BRADFORD (Park Avenue) manager Mark Bower is delighted with how teenage striker Rob Guilfoyle has done out on loan this season, and he has challenged him to help fire the Horsfall side to National League North safety now.

Former York City striker Guilfoyle joined NPL East Division side Pontefract Collieries in November, and scored some vital goals in their battle against the drop.

But he is back at struggling Avenue now, and after coming off the bench in their last-gasp 1-0 defeat to Southport on Tuesday, he will be eyeing up a start at home to Kettering Town today.

Bower said: “Rob’s loan has served its purpose, because he’d spent most of his career in academies, and hadn’t played much men’s football.

“We kept an eye on him at Pontefract, and the move benefitted him, as he looks sharper and stronger since he’s returned.

“He’s now in a good position to challenge for a place in the team.”

Another player bedding back in is left-back Akeem Hinds, who after a brief loan spell at Avenue in 2019, returned to Horsfall on a short-term deal from Buxton earlier this month.

He made his second debut for the club in the 1-0 win over Chester a fortnight ago and has started both games since too.

Bower said: “Akeem has settled in well.

“We’d lost Reece Staunton and Nickseon Gomis, who are left-sided players, back to their parent clubs, and Nicky Clee (who can fill in there if needed) has been struggling with a little injury.

“We want Akeem to keep working on his fitness, sharpness and consistency, but he’s done a good job.

“He helped us get that clean sheet against Chester, and he was part of a defence unlucky not to keep one at Southport.”

Hinds is likely to start at the back against Kettering, as is Mitch Lund, whose one-game suspension for his red card on Merseyside in midweek does not come into effect until Avenue visit York next Tuesday.

Fellow defender Ryan Toulson is likely to miss out today with the injury that forced him off at Southport, but he will undergo a late fitness test, as will Clee and Jordan Windass.

Lucas Odunston (knee) and Jake Hibbs (leg) are both definitely missing.

Add all of this to the fact that Avenue are hopeful of announcing a couple of signings ahead of kick-off this afternoon, and Bower is not at all sure how his team will line up.

That is not ideal in terms of preparation, especially with Kettering being a strong, play-off chasing outfit, but the visitors did suffer the blow of manager Paul Cox resigning last night.

Before that news was made public, Bower had said: “They’ve improved an awful lot since they beat us 1-0 at their place on the opening day, in a game we really should have got something from.

“They’ve had some good results recently, and they’re looking up now, not down, so it will be a tough game.

“They’ve got a real goalscorer now in Callum Powell, who’d make a massive difference to any team.

“They’ve got a big, physical presence in their team, which suits them on their pitch, which isn’t the best, but they still have good footballers who can play if they get the opportunity on a good surface.

“From our side, we defended well at Southport, but we need to do more going forward, which should be easier at home on our 3G pitch, where we’ve done quite well this season.”

Avenue's relegation rivals Guisley and Farsley Celtic are both in action today too, with the former at high-flying AFC Fylde and the latter hosting mid-table Hereford.