PARK AVENUE boss Mark Bower took positives out of a 3-0 home friendly defeat against Mansfield.

In their first pre-season game at Horsfall, the hosts held their own to end the first half level with their League Two opponents.

The Stags' strength in depth paid dividends after the break as two goals from Lee Angol and one from Jacob Mellis saw them to a comfortable win.

But Bower, whose side host the Yorkshire Regiment in the inaugural Donald Bell Trophy tomorrow, said: "We had some good moments as well, especially in the first half.

"We moved the ball around well and there were some good performances.

"But ultimately at this time of the year it's about getting minutes into players' legs and thankfully we came through with a clean bill of health."

New signings Danny Lowe and Ben McKenna started in an experimental Avenue side which included several trialists.

Bower made a raft of changes throughout, including the introduction of American trialist Aaron Onion – formerly of Nebraska side Bugeaters FC – as a second-half substitute along with Horsfall scholars Lewis Johnson and Matthew Rowntree.

Tomorrow's fixture has been arranged in honour of Donald Simpson Bell, who became the first footballer to be awarded the Victoria Cross.

Before enlisting in the army and joining the West Yorkshire Regiment, Bell played professionally with Avenue after signing for the club in 1912.

Bradford (PA) v Mansfield: Drench, Trialist, Lowe, Trialist, Killock, Trialist, McKenna, Boshell, Trialist, Trialist, Clee.

Substitutes (all featured): Toulson, Trialist, Wroe, Havern, Spencer, Nowakowski, Johnson, Trialist, Onion, Johnson, Rowntree.