Avenue marksmen return to haunt former club

By Ian Whiting »


Bradford Park Avenue 2, FC United of Manchester 0

The unwritten rule that former players come back to haunt you was certainly the case tonight as Rory Patterson and Stuart Rudd did just that against FC United of Manchester.

Patterson grabbed both goals as Avenue, who signed both him and Rudd during the summer, edged to victory in the Roses derby of the UniBond League Premier Division.

The pattern was set in the first minute when Avenue earned a set-piece but the visitors sprung a rapid counter attack.

When Chris Bettney was fouled, he delivered the free-kick himself. It was cleared by United’s skipper Dave Chadwick and spread to the wing.

Seconds later, Avenue captain Mark Haran was clearing from the home side’s penalty area, and there was no let-up in the pace from then on.

There was just over a quarter of an hour gone when Avenue broke the deadlock, and again it was a free-kick.

Rudd and Patterson were both involved as the visitors fell behind. Chadwick brought Rudd down as he approached the edge of the area.

The free-kick was 20 yards out and Tom Baker rolled the ball to Patterson, who drilled it in with a vicious shot.

Minutes later, Baker fired over after Patterson had flicked on a Stuart Graves throw-in but United responded when Simon Carden back-heeled a Carlos Rocca cross wide.

The only other two chances in the first half both came the way of the home side, with Chris Hall just failing to connect with a Bettney cross on the half hour.

A later throw-in from Graves found Baker but his shot was saved by keeper Sam Ashton.

After the interval, the visitors came out with a purpose and mounted a sustained spell of attacking football.

Despite that, they did not create too many chances and the Bradford side eventually doubled their lead.

Rudd headed in from a Bettney corner but saw the strike ruled out after a foul, and later chances followed for Chris Hall and Patterson.

However, the former United goalscorer was not to be denied his second. Just before the hour, Baker picked the ball up ten yards inside his own half and threaded a ball through for Patterson to run on to as he cut in from the left flank.

He finished his run with a shot into the corner of the net from 15 yards.

The visitors’ frustrations were compounded when Chris Baguley received a red card in the penultimate minute.