Bradford Park Avenue 1 Gainsborough Trinity 4

BRADFORD’S season ended with a whimper as Darren Edmondson’s injury ravaged side capitulated at Horsfall Stadium and endured a crushing defeat that put a dampener on the presentation evening.

The players’ awards were handed out in the clubhouse directly after the game and although the supporters who made up the audience would have been in good spirits the players felt frustrated after turning in an under par performance.

Bradford caretaker manager Darren Edmondson said, “That is not the way you want to finish a season, we were poor, very poor.

“You have to defend your penalty area first and foremost and we didn’t. We said that to the players at half time and – I hate to use the phrase – but we had ask the question, were these players were already ‘on holiday’.

“There was a slight improvement in the second half but we lacked cohesion and there was no communication.

“We did have a lot of players out through injury and while it doesn’t help, not having a settled side, it doesn’t excuse those players that were out there. We just didn’t defend properly and that’s as a team from front to back.”

Avenue started positively but as Gainsborough Trinity got into their stride they created chances, because of the home side’s calamitous defending. Trinity edged in front midway through the first half when Nathan Jarman’s glancing header converted Stephen Brogan’s free kick.

The excellent set piece deliveries of Brogan were a key asset for the visitors but it was Jarman who turned provider for Trinity’s second. A well worked move led to a ball into the area and Jarman laid it on a plate for Simon Russell to rifle the ball home.

Minutes after the half hour Bradford were 3-0 down after Marc Newsham was allowed a free header to turn another Brogan delivered free kick past flat footed Avenue keeper Ryan Jones.

Edmondson was clearly unhappy with what he had witnessed and he emerged from the dressing room at half time to speak to two of the substitutes warming up. He sent Jake Scott on at the start of the second half and got almost half an hour out of Jason St Juste.

The home side matched Gainsborough in the second half in terms of goals but they were still well beaten overall. Ten minutes after the break Newsham pounced to net his second, meaning that Lamin Colley’s close range header in the 82nd minute was a mere consolation.