BRADFORD (Park Avenue) boss Mark Bower is unhappy with their National League North schedule so far.

They face another arduous trip to Kidderminster tomorrow, their fourth away league game in a row.

And with a home game against Blyth next Monday, numbers are likely to be down compared to a traditional Saturday clash.

Bower blasted: “We seem to be playing away every week, and it means we’ll go into November having only had two home games on a Saturday all season.

“For a club like ours, every penny counts, so it’s something that needs looking at, as we’ve been losing out financially because of it.”

Talking about the Kidderminster clash, Bower said: “They’re full-time, fit, strong, and play good football.

“If they don’t finish in the top seven this season, they’ll see that as a disappointment.

“They made a good start in the league, and while the draw has been kind to them as a Midlands team, it’s great to see them in the FA Cup first round, with the chance to play a team higher up in the pyramid in Grimsby.”

As for Blyth two days later, Bower said: “Blyth are much improved from last season, as they’ve brought back a few players that had served them well in the past.

“They got youth and experience in the side and we’re expecting a typically tight game against them.

“We’d love to get our first home win of the season against them and hopefully the fact they’ll have a lot of travelling to do on a Monday will have an impact.”

Bower mentioned how Blyth’s improvement can be put down to star past players returning, and the same goes for Avenue.

They lost a lot of key players ahead of the 2019/20 season, and were only spared relegation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

One of those was versatile defender Mark Ross, and his return, alongside captain Luca Havern, has shored up a leaky defence.

Bower enthused: “Rossy’s a shining example to the other lads, as he’s strong, powerful and looks after himself.

“He brings experience and quality on the pitch and he’s an excellent defender who’s particularly hard to get past in a one-on-one situation.

“Rossy and Luca are good heads to have in the side and they’ve made a difference to where we were a couple of seasons ago.

“It’s good to have them in and among the younger lads in the side, as it helps those players improve.”

There were several teenagers in action during Tuesday’s 2-1 West Riding County Cup defeat to Campion, with Avenue having five 16-year-olds on the pitch by full-time.

Bower admitted he was disappointed to be knocked out, given the competition would have given those teens more first team experience.

But he could at least celebrate the return from an ankle problem of full-back Lucas Odunston.

There is bad news elsewhere though, with Jordan Windass, Oli Johnson, Ryan Toulson, Jake Hibbs and Matty Downing all set to miss this weekend through injury.