National North
Mark Bower says he hopes to strengthen his Bradford (Park Avenue) squad before they return to action in eight days.
Avenue are up and running after finally gaining their first win of the campaign last Saturday in dramatic circumstances against Curzon Ashton.
Due to Banbury United’s involvement in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round, Avenue are without a fixture this weekend and Bower is aiming to use the break to improve his crop before the clash with Hereford on October 22nd.
“We’re bottom of the league so we know we have to change things.” Bower told Non League Yorkshire.
“We know it is not easy for us because we haven’t got a load of money to bring load of new faces in.
“We have to be smart and clever with the players we have got and there may have to be one-or-two changes on that front in order to bring one-or-two in.
“We’re always looking to improve what we have got and we certainly need to bring one-or-two in over the next couple of weeks and we’ll be working on that.”
It has taken Avenue 11 games to record a victory and they left it late against Curzon.
Avenue were trailing with six minutes until Will Longbottom equalised and Oli Johnson hit the winner in an incredible 120 seconds of football at Horsfall Stadium.
Bower said the feeling was more relief rather than jubilation.
“It was a good feeling when in the last ten minutes you’re feeling like everything has gone against you in the last few weeks,” he said.
“At times we have not been good enough but other times you look at bits of bad luck and refereeing decisions that were more than questionable.
“Even in the game on Saturday we should have had a penalty and we had a goal disallowed.
“Their right-back has cut in on his left foot and scored from 25 yards with a shot into the top corner and you think ‘here we go again’.
“The lads dug in and to get those two goals late-on felt great and hopefully that brings back a bit of belief and confidence to the players that we can carry forward.
“I think there was relief, definitely.
“I said earlier in the season that we have certainly deserved more from games.
“It was relief that we got our just-rewards from a game we had done ok in and felt we deserved to win.
“It was very important and whilst I definitely felt jubilant, the main feeling was probably relief for finally getting that monkey off our backs.”
Bower spoke to NLY in early September when Avenue had either drawn or narrowly lost in their opening seven fixtures.
Results became worse as they were well-beaten by Darlington, Southport alongside the defeat to Fylde and the FA Cup loss at Ashington.
“I’d probably say (performances deteriorated beginning with the Darlington game),” he said.
“Earlier in the season I could make a real case for getting points from games and being unfortunate.
“We took the lead against Darlington but conceding close to half-time was a big turning point and you could see the confidence drain out of the players and found it difficult in the second half.
“We were poor at Ashington in the FA Cup and it was the poorest we have played this season but we scored a perfectly good goal in the last minute which would have taken it to a replay.
“You talk about decisions and you can live with 50/50 ones but a player three yards onside given offside, that was tough to take.
“Away from home against a team doing well in their league and beating teams from above; it is never going to be easy no matter what people think it should be.
“Loads of teams from our level went out to teams from below.
“We had a chat about our performance and I felt we were much better at Fylde and thought we played really well there.
“Against Southport we had a mad spell before half-time when I thought we were well in the game.
“We conceded two in quick succession and that one got away from us.
“Curzon game, back at home for the first time in a while and I thought we were the better team for large spells.
“What got what we deserved.
“What has happened in the games in the past once we have had a setback we have seen the confidence drain from the players.
“Against Curzon we actually stayed on the front-foot and we tried to be aggressive and eventually it paid off for us.”
During his two spells as Avenue manager, Bower has performed miracles – either keeping them up against the odds or leading them to unlikely play-offs finishes.
Now with one of the lowest budgets in the league in a hybrid league with full-time sides with huge resources, times are tough for Avenue.
“This is the toughest (challenge yet at Avenue),” he said.
“People around the club are realistic and they know the limitations of what we’re working under.
“I think the league is the strongest it has ever been from top to bottom.
“I think the teams closer to the bottom are stronger than they have ever been and possibly the gap between top and bottom is not as big as it has been in previous seasons.”
He added: “Now we’ve got the first win I’m hoping it will give the lads more confidence and belief, especially because of how we won by coming from behind late-on.
“I think we’re realistic in knowing staying up is the first target and if we achieve that this season then we have done ok.
“We’d like to get beyond that.
“We will keep striding for that and we want to get off the bottom of the table and that’s the next target. Then it is about clawing our way out of the bottom four.
“Our next three (Saturday) games are at home so I’d like to think we can capitalise on that and get some points on the board.”