The Voice - Match preview #22: Bradford City vs Chesterfield Sunday 29 December 2024 3:00pm

EFL League Two Fixture #22
Sunday 29th December 2024 15:00
Bradford City (10th) vs Chesterfield (6th)
University of Bradford Stadium (AKA Valley Parade)

Record:
Games Won: 47
Games Drawn: 28
Games Lost: 24

Last 5:
08 May 2016: Bradford City 2 – 0 Chesterfield
01 Oct 2016: Chesterfield 0 – 1 Bradford City
07 Jan 2017: Bradford City 2 – 0 Chesterfield
29 Aug 2017: Chesterfield 2 – 4 Bradford City [EFL Trophy]
04 Nov 2017: Bradford City 2 – 0 Chesterfield [FA Cup]

Chesterfield:
Chesterfield sit in 6th place in the EFL League Two table, 3 points ahead of Bradford City but with a far superior goal difference and having scored more goals. Chesterfield should be safe from being leapfrogged by the Bantams this Sunday even with a defeat, assuming they don’t capitulate and lose by 5 goals or more. That seems highly unlikely, but away record has left a little to be desired of late.

While the Derbyshire side also sit 6th in the ‘Away’ league table, 4 defeats in their last 5 away games across both league and cup make for some ugly reading. Their sole victory during that time was a 2-0 success over hapless Carlisle United, the Cumbrian side looking all but dead and buried without making major changes in the January transfer window. This past Boxing Day, Fleetwood Town took advantage of Chesterfield’s woes on away days with a 2-0 win with a goal in either half coming from Matty Virtue and Kian Harratt. This result is all the more awkward for manager Paul Cook, as Chesterfield enjoyed a full 71.9 % possession, and dominated shots on target by a ratio of 7:3. Still, if you cannot take your chances, you will lose football games.

At MK Dons back on the 3rd December, Chesterfield succumbed to a 3-0 drubbing thanks in part to the dismissal of Darren Oldaker on 24 minutes. It’s worth noting, however, that Chesterfield were already a goal down after a 1st minute striker from Scott Hogan, so Alex Gilbey’s subsequent brace was icing on the cake for the Dons. Prior to that, League One outfit Exeter City cruised to a comfortable 2-0 home win in the FA Cup, and before even that Chesterfield again failed to make the most of 67.3 % possession, conjuring just 4 attempts on goal and losing 2-1 at Harrogate Town.

With goals not free flowing on their travels, one might think Chesterfield’s spot in the playoffs might be in peril. That’s where their much-improved home form comes in. Paul Cook’s side have won their last 5 home games in both league and cup, where they have been able to consistently convert early season draws into full 3 point hauls of late. Thankfully for Bradford City, this game will be played at Valley Parade, not the SMH Group Stadium, where the Spireites have been so prolific of late.

Another curious aspect of Chesterfield’s recent form is that when they lose, they lose heavily. The 2-0 defeats to Fleetwood Town and Exeter City have been ‘augmented’ by 3-0 thrashings at MK Dons and at home to Accrington Stanley in a somewhat anomalous result, meaning that the aggregate scoreline of their last 5 defeats, all coming since early November, is 12 goals conceded to 1 scored. Their only truly competitive defeat in terms of the scoreline was that poor defeat at Harrogate Town (2-1).

So what does Sunday hold for the visitors? With Paul Cook bemoaning that his side is ‘injury-stretched’, it feels like the January window cannot come quickly enough for Chesterfield. That said, Cook has extolled the virtue of being ‘careful’ with any acquisitions, given the squad size at his disposal. That might like good news, right? But when you note Chesterfield had a full 14 players out injured for the recent trip to Fleetwood Town, and with a pair of injuries to Ryan Colclough and Will Grigg newly added to that long list, it’s clear any League Two side would struggle.

Still, Paul Cook acknowledges that his club cannot just keep adding player after player, and so in some respects, Chesterfield might have to just grin and bear it for the time being. Still sat in 6th, and still rattling off wins at home, things aren’t looking too miserable for Chesterfield in the medium-to-long term this season, but it would seem like an ideal time for a chasing team to play them – especially by welcoming them to their own ground.

