BRADFORD (Park Avenue) manager Mark Bower accepts that on paper, there is a huge gulf between themselves and tomorrow's Vanarama National League North opponents Chester FC.

But he says they are used to being written off and stand every chance in Cheshire if they adopt the "siege mentality" that earned them a brilliant 2-0 FA Trophy win at Gloucester City on Sunday.

Bower said: “You just need to look at Chester’s first team and bench on Saturday, and compare it to ours (at Gloucester), when we basically only had one sub.

“They have a massive squad, with good resources, and they’ve been really tough to beat all season.

“They've scored goals all over the pitch recently and they’ll want to come out on the front foot, as they’ll think they can have the game won in the first 15-20 minutes.

“We have to go in with that underdog siege mentality again, just like how no-one gave us a chance at Gloucester (City) on Sunday.

“The longer we can keep a clean sheet, and be as solid as can be, without just sitting back for the full 90 minutes, then we’ll stand a chance, as our players are capable of getting something.

“People might look at us and think because we’re the team at the bottom, we’re all useless but that’s not the case here. We’ve got some good players.”

One of those is 19-year-old Isaiah Bazeley. The full-back is on loan from Aston Villa Under-23s and is starting to get a run of games after impressing his manager in the West Riding County Cup.

Bower said: “He’s done well. I went with more experience when I first came in, but I’ve introduced the younger lads over time.

“Isaiah and Isaac Marriott both put in good performances against Harrogate in the County Cup and have earned their places since.

“I played Isaiah further forward at Gloucester. He used that chance well, got his goal, and speaking to him after the game, he told me he’d enjoyed the role.”

Bazeley would have been grateful for the guidance of experienced midfielder Ryan Toulson. The club's former player-coach re-signed for them last week.

He made a first appearance of the season at Gloucester, with Bower saying: "Tully (Toulson) is on the coaching staff and he's mainly here to help us off the pitch.

"But the young players need direction and he knows this level well. He's a presence on the pitch and it also gives us another voice in the dressing room."

That voice proved vital at Gloucester, with Bower arguing it was Avenue's best performance of the whole season.

He said: "We were hanging on when we beat Hereford (3-2) and the Darlington win before I arrived (1-0) sounds like it was backs against the wall at times.

"This was a proper win, we were the better team and we deserved it. It was a solid performance and a standard we need to keep."

Bower, who expects to welcome Jonathan Royle and Liam Hughes back into the starting line-up tomorrow, added: "We now have to make sure we concentrate for the full 90 minutes.

"Because in our last two league games, the last seven minutes against King's Lynn and the first nine against Leamington cost us both matches."