Bradford City and Avenue boys benefit from proper experience

They are one of the highest-ranked sides to enter the tournament each season, yet consistently fall at the first hurdle.

And looking at the line-ups for most of those first-round defeats, the reason becomes clear.

Avenue under Mark Bower tended to use the competition as a way to blood the club’s youngsters, especially over the last few years with the revamped academy set up.

But in terms of getting a result it never worked, even if the defeats were usually narrow, Brighouse on penalties, the odd goal in three against Campion etc.

Zak Kersey scoring for Avenue in the first round of the 2022-23 County Cup against Brighouse, a game Town won on penalties. (Image: Alex Daniel.)

Yet new manager Craig Elliott went strong on Tuesday night at Golcar, which meant the senior figures were unfazed by falling 2-0 behind early on, holding their nerve and fighting back to win 3-2.

Would a bunch of teenagers have been able to dig that kind of comeback out? Or would they have been floored by that double blow and been unable to recover?

The scenario also brings to mind Bradford City’s escapades in the EFL Trophy before Graham Alexander took charge at Valley Parade.

Countless youngsters made their debut in the competition over the years, but quite what value a 19-year-old gets from playing in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United’s Under-21s then never making a first-team appearance again is anyone’s guess.

It is understandable why the two competitions are used to give youngster’s first-team experience, as they are probably the fourth in priority competition for Avenue and City.

But one appearance, maybe two, or even three in front of a handful of fans, when managers often admit: “Well the focus is really on the league on Saturday,” hardly benefits those unlikely lads given a first-team chance.

There is little expectation riding on these games for the fans either, so the only pressure is maybe that the youngsters put on themselves, knowing if the team is knocked out, they may not kick a ball for the first team again.

And it was telling that Elliott told the T&A last week how Avenue are not in a position where they can pick and choose their games.

He knew a response was needed after successive defeats to Ashington and Ossett United, and he got it at Golcar.

As for Alexander, who helped Salford win the EFL Trophy in 2019-20, he clearly takes the competition seriously, with his strong line-ups in the competition a world away from what previous City bosses like Derek Adams put out.

And for all it is a much-maligned competition, it is undeniable that City fans were getting increasingly excited, as Derby and Doncaster were seen off on the way to the last four earlier this year.

Harry Chapman sees off Doncaster in the EFL Trophy quarter-finals last season. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

Were it not for a smash and grab last minute winner from Wycombe at Valley Parade in the semis, City would have had the chance to win silverware at Wembley, with Alexander more than justifying his investment in the competition.

It just feels as if fleeting appearances in the lesser tournaments are not the best way to learn your trade as a youngster.

Instead, maybe take Low Moor native Bobby Pointon as an example of what to do.

He is a much-loved young midfielder for City now and his footballing education almost certainly benefitted from being sent on loan to Brighouse Town, Liversedge and Farsley Celtic in the 2022-23 season.

Playing men’s football, with and against semi-professionals who are fighting either for promotion or to avoid relegation every week, helped him to stand out and prove his future belonged at a higher level.

All three clubs are effectively down the road for City, so he was easy to keep tabs on, and given he was playing in high-stakes matches each week, it allowed his parent club to assess whether he could make the jump into the first time.

Clearly what the club saw him do at Brig, Sedge and the Celts played a big part in Mark Hughes giving him a chance at City last year, and now he is a first-team regular, with so much potential to go even higher at just 20 years old.

As for Avenue, Lloyd Smith has clearly benefitted, as a young striker, from getting a loan away from club, then a permanent deal.

He became an important player for Frickley Athletic in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, and has now joined Campion at the same level.

That cutthroat first-team exposure should stand him in good stead for his future career, and it would be nice to see something happen for a similar Avenue academy product in Liam Hall.

The keeper got a dream move to Wrexham last year, but has not had any first-team experience with the League One side yet.

Could a loan to say the National League or National League North be what he needs, like it was for the outstanding Everton talent Zan-Luk Leban in goal for Farsley last season.

Speaking of Everton, and their current first-team keeper Jordan Pickford did the lower league circuit with the likes of Burton, Carlisle and City, the early steps he needed on his way to establishing himself as a Premier League and England No.1.

Jordan Pickford reached the European Championship final with England this summer, just a decade after playing for Carlisle and Bradford City. (Image: PA.)

Premier League and FA Cup winner Kasper Schmeichel did the same as Pickford a few years earlier, and both would no doubt count those lower-league experiences as invaluable, on their way to becoming two of the best-flight stoppers of the last decade.

First-team exposure, in games that truly matter, is surely the way to go for Avenue and City’s youngsters, to get their fledgling careers off to the best possible start.