Fleetwood Town 2 – 0 Chesterfield


Chesterfield 1 – 0 AFC Wimbledon


Bradford City:
Bradford City have a fabulous record against Chesterfield, both historically and in more recent times – though it bears pointing out that the two sides haven’t met since 2017. Having won the last 6 straight games against Chesterfield across both league and cup, the Spireites would be forgiven for looking at the Bantams as one of their ‘bogey’ sides. To further evidence that point, their last 18 meetings have seen City win 11 times, draw 5 times, and lose just twice. Both defeats did, however, come at Valley Parade by a narrow 1-0 margin. City have routinely won by 2 or more goals and seem to have enjoyed facing the Derbyshire side across a wide variety of managers and styles of play.

But 7 years since dumping Chesterfield out of the FA Cup last time around, Chesterfield are the side sitting above Bradford City in the table and occupying one of the top 7 spots that City so desperately covet. Can Bradford City rattle off yet another victory over Chesterfield, particularly amid Chesterfield’s injury crisis, and with the Spireites performing so poorly recently in away games?

The answer City fans might give since the Port Vale game will be drastically different to any they may have given after the 3-0 drubbing at Notts County. A spirited home performance in a deserved 2-1 victory brushed off much of the negativity following another disastrous trip to Nottinghamshire, with Andy Cook scoring a pair of goals that included a ‘goal of the season’ contender. Rifling home an unlikely opener from well outside the penalty area, Cook set the tone for arguably Bradford City’s best win of the season. While there are question marks about the possibility of an offside for the second goal, City and Graham Alexander simply won’t care too much. The win against Port Vale was very much an exercise in setting the record straight, and boy did it do that.

This was the first time Bradford City have scored 2 goals in the league since way back in October, and while they once again had to rely on the prolific hitman Andy Cook to net both, there were improved performances throughout.

Bradford City have not lost a home league game since falling to a Billy Sharp-inspired Doncaster Rovers 2-1, again back in October, and have now won 2 straight against poorly performing opposition. It might not be fair to label Chesterfield ‘poorly performing’, but their away day woes and injury crises are there for all to see – and for Bradford City to, hopefully, take full advantage of.

Should they be able to, Bradford City might be back on track – at long, long last – to mount some real form and an assault on the top 7.

Bradford City 2 – 1 Port Vale


Notts County 3 – 0 Bradford City


Prediction:
Our prayers were answered by a season-best win over Port Vale, Bradford City finally beating a top 7 side for the first time this season, and scoring more than 1 goal. The major downside, of course, was yet another goal conceded, and yet another game goes by without a clean sheet. Despite that, goalkeeper Sam Walker had a solid game, and the returning Ciaran Kelly was able to help dispel the abject 5-minute, 3-goal blitz endured against Notts County the game before.

So what now? Can Bradford City build on this performance? Showing they can compete against the better sides after all is no small comfort to any Bantams fan, but now we look for consistency. Thankfully, this Sunday’s visitors, Chesterfield, have some real problems. Their recent away form has imploded, and their lengthy injury list now counts even more key players among their number. Top scorer Will Grigg (8) is said to be out, but James Berry (7) and Dilan Markanday (6) should both be available. Armando Dobra (5) should also be available.

The onus, then, will be on Chesterfield to dispel some of their own problems, a refreshing change from all the pressure being on a misfiring Bradford City. A side that has been losing fairly heavily when they do indeed lose, especially this past couple of months, Chesterfield might be visiting Valley Parade at just the right time for a certain Andy Cook and his teammates. That’s not to say any goals or any potential win will come easily; City will be afforded nothing by their high-flying opponents, who still pack a serious punch in terms of goals from their midfield. With Graham Alexander’s men really struggling in the defensive department, and, often, up front as well, there remains a very real possibility this game is another 1-1 stalemate – but we haven’t seen one of those for 4 games now, as City lay claim to 3 wins in their past 4 outings in both league and cup.

It feels like Bradford City should come into this game favourites off the back of the Port Vale win – and while Chesterfield have been struggling to score away from home, them getting a goal feels almost inevitable with City still struggling for clean sheets. The pick, then, will be a 2-1 home win and a real morale-boosting Christmas period for the Bantams. Please don’t let us down, boys.

Final Score:

Bradford City 2 – 1 Chesterfield