Albion Sports FC

 I'd visited Albion Sports many years ago when they played at Throstle Nest, groundsharing with Farsley Celtic FC. In those days they had a very poor set up in that they had no food or refreshment option, I always remember once they heard me and fellow groundhopper Pete discussing the lack of food and the directors very generously invited us inside at half time to be fed and watered free of charge, samosas and sausage rolls galore from what i remember and very much appreciated.

These days they play in the Barkerend area of their home city of Bradford, at the excellent Myra Shay facility, also home to Route One Rovers FC. The ground consists of a good 4G surface, a raised standing area along one side with a small terracing stand and a small seated stand with probably 100 seats. Entry is £7 and £4 via one turnstile and much to my delight they now serve official refreshments, a sausage roll and coke set me back £4.50 and a half time pint of Red Stripe cost £4. To get to the ground from the middle of Bradford, catch the X11 from Interchange and it drops you right at the entrance, ideal and a novelty for me to visit a ground that involves little to no walking. With Bradford playing at home to Huddersfield in the early kick off, the crowd at Albion was only 61 despite them offering £4 entry for all City season ticket holders. Maybe the 0-3 defeat was enough football for one day for most of the Valley Parade contingent. I was in a similar frame of mind having just seen my team, York, lose 5-2 away at Grimsby, but nevertheless I wouldn't be without my weekly fix of non league football.

The game got underway and was very low on quality, Albion have some talent, ironically with the talent named winger Talent Ndlovu and stalwart at the back, Aran Basi, Lewis Waddington is always a threat and I was very impressed with Joe Poxon who netted a brace and was a constant threat. Nevertheless a very subdued start with Worsbrough probably shading it without testing the keeper. They have suffered this season as they started like a train, but then after Frickley sacked ex York legend Martyn Woolford, the Worsbrough manager departed as his replacement, no doubt taking some of his players with him. They have dropped like a stone since and it will be a period of readjustment for them. I was beginning to think the game had 0-0 written all over it when at that very moment Albion took the lead, a good long ball from Basi, then lobbed over the defender, who did recover but only made a poor clearance, straight to Poxon with only the keeper to beat and he calmly slotted home with 24 minutes gone. Ten minutes later he was at it again, an excellent long mazy run ended with a goal and Albion were dominating now. There were faint shouts for a foul in the build up to that goal but I didn't see anything untoward and the referee agreed. Five minutes before the break and Bridge got a free kick right on the edge of the Albion area, the keeper doing well to tip it over for a corner. Half time came and much to their credit the raffle winner was announced, so many times it isn't, the winner taking the tub of quality street rather than the bottle of prosecco.

Second half and as happens so often the team that are behind come out fighting and the team that is in front seems to put their feet up. That was the case here with Albion just soaking up the pressure, depsite missing several defensive headers at key moments, Bridge didn't have the quality to capitalise either. They did pull one back in the 76th minute after the winger was hacked down, penalty given and duly dispatched but that was as good as it got for Bridge and their dozen or so travelling fans as Albion clung on to an important home win.