Seventy two days after our 2021-22 season had ended in disappointing fashion, with an injury time penalty ensuring that Bacup Borough progressed at our expense in the Macron Cup, the two sides locked horns again in very different circumstances and surroundings, and this time it was our boys who came out on top thanks to three first half goals.
Pre season friendlies tend to be played out in blazing sunshine even in the less temperate parts of our fair land, but the rain clouds were already lurking in full view as this first test of our pre season programme kicked off just north of Rochdale. Manager Alex Frost decided to field a mixture of the old and the new in the first half, with Grant Shenton, Tommy Lent, Max Davidson and Lee Knight all pulling on an Avro shirt for the first time. Joe Rathbone also made a welcome return to first team action after a troublesome foot injury had curtailed his involvement last season, and he forced the Bacup keeper into a smart save low to his right as the visitors started strongly.
However, it was the home side who took the lead after eight minutes, as the Avro defence waited in vain for an offside flag that never came. Undeterred by this setback, we continued to knock the ball around confidently, and the equaliser duly arrived after nineteen minutes. Liam Ellis had already shown his intent on his return to the centre forward role in place of the now departed Louis Potts, and it was he who reacted quickest after the home keeper had spilled a cross from the left to bundle home the first Avro goal of the season from close range.
Michael Afuye was proving to be a handful for the home defence, and it was his mazy run to the edge of the box which won the free kick from which captain Jake Cottrell rifled the ball into the bottom corner of the net to complete the turnaround, and thus leave us in front with just under half an hour played. That lead was doubled just before the interval when Kane Wallwork picked up the ball on the left corner of the opposing penalty area, and his beautifully struck shot flew into the net to make it 3-1.
As promised, Frost rang the changes at the interval, with only Shenton, Knight and Lent emerging for the second half and debuts for Connor Morris, Geffry Ebhote, Muis Bibere and Adam Owen alongside some more familiar faces. The rain was hammering down by this point, and this may have been partly the reason why there was plenty of endeavour but little by way of goalmouth action in the second period. The home side had a great opportunity to reduce the deficit when Jack Morrow was adjudged to have fouled an opposing forward in the box, but the resultant spot kick was blazed high and wide and that was the end of the home side’s threat in front of goal.
So all in all a good workout to begin the season in spite of the inclement weather. Our thanks go to Bacup Borough for hosting us on this occasion, and we wish them the very best of luck with their forthcoming Division One North campaign.
