Bradford (Park Avenue) ace hails new boss before Witton trip

The pair have also spent years at different levels of non-league, Ellison in the net and Elliott in the dugout, so the two of them probably know more than most what it will take to ensure Avenue’s season is a success after a rocky start following their relegation.

One win in their opening four Northern Premier League East Division games, as well as being knocked out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle, spelled the end for Danny Whitaker last month.

But with interim boss and Bantams legend James Hanson guiding them to a good 3-1 win at Grimsby Borough last week, and Elliott joining with an impressive managerial CV, guiding Shaw Lane to three promotions before reaching the FA Cup second round and National League North play-off final with Boston United, the mood has improved over the last 10 days or so.

Discussing working under Elliott, Ellison said: “You always want to work closely with the manager.

“First of all, Craig has come in and immediately made a great impression on the lads.

“He’s very direct in what he wants, which is good for players, as it means we know our jobs straightaway.

“Craig’s easy to talk to and I’ll always help him out where I can, but the main way I can support him is by doing the best I can for the team on the pitch.

“In terms of training and games, we all have to make sure we’re always tuned in to what the manager wants, so we can get the best out of each other.”

Avenue's players just want to do right by new boss Craig Elliott, who has already made a good first impression on them. (Image: PA.)

Ellison might see some familiar faces this afternoon, as Avenue travel to one of his former clubs, Witton Albion, in the first qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

He laughed: “Yeah, they’re one of the many, many other teams I’ve had in the past.

“Some places where you used to play you don’t really like going back to, but I love playing at Witton.

“It’s a good ground, they’ve got a good set of fans, and they’re a really good club with a lot of history.

“Witton are actually my first-ever non-league club, so I always like going there and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

After two successive relegations, Avenue are undoubtedly targeting promotion this season, but their record in knockout competitions over the last few years has been atrocious.

Asked if there is a desire for the club to try and go deep in the FA Trophy this season, despite the main focus needing to be on going up, Ellison said: “Winning’s winning, so whether it be in cups, the league or even friendlies, you just want to get into that mentality.

“It’s good to have that mindset within the squad for every time you step out on to the pitch.

“A good cup run would be a bonus for us this season, but the key for us, no matter who we’re playing or in what competition, is that we just want to win the game.”

And Avenue did just that last Saturday, lifting the gloom at the club by beating Grimsby Borough 3-1, their first win since the opening day.

Oli Norman slots home the first of his two goals for Avenue at Grimsby Borough from the penalty spot. (Image: John Rhodes.)

It felt like the shot in the arm that Avenue’s largely young and inexperienced squad needed, with senior figure Ellison reflecting: “I think in terms of giving the whole team confidence, it was a massive help.

“With the situation we were in, it was a massive boost to get that result, and it’s given us some stability and self-belief.

“Three points always helps you at any time, but that was a good win for us going forward.

“It showed everyone that we can still win games and that we can figure things out that have gone wrong beforehand and fix them.”

Hanson was joined in the dugout by goalkeeper coach Karl Lenaghan for that victory at Grimsby Borough and 36-year-old Ellison was keen to ensure all the credit went their way.

Asked if his experience meant he was called upon to help out in a coaching capacity last Saturday, he laughed: “I left it to those two.

“I stayed well out of that one, so it was all on them, I can’t take any credit for it.”