James Knowles was the goal-scoring hero last Monday with a treble in Bradford Park Avenue’s 4-0 victory over rivals Harrogate Town – not bad for a centre back!

Park Avenue had drawn 1-1 at Conference North counterparts Harrogate in the initial meeting last Saturday.

That brought the FA Trophy third qualifying-round tie back to Horsfall Stadium, which was the venue weeks earlier when Harrogate knocked Avenue out of the West Riding County Cup.

Knowles and his Bradford team-mates refused to be cowed by that and romped to a big win over their Yorkshire neighbours, with the centre back taking the role of star man.

“It doesn’t happen too often - I think it might be my first at this level,” said Knowles about his hat-trick.

“As a centre back, you go up for corners and free-kicks hoping to get on the end of something, which is rare.

But for three to come all at once like that was very out of the ordinary. It was a strange feeling but a nice one.

“It was a good win considering our recent results. We have been playing quite well but not finishing games off.

"Most of the lads felt we should have won it at their place because we had some good late chances. I had one and Chib (Chilaka) got through right at the end.

“But we felt we had a chance in the replay because we always fancy ourselves at home.”

Knowles feels Avenue are just coming through a little lull. After putting together a 13-match unbeaten run, they were dumped out of the FA Cup in heartbreaking circumstances.

They lost 2-1 in extra-time at Conference Premier high-fliers Kidderminster Harriers, and they have been drawn against them again in the first round of the Trophy.

“Its sod’s law,” claimed Knowles. “We have had some hard draws in cup competitions over recent seasons, and Kidderminster are a very good side.

“But I thought we played some of the best football of our long run in the two FA Cup games against them, so we have nothing to fear playing them again.

“There were a couple of bad defeats in the league after that - two 4-2 losses. We were making mistakes in defence - me included - that the opposition were making the most of.

“In those two games, we only gave about five or six chances away but they put four of them away both times.

"We missed chances at the other end as well. We could have been two or three up by half-time but have ended up coming in all-square or even behind.

“We have been giving ourselves mountains to climb but luckily we have managed to do it more often than not.”