Bradford Park Avenue 3, Hully City 2: Trevor Storton is keen to snap up the trialists who helped take Avenue to victory over league opposition last night.
Bradford Park Avenue fielded four "guests" as they gave Hull City a reminder of the quality available in non-league football.
Hull manager Jan Molby fielded practically a full-strength side for the start of the encounter, which harked back to the league clashes between the two sides.
But it was Avenue who finished up with the 3-2 win and the much happier manager.
"I was very, very happy with what I saw out there," said Storton, clearly delighted at the season's first performance.
"I thought we did very well. We haven't been back long and we played very well against a side who have been training full-time for three weeks now. I thought the new boys did very well and we had a lot of width and dimension out there, I am happy with the balance of the team."
Although very happy with the performances of Nathen Winder, Neil Grayston and particularly Robbie Painter, there is still some serious concern over the Avenue rearguard.
"We need a keeper," said the former Liverpool player, a keen admirer of his opposite number Molby.
"All we need is a keeper and a centre-half and then we will have a very good team. Going forward we are one of the best in the league, as anyone tonight could see."
And it was after just six minutes that Avenue proved their strength in that department.
Tricky winger Rory Prendergast, impressive on his debut, planted over a lovely cross for former Rochdale player Robbie Painter to nod home a picture of a goal.
But Shaun Smith equalised five minutes later with a curling free-kick which left Avenue's trialist keeper Daniel Trueman with no chance.
And nine minutes after the break, Trueman was struck by the curse of the number one shirt which blighted Bradford stoppers at the back end of last season.
Centre-back Nicky Mohan launched a 25-yard volley which Trueman may have stopped had he not already slipped and found himself helpless and stranded on the floor.
Fortunately his howler was cancelled out when Hull's Paul Musselwhite mis-hit a clearance straight to Prendergast who slid home from 25 yards.
Then it was over to goal-machine Jason Maxwell to smash a dipping, whipping, curling volley off the underside of the bar and into the Hull net for a first win since 1963 against the Tigers.
So far, so good for Avenue.
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