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Bradford Book Second Trip To Wembley
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Gary Mills' theory of bad pitch conditions at Horsfall Stadium resulted in loss for his Wrexham side were proven wrong as Bradford Park Avenue ran all over the Welsh side yet again.
Wrexham boss Gary Mills will not be looking forward to their trip to Wembley for the FA Trophy Final against a powerful Bradford PA which won 4-0 against his team again in the Play-Off Semi-Final.
Two braces from Matthew Fletcher and Sanchez Watt saw Adam Chabukiani's team double their First Leg 4-0 lead to make the aggregate score 8-0 with another 4-0 win at The Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, Wales.
After the Horsfall Stadium tie midweek, Wrexham Head Coach Gary Mills was quoted blaming his side's heavy loss on the 'shocking' standard of the West Yorkshire side's pitch, which was denied by opposition manager Adam Chabukiani, who claimed the referee would have called off such a pivotal game if he saw the field unfit to play on.
With a 4-0 defeat in his own back yard, Mills will have to face some real questions as to why his Wrexham team failed to prevent such a hammering home, and away.
Bradford's first goal came through lethal striker Matthew Fletcher in the twelfth minute of the game, as Samir Nabi controlled Charles Dunne's throw-in, before turning out into the middle and passing it to Ben Blackmore. The Australian midfielder played the ball to Harry Charsley, who was stood on the edge of the area who assisted the goal with a through ball to Fletcher, before the striker placed it into the near post.
Sanchez Watt then added his name onto the scoresheet in the 32nd minute when Charles Dunne threw the ball in to Charsley's feet on the left side of the area, before playing it out to Nabi on the edge. Nabi passed inside to Blackmore before finding Watt in the area, with the right-winger firing home Bradford's second with a left-footed shot into the left-hand corner.
Sanchez Watt scored Bradford's third in the first half in the 45th minute. As Caner Dumlupinar picked up the ball near the halfway line, the half-Turkish full-back found Ben Blackmore in the middle, before he turned to find Harry Charsley. Charsley linked up with his fellow Irish teammate Jack Hallahan as he sprinted into the box. Ross White made a great challenge on the winger, but the remnants of his tackle found Sanchez Watt who happily fired his second of the game with an open goal at his wake.
After Bradford's scoring halted in the first half, they came alive one more time in the second half, with a 65th minute goal from Matthew Fletcher.
As Kasjusz Piwowarczyk nodded the ball left to Charles Dunne, the former Blackpool full-back found Hallahan on his wing. Hallahan failed to find 54th minute substitute Adam Pepper with a through ball, but the young midfielder retained possession as Wrexham's Manny Smith fell over whilst trying to collect the ball. As Smith tried to put a tackle in as Pepper reached the byline, he still got the cross in as Matthew Fletcher waited to nod in from the six-yard box.
As the Bradford matchday squad paraded over to the travelling supporters at The Racecourse Ground, Adam Chabukiani stayed a little longer with assistant manager Paul Wiltshire to soak up the emanating delight on display by the Avenue fans as they prepare for a second trip to London the week before the FA Trophy clash against Wrexham.
"I'm absolutely delighted for everyone involved at the club - the fans, the players, the staff and of course myself. But now we have got to the Final it's the hardest job yet so we're not getting the champagne out just yet!" said the popular Georgian gaffer to BCB Radio.
During the game versus Wrexham, Gillingham gaffer Steven Pressley was in the stands, reportedly watching Bradford Park Avenue's Caner Dumlupinar. Dumlupinar is Bradford's 16-year-old full-back who has started every Bradford game this season, with the exception of one which he missed through suspension.
The wonderkid is receiving praise from national status pundits such as
Football Focus' Dan Walker, who said Dumlupinar has 'big things' coming for him in the next few years.
His boss, Chabukiani wrote off any interest, saying Steven Pressley 'can go look elsewhere', as Bradford Park Avenue look to keep him at Horsfall Stadium for as long as they can, with the defender already worth £23,000 according to
TransferMarkt.com.
Back to the Play-Offs, though, following their First Leg 1-1 draw, Bristol Rovers have beaten Barrow 4-1 on aggregate and will ultimately play Chabukiani's Bradford Park Avenue at Wembley in the Play-Off Final on 14th May.
