic (a ground covered already in this blog). Manager Rizwan Mohammed has also hinted that the playing surface at Horsfall Stadium (which is also home to Bradford Park Avenue) suits the style of his players and also of the targets he's looking to bring in. Upon my visit to the ground, it's definitely a good pitch, so it does sound like Mohammed wants to provide fast, technical, attractive football to the Albion fans. He has also signalled his intent to move the team to their own stadium to avoid potential fixture congestion, so it seems like they have rather ambitious targets to aim for in the near future.
If you read Andy Edwards' guide on how to get to various football grounds in the country, like I do on occasion, it will mention that the best way to get to Horsfall is to take the train to Bradford Interchange and then to take the bus. This is not the best way. If you take the train to Low Moor instead (on the Hebden Bridge route which can be taken from Leeds), it's an half-hour walk past a recycling plant and a pretty nice park.
I was half expecting the game to be cancelled due to the heavy rain and thunderstorms, but thankfully the playing surface held up. To be fair, the conditions weren't too bad, a bit soggy, but it's not going to kill you. If I was in Scotland, they'd be getting the deckchairs out! The humidity did act as a reminder that potential 'danger of death' (or so I read) weather conditions could still come into play.
The Horsfall Stadium is a rather impressive ground for the tier Albion Sports are in, though I felt like the large running track between the stand and the pitch meant that you didn't feel as if you were close to the action, which is what I like from my non-league grounds. It wasn't great for getting pictures either, such was the distance away.
The teamsheet for Wakefield was pretty threadbare, with certain key players not making the trip down to Bradford. There were some familiar faces in the squad though, such as Kieron Ceesay, Jayden Sandhu and Brad Swain, who is still building up fitness after a nasty injury sustained on the opening game against Glasshoughton Welfare kept him out of the team for the whole of last season. Four trialists were also included in the matchday squad. In terms of Albion Rovers, they had Helmo Silva, Mr Joga Bonito himself, in their ranks. He was starting on the left hand side and I marked him down as a potential dangerman.
Both sides went at each other hammer and tongs, with the game boiling over on occasion. One such instance was one of our trialists, wearing number 11, repeatedly getting the better of his man, a big burly fellow wearing number 6 for Albion. He would drift to the centre and out wide and provide defensive support for Swain, which is what impressed me the most about his game (you need at least one winger who can put in a shift defensively at any level in my opinion). The number 6 for Albion tried to grasp him to wrestle the ball away, however our trialist, "Ollie", wriggled free from his clutches. In desperation, the Albion enforcer proceeded to throw him on the ground and, presumably, utter phrases that could have tainted the innocent ears of the kids kicking the ball around on the racing track. Thankfully, players from both sides were quick to diffuse the situation, nipping it in the bud without much involvement from the referee.
Wakefield had the better of the play in the opening 20 minutes or so, with Flynn creating a nuisance of himself up front. Unfortunately he does lack pace, but his off-the-ball movement is very, very good. Really like what I've seen of him so far. He had a chance when Ceesay played a nice little through ball to him, but the shot was met with a decent save from a tight angle.
On the topic of Kieron Ceesay, he is a player I'm a big fan of. He's someone who gets you off your seat, the kind of player who could peel an orange with his foot. He made many a mazy dribble against Hallam and was up to his old tricks again, making dazzling runs down the flank and even down the centre when Gabe Mozzini moved him there. He's a brilliant ball carrier for this level, but sometimes his final ball lets him down.
Key word being 'sometimes'.
The Albion Sports players had pushed numbers up to try and get the opening goal, with the Lions playing a high line to push our players back. However, such tactics, especially given our pace down the wide areas, can be exploited, and it was that man Ceesay who played a delicious through ball to Trialist Ollie (which is what I will call him from now on), who played a really nice cross for new signing Ashley Flynn, who made no mistake with the finish. It was his first goal in Wakefield colours and good to see him nab one after he missed that earlier chance.
Another trialist we had was Trialist 14 (don't know his name unfortunately, but he wore number 14). He let himself get turned fairly easily early on, forcing him to make a foul on Helmo Silva, but after that I felt he started to build up confidence and made a few strong tackles and blocks. He looked like one of those players who was built for defending; loves to head it, loves to kick it, loves to get his body in the way of things, similar to the way Sol Bamba used to defend under Warnock's gaze. He was definitely leaving a positive impression and I love how involved he was in the defensive third. He was even there once again as a dangerous looking cross was played in and he got an all important touch to ensure that onrushing keeper Bristoll didn't have to deal with such a pearler of a ball.
Unfortunately, that important touch ruled in Albion's favour. A sliced clearance which ended up in the back of our goal. Looking at Trialist 14's reaction, he looked gutted at what he'd just done and I was gutted for him. I just hoped it wouldn't have an effect on his game. Albion, who hadn't orchestrated that much aside a few half-attempts dealt with comfortably by Bristoll, were starting to grow in confidence. So much so that Robbie Fox decided to chance his arm from some way out.
Bristoll dives...
