BRADFORD (Park Avenue) captain Lucas Odunston was not shy in telling the T&A just how massive the pressure is this afternoon, while admitting the squad are “gutted to have messed up” and left the team in this situation.
The BD6 outfit beat Basford United 2-1 last time out to stave off relegation from the Northern Premier League Premier Division, but they have to claim all three points today in their penultimate league game, which is at home to Gainsborough Trinity.
Avenue will go down with a defeat, will need a mathematical miracle to survive if they draw, and even a win would not be enough to stay up if Basford beat already-crowned champions Radcliffe.
Stafford Rangers are also a problem for Odunston and his team-mates, as they sit a point ahead of Bradford with two games to go.
Asked if Avenue’s task being straightforward meant they could go into the game with a nothing to lose attitude, Odunston warned: “There’s more pressure on this result and this game than we’ve had on us all season.
“You can tiptoe around that fact, and just say that we’re looking likely to go down anyway so what’s the point, but that’s not how we’re looking at it.
“We know it will be tough this weekend, because Gainsborough are coming into the game off the back of a good run, but we know we can take the lead against any side in this league, even if we seem to throw them away a lot of the time.
“But the fact we’re able to go in front counts for something, so we just hope we can do that and win this weekend to take it to the final game of the season.”
The win over Basford a fortnight ago kept Avenue alive, a result that has filled Odunston and his teammates with hope.
He said: “It’s given us confidence, because it wasn’t a nice game to play in given how windy it was, and those are the kind of matches we don’t normally win, and haven’t done this season.
“Of course, we’d have been delighted with an easy 3-0 victory that day, but I think we needed to win a nitty-gritty game to get it out of our system.”
Speaking of getting out of their system, Odunston was candid about how much the players have been hurting, with Avenue on the verge of a second successive relegation.
He said: “The lads are gutted to still be in this position, where Avenue are looking likely to go down.
“We’re gutted about how we’ve messed up and how we’ve thrown points away in massive games recently like against Ilkeston and Radcliffe.
“It would be nice to prove in these final two games that we’re better than what we’ve shown so far this season.
“We’ve got the extra hunger and desire to do what we possibly can to stay up and the talk in the dressing room has just been about making sure we win our two matches.
“That’s all we can do, we can’t control what happens elsewhere.”
One thing that could boost Avenue today is the presence of a bumper crowd, given the importance of the game and the fact that Leeds United and Bradford City season ticket holders have been invited to come along for free, with both of their sides playing away this weekend.
An enthusiastic Odunston, once on Leeds’ books, said: “It would be massive for us if we can get a passionate crowd in this weekend.
“We’d put in a few decent performances and got some good results going into our home game last month against Warrington Rylands.
“I was out injured but I was in the stands watching and I remember saying to someone that there was a really good buzz around Horsfall.
“It spurred the boys on and though we lost, we played much better than usual, we were against a side who were second or third in the league and beating sides week in week out, it was only a 2-1 defeat, and we missed a penalty during the game.
“It’s the case across any league at any level, if you have good home support, it helps you play better.”
And while he is fully focused on this afternoon, Odunston is licking his lips at the prospect of Avenue taking their survival chance all the way to the final day, when they play away to Matlock Town, who only secured their own safety last weekend by beating Guiseley.
The Bradford skipper said: “Anything can happen if it goes to the last day between us, Basford and Stafford.
“We’d back ourselves to beat Matlock, who are in poor form, and if we do take it to the final day, you just never know who’s going to win or lose their game.
“The other thing, and this is especially true in non-league, is that we could finish in that bottom four with Basford or Stafford, Atherton and Marske, but still stay up.
“A club could suddenly fold (that fate did befall Marske in January this season) and that gives you a reprieve.
“We just need to finish the season as strongly and as high up in the table as we can, then see where that gets us.”
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