Our 2026/27 Hellenic League Premier Division campaign began with a 2-0 defeat away to Bradford Town, as first-half goals from Jaiden Pearce and Owen Allison secured all three points for the hosts.
Despite showing plenty more attacking intent after the interval, we were unable to recover from conceding twice before the break, with Bradford proving clinical from two set-piece situations.
The hosts made a bright start and broke the deadlock after just 10 minutes. A corner into the penalty area caused problems, with Pearce on hand to turn home and give Bradford an early lead.
We responded well and gradually grew into the contest. A sustained spell of possession around the midway point of the first half saw us begin to ask questions of the Bradford defence, although we struggled to create a clear-cut chance to draw level.
Just before half-time, Bradford doubled their advantage from another corner. Owen Allison reacted quickest inside the area to head home, sending the hosts into the interval with a two-goal lead.
Looking for a response after the restart, we came out with far greater attacking intent. Archie provided a lively outlet down the flank, delivering a number of dangerous crosses into the box as we looked to find a route back into the game.
Fresh legs arrived in the second half as Tino and Archie replaced Nick Rhodes and Leyton Howard, adding renewed energy as we searched for a breakthrough.
Our best opportunity to halve the deficit came when Nathan appeared to be pulled to the ground inside the penalty area, but despite strong appeals, the referee waved play on.
We continued to press, earning a free-kick on the edge of the area and forcing Bradford to defend a succession of crosses into the box, but the hosts stood firm to preserve their clean sheet.
Joe was shown a yellow card after winning the ball late on, while Tino also entered the referee’s notebook during the second half.
While the result was disappointing, there were positives to take from our second-half performance, with improved attacking play and greater control of possession. We now turn our attention to the next fixture, where we’ll be looking to bounce back and get our season up and running.