But the shot is too sweetly struck for him. Wakefield 2-1 down just like that, with goals coming in the 44th and 45th minute. This was Dundalk vs Derry City all over again.
At half time I went to look for the club shop to get a scarf. After idle chit-chat about the state of the weather with one of the BPA staffers (who were all lovely), I managed to nab one - a green and white scarf bearing the BPA colours with no logo on it. It'll do I suppose, I'll just have to write on it in marker pen or something.
The clubhouse was richly decorated in Bradford Park Avenue's history. This is a club that has won four league titles and their titles were displayed proudly on the far end of the room, opposite the bar. To the right of the entrance, a shrine dedicated to Kevin Hector was on display. Hector, an England international (there's a good Pointless answer for you if you need one - made two appearances for the Three Lions), started his career at Bradford Park Avenue, netting 113 goals in 176 league appearances. He'd go on to make over 400 appearances for Derby County over a 12 year period, before ending his career playing in Canada and the English lower leagues. The newspaper cutting detailed his outstanding 44 goal season in 1964-65, finishing well ahead of second place Willie Irvine as the Football League's top goalscorer.
The second half started as feistily as the first, with both teams eager to put on a show for their respective fans. In the middle of the park, it was Jayden Sandhu who was orchestrating the press, so much so that he was even more advanced than Flynn at times! Sandhu was excellent in breaking down the play, providing that tenacity and energy that caused the Albion Sports players a few scares and with a bit more composure in the final third, his press could have led to a couple of goals for us. When you have a technical player like Ceesay in your ranks, you need an engine to compliment him, and Sandhu is that engine. He's also a very good ball carrier as well and knows when to play the ball at the right moments. A selfless team player.
That's not to say that Albion Sports weren't getting chances either. Mozzini likes us to play out from the back but, and I think it's due to match sharpness, we were taking too long on the ball in the defensive phase and inviting pressure on our keeper, and there were numerous moments where different players gave the ball away cheaply due to holding onto the ball for too long (and to be fair, our static movement off the ball didn't help them when it came to our passing options either).
And with two teams looking to get the next goal, you would be right in thinking that this didn't end 2-1.
It was another case of a high line. A ball was played to Elvind Johnson, donning the canary yellow of Albion Sports, and he had ample time to pick his spot, firing it in past Bristoll's near post. Perhaps his positioning could have been better, but the sheer power of the finish meant that it was always going to be a difficult stop to make. I personally felt that Johnson was just offside, however it was a very tight call. With no VAR, you're always reliant on the opinion of the linesman and he felt that Johnson's goal should stand.
Let's just hope they don't score a 4th, eh?
A shot from outside the box was palmed away by George Bristoll, but unfortunately for us, straight into the path of Callum Buttle, who made no mistake powering it in from close range, with the Wakefield keeper still sprawled on the floor.
14 minutes later, a stray backpass from an Albion Sports defender was fizzing towards his own goal, away from the keeper, with the man between the sticks rushing back to try and keep the scoreline three to the good. The ball whizzed across the surface, but the boot from the keeper prevented an embarrassing own goal just in time. Only to myself and probably most people in the ground, it looked clearly over the line. Again, no goal line technology at this level so you're having to rely on human interpretation, but it looked like a fairly obvious decision to me.
It just wasn't going to be Wakefield's day today.
One minute later, we managed to win a penalty. The Wakefield crowd were calling for Sandhu to take it, as he'd been one of our few standout performers today and it was indeed Sandhu who stepped up to take the spot kick against his former club. I always feel like the best way to take a penalty is just to smash it. If you miss, you miss, but if you get it on target, the keeper's not saving it if it's in the top corner. Sandhu thought otherwise. He'd seen the clip of John Bostock chipping it down the centre in the playoff final between Notts County and Chesterfield. He'd seen that the keeper committed himself and went to ground for that penalty. He steps up, chips it, the keeper reads it, catches it and the whistle blows for full-time. Same outcome.
Trains to Leeds run hourly from Low Moor from the 11th minute of the hour, so as I'd got there at quarter past, it meant that I had to wait an hour for the next one. That train was delayed for half an hour too, due to the signalling system (always the bloody signalling system).
90 minutes was enough time to reflect on my thoughts of the game. Despite the 4-1 scoreline, there were some positives to take out from the game for sure. Flynn, as I've stated above, I really like the look of. He's an excellent target man with a good brain and excellent off-the-ball movement. He tried a lot of first time flicks and passes which didn't come off unfortunately, but the guile and ability to attempt them is good to see. Flynn's presence leaves me less worried about the Jake Morrison-sized hole missing in our attack, with the striker out of action until the end of August. Trialist Ollie also looks a good player and I think he'd be an excellent addition to our squad if we offered him a contract. The 4 goals we conceded were down to individual errors mainly and these can be ironed out - I don't think there was a sizable gulf in quality between the two sides at all. Plus, when you have a goal incorrectly (in my opinion) ruled out, and a penalty save, in different circumstances, that's 4-3. I'm still confident going into the season and still think we can gain promotion as champions.
Albion Sports AFC 4-1 Wakefield AFC 08/07/23
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