The Voice - Match preview #19: Port Vale vs Bradford City Wednesday 11 March 2026 7.45pm OLD THREAD

EFL League One Fixture #19
Tuesday 9th December 2025
Port Vale (24th) vs Bradford City (2nd)
Vale Park

Record:
Games Won: 46
Games Drawn: 32
Games Lost: 36

Last 5:
24 Apr 2021: Port Vale 2 – 1 Bradford City
13 Nov 2021: Port Vale 1 – 1 Bradford City
19 Mar 2022: Bradford City 1 – 2 Port Vale
26 Dec 2024: Bradford City 2 – 1 Port Vale
01 Apr 2025: Port Vale 2 – 0 Bradford City

Port Vale:
Successive cup wins for Port Vale over Barnsley [EFL Trophy, 5-0] and Bristol Rovers [FA Cup, 1-0] scarcely paper over the cracks that have appeared during this season’s league campaign, the Stoke-on-Trent based side having failed to score in any of their last 6 outings in League One. Far and away the division’s lowest scorers with a paltry 11, Vale’s saving grace is that their defence has proven one of the better back lines in the bottom half of the table, conceding 21 – just 3 more than the Bantams, despite sitting rock bottom.

Former City striker Devante Cole (4) is the club’s top scorer, with Ryan Croasdale (2) the only other player to have contributed more than 1 goal in the league this season. In the cups, though, it has been a different story. Ruari Paton has bagged 5, Mo Faal another 3, Dajaune Brown, George Hall, Ben Waine, and Devante Cole 2 each, these 6 players alone easily eclipsing the club’s total efforts in the league across 18 games.

Manager Darren Moore – another former Bantam and a City legend in his own right – has not had it easy this season, though persistent chopping and changing perhaps hasn’t helped his own cause. That said, Moore praised Vale after their 5-0 win over Barnsley in the EFL Trophy, citing the game as evidence the squad remain ‘together’, and praised Ben Waine in particular after his match winner against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup. Moore mentioned improvements in the New Zealand internationals all round game, and having scored in both of the recent cup wins, it stands to reason he might get the nod on Tuesday night against Bradford City as well.

More damningly, however, the manager of League Two Bristol Rovers, Darrell Clarke (a former Valiant as a player and manager), described the game as ‘very lacklustre’ with ‘not a lot of quality’. Clarke also described Waine’s goal as (from his side’s point of view) ‘pathetic’ and ‘not acceptable’. Both sides displayed poor accuracy in terms of shots on target (Vale: 2 on, 13 off, Rovers 1 on, 9 off), and Bristol Rovers in particular might have expected more having seen a full 63 % of possession against their League One opponents. Poor finishing has been a hallmark of Port Vale’s performances this season, as by all rights Moore’s outfit sit 8th in the Xg table – but with far and away the worst ‘xG vs Actual’ with a score of -0.81 in terms of being clinical in front of goal – the next worst finishers in the division, by comparison, are Burton Albion (-0.46) and Doncaster Rovers (-0.41), which suggests creativity hasn’t always been the issue for Vale, but rather a chronic lack of composure in front of goal.

On the plus side, such a statistic suggests Port Vale do have the ability to improve things dramatically should they start to click in front of goal. By this particular metric – combined with their not-so-shabby defensive record – Vale are underachieving significantly. Whether they continue to underachieve or begin to realise their potential remains to be seen, but there is scope yet for Vale to haul themselves out of their current tight spot (though Darren Moore may find himself under pressure sooner rather than later if results do not pick up soon).

Lincoln City 1 – 0 Port Vale


Port Vale 0 – 1 Plymouth


Bradford City:
Bradford City made it back-to-back 1-0 wins this past weekend, this time relying on a penalty converted by Antoni Sarcevic, the only goal of the game away at Plymouth Argyle. With the 23rd placed League One team beaten, City now travel to the only team below Plymouth in the table as they prepare to face bottom side Port Vale. A team struggling badly in front of goal outside of cup competition, this feels like an opportunity for the Bantams to continue their current trend of keeping clean sheets.

3 consecutive shutouts of the opposition have seen City collect 7 points from a possible 9 lately, with Bolton Wanderers the only side to achieve a draw against the high-flying West Yorkshire outfit during that improved run of form. While certain aspects of Bradford City’s performances have been far from perfect, the consistency in terms of outcomes must be pleasing to Graham Alexander on the back of an extended winless run that started in mid-October and lasted through to late November. Such a run of form is hardly out of character for City: last season, Graham Alexander’s men embarked on a run of 3 straight 1-0 wins against Rotherham United, Harrogate Town and Accrington Stanley, the latter pair of whom were, like Plymouth and Port Vale, struggling at the wrong end of the table. At the business end of the season, it hardly matters whether City are blowing teams away 4 or 5-0 or reliably squeaking out a bevvy of 1-0 wins.

The sense of routine, if anything, makes it seem more comfortable.

Another 1-0 win will therefore be the minimum targeted by Graham Alexander against Port Vale on Tuesday night, with a wider margin of victory serving as a cherry on top of the cake. Relying on 1-0 wins and clean sheets also has the added positive that it doesn’t really matter who gets the goal. In the last 2 wins, we’ve seen Joe Wright and Antoni Sarcevic (pen) help City grab 6 points from 6, and while these articles have spent a bit of time fretting about the lack of an on-form striker, in a sense, that becomes less important if the defence aren’t shipping goals.

On that score, then, City will be heading into this game with confidence that they can do what needs to be done. The side have displayed a professional edge of late, with City looking increasingly comfortable at seeing out the final moments of otherwise tight games. No reckless abandon here; this is a mature Bradford City side who are well-coached and well-versed in how to see out a game of football – not something that could always be applied to City in seasons past.

Plymouth Argyle 0 – 1 Bradford City


Bradford City 1 – 0 Exeter City


Prediction:
The temptation was to pick a 1-0 win for City over Plymouth last time out, and of course that is how it ultimately transpired. Plymouth were unable to make the most of their chances, and flashed their best chances either wide of goal or too close to on-form Sam Walker. Similarly, the temptation to settle into a routine against low-scoring Port Vale – out of all the 92 clubs, only Wolves in the Premier League have scored fewer than Vale (Wolves 7, Port Vale 11), though they have played 4 games fewer. When all things are equal, even they might bypass Darren Moore’s team in terms of output.

City fans will perhaps be wary of Devante Cole – several ex-City players remain a thorn in the club’s side regardless of their form elsewhere – and Devante might be no different.

Bradford City, though, are no shrinking violets. Ciaran Kelly, Aden Baldwin and Joe Wright might not be the first 3 names on the team sheet if all players are fit, but they performed manfully against Plymouth and will want another clean sheet if named at Port Vale. The useful Jenson Metcalfe in midfield looks an astute capture from Everton, and while an increased output up front would be preferred at the minute, the likes of Sarcevic, Humphrys and Tyreik Wright have shown they can pose enough problems to help City to wins in competitive games.

More of the same, then, against Port Vale? It might feel reductive, but it also feels rather likely that City will rattle off a third straight 1-0 win. Beware, though, that on current form if Vale are to score at some stage, City aren’t in the habit of scoring more than once themselves. When winning by the narrowest of margins, you do have to stay catastrophe-free, which is far from a given in football regardless of the form of the opposition. The chances of dropping points increase exponentially when a side just aren’t at their best up top – which City unquestionably aren’t right now.

Still, no reason to overthink it, the pick will be a 1-0 away win - but bear in mind that Port Vale, based on their xG and other statistics, are due a run of improved form.

Final Score:
Port Vale 0 – 1 Bradford City