BRADFORD (Park Avenue) manager Mark Bower is hoping versatile defender Mitch Lund can work his way up the football pyramid, following in the footsteps of an earlier-season nemesis.

Lund was released from Doncaster Rovers last summer but has found regular game time in the Vanarama National League North with Avenue, and he will expect to start for them against Leamington tomorrow.

The reverse fixture at Horsfall was virtually done and dusted in the first 10 minutes, with visiting striker Josh March plundering two goals on his way to a hat-trick in a 3-0 win.

But March is no longer at the Warwickshire outfit, having been snapped up by League Two side Forest Green Rovers during the January transfer window.

Lund will be hopeful of achieving something similar, with Bower saying: “Mitch has proven to be versatile across the back four.

“He’s played left-back a few times, done well at right-back, filled in as one of three centre-backs, been at wing-back and he even had a few games in midfield before we (me and Danny Boshell) arrived.

“He’s had a bad few years, so he just wanted some games under his belt, which he has had this season.

“He’ll be looking to get back up the (league) pyramid and playing full-time. All he needs is regular games, which hopefully he’ll get between now and the end of the season.”

Lund missed the 3-0 defeat to Leamington in November through injury, so could do nothing to stop the aforementioned March running riot.

Remembering that game, Bower said: “We gave that game away in the first 10 minutes, but I thought after that we were quite good.

“The two (early) goals gave us a mountain to climb, but there’s been a few changes to our team since then.

“Leamington’s always a tough place to go, as they’re decent at home. I think we’ve lost down there in both of the last two seasons, even though we ended up in the play-offs.”

On March, Bower said: “He’s a good, all-round player, who’s clever too.

“Since he’s left Leamington, they’ve struggled a bit, which shows you how one player can make a difference, in a bottom half team especially. We’ve talked about having a player like that, just to finish our chances.”

Anyone looking to become Avenue’s master marksman will have plenty more opportunities this season.

Their last two games, against King’s Lynn Town and Kettering Town, have been postponed, which will lead to a few midweek fixtures coming up.

Bower said: “There’s a possibility of that becoming a problem because of our small squad size, as you’re liable to pick up a few more niggly injuries. We have to be wary of that.

“But the players should be used to Saturday and Tuesday games at this level, and to be fair we have had consistent (once a week) fixtures over the last few months.”

Bower confirmed that, after plenty of rest and recovery time for his players, he should have a fully-fit squad for the Leamington game.