BRADFORD (Park Avenue) secured a vital 1-0 victory against North Ferriby on Saturday, in the club’s opening fixture of the 2024/25 season at Horsfall Stadium.

This hard-earned win not only marks a positive start to the campaign but also Avenue’s first opening day victory since 2018.

Kareem Hassan-Smith’s goal in the second half proved decisive, as Danny Whitaker’s side handed out no fewer than twelve debuts in this tightly contested match.

The breakthrough came in the 58th minute when Oli Norman demonstrated superb awareness to find Hassan-Smith, who finished expertly to give Avenue the lead.

After the contest, Avenue head coach Whitaker said: “I’m really proud of the team for their performance on Saturday.

“We knew it would be a tough match, and the boys delivered exactly what we asked of them.

“Defensively, we were solid, and Craig made some crucial saves to keep us in the game.

“Kareem took his goal brilliantly, and it was great to see the team work so hard for each other.

“There’s still plenty to improve on, but for a first outing, especially with so many debuts, it was a very encouraging performance. We’ll take the positives from this and keep pushing forward.”

Sporting director, Thomas McStravick also expressed his delight when speaking to Avenue’s official website.

He said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the result today and overall performance.

“It’s always important to start the season on a positive note, and the lads showed great determination and quality throughout the game. With so many new faces in the squad, it was encouraging to see them gel so quickly and perform as a unit.

“Kareem’s goal was a moment of real class and an example of how we want to play. Our defensive display was outstanding when needed. We’re excited to build on this foundation as we move forward into the rest of the season.”