The Voice - Match preview #35: Bradford City vs Cheltenham Town Tuesday 4th March 2025 7:45pm

EFL League Two Fixture #35
Tuesday 4th March 2025 19:45
Bradford City (2nd) vs Cheltenham Town (12th)
University of Bradford Stadium (AKA Valley Parade)

Record:
Games Won: 6
Games Drawn: 5
Games Lost: 5

Last 5:
17 Sep 2019: Cheltenham Town 3 – 2 Bradford City
28 Jan 2020: Bradford City 1 – 1 Cheltenham Town
01 Dec 2020: Bradford City 1 – 2 Cheltenham Town
20 Feb 2021: Cheltenham Town 0 – 2 Bradford City
22 Oct 2024: Cheltenham Town 1 – 1 Bradford City

Cheltenham Town:
Sat 12th in the League two table and 8th in the current form table (over 6 games), this would seem like a fairly testing time to play Cheltenham Town in terms of the Robins’ own performance. Going fairly well under former Bradford City midfielder and League Two stalwart manager Michael Flynn, Cheltenham Town have not lost in any of their last 4, holding once-runaway leaders Walsall to a 2-2 draw, taking a point off playoff rivals Grimsby Town, and rattling in 3 apiece against both Barrow and Newport County in the games directly preceding the Walsall and Grimsby outings.

Cheltenham Town can certainly score. The fact they have bagged 1 more than 2nd place Bradford City speaks volumes, although in truth neither are troubling the most prolific sides this campaign. A full 6 sides have scored more than both Cheltenham Town and Bradford City, but the major difference between the Robins and the Bantams has been on the defensive side. While Bradford City have been almost immaculate in terms of clean sheets of late, and conceded just 29 goals in 34 league games, Cheltenham Town have let in 46 goals in 33 games – as near as damn it to 1.4 goals per game. Even in their recent 4 games unbeaten run, Cheltenham Town have still conceded 5 in 4, speaking to an overreliance on firepower.

Key to that firepower has been ex-City forward George Miller (7), as well as the now-departed Joe Colwill (6) who joined League One Exeter City on loan from Cardiff City in January, midfielder Ethon Archer (6), as well as Luke Young, Jordan Thomas, and Matty Taylor (all on 4). Equally key to their unbeaten run has been a never-say-die attitude that saw them stun leaders Walsall with not one, but two last minute goals to complete a smash-and-grab at Whaddon Road and steal an extremely unlikely share of the points.

Bradford City will have to be mindful of Cheltenham Town’s ability to pose such threats throughout the game, but there is one major cause for comfort: Cheltenham Town’s mediocre away record.

For as dangerous as Cheltenham Town have been at home, riding a 6-game unbeaten streak no less, aside from a recent 3-0 mauling of Newport County at Rodney Parade, things haven’t been nearly as rosy on the road. Defeats at Fleetwood Town (2-0), Peterborough United (3-2, EFL Trophy), and Harrogate Town (2-0) have been intermingled with 0-0 draws at Accrington Stanley and Port Vale, while one would have to go all the way back to October 26 2024 for their second most recent away win. On that day, Cheltenham Town bested strugglers Carlisle United by a goal to nil at a point where there were few signs of such an extended struggle on away days.

Cheltenham Town had already seen off Rotherham United 3-1 in the FA Cup, opened their account in terms of away league wins against Colchester United, as well as having beaten Newport County 2-1 in the EFL Trophy. Fast forward to early March, though, and the situation has deteriorated significantly.

The truth is, Cheltenham Town are 4th in the ‘Home’ league table, but 18th in the ‘Away’ league table. If Flynn and his men had only been able to sort out that poor away form, they would be Bonafide playoff contenders at a minimum. As it is, though, Cheltenham Town aren’t nearly as prolific scoring away from home, even if their defensive away record is actually better than their home record (24 goals conceded at home vs 22 away)!

Turning to the xG tables, Cheltenham Town are ‘something and nothing’ in this regard. Joint 16th in terms of xG and 15th in terms of xGA, it perhaps tracks that Cheltenham Town have, over the course of the season, scored and conceded at an equal clip (46 scored vs 46 conceded). Relative overachievers in front of goal, Cheltenham Town will have to be at their ruthless best to trouble the single best home side in League Two in the form of Bradford City, but neither the statistics nor recent away performances appear to be on their side – even if they are buoyed by excellent home form and a recent mini-spell built on the back of 3 home games in their last 4 fixtures.

Cheltenham Town 1 – 1 Grimsby Town


Cheltenham Town 2 – 2 Walsall


Bradford City:
As Bradford City march on towards what looks like a very credible League Two Championship challenge, perhaps the one thing standing in their way at present has been a glut of injuries and illnesses arising from an intense period of Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday games stretching back over 5 weeks. With 11 games crammed in since January 25, the Bantams have done remarkably well to lose just once and draw just once in the league during that period. 7 league wins plus an EFL Trophy victory over Rotherham United and an EFL Trophy semi-final defeat at Birmingham City have extended a truly remarkable period of form for the Bantams.

While few would have been overly confident of an automatic promotion spot this season, the job of hunting down high-flyers Walsall – who at the turn of the year held a 15 point advantage over the 10th place Bantams – was virtually unfathomable. As it is, Walsall’s form has collapsed (15th in the ‘Form’ table over the last 10 games), while Bradford City’s has burst into life. While goals haven’t exactly arrived by the truckload, Bradford City’s consistency has been a backline that has let in just 2 goals in their last 10 league outings. Now, after a 2-1 victory over playoff hopefuls Salford City, Bradford City can also add ‘coping when going behind’ to their exquisite defensive statistics.

While Bradford City’s travelling fans had to wait until the very last minute for Michael Mellon’s winner, concerns over City’s rather too consistent one-goal-per-game output were answered, nevertheless – and away from home, too.

Like Cheltenham Town, Bradford City have built their 24/25 campaign off the back of an outstanding home campaign. Overtaking Walsall as the division’s best home side was the first instance of the Bantams toppling the Saddlers, but the ‘big one’, the league table itself still favours Walsall – and the primary reasons for that are away day successes. Nobody can shy away from the fact City sit 10th in the ‘Away’ League Two table, while Walsall are up in 2nd place.

That won’t be the concern on Tuesday night, though. The focus on this, City’s penultimate midweek clash this season, will be about maintaining momentum at Valley Parade. Bradford City now have to do that with a mounting injury list that could account for as many as 5 or 6 players. Antoni Sarcevic, chief architect of Bradford City’s imperious form of late, limped off after just 25 minutes against Salford City, while Alex Pattison was also deemed unfit after an illness. Romoney Crichlow was also added to the list of growing concerns after being withdrawn on the 40th minute, leaving City to rely heavily on a substitute attack force of Mellon, Calum Kavanagh, and Bobby Pointon – and no sooner were the three all on the pitch together than Brad Halliday levelled things up on the 71st minute having gone behind on the half hour mark to an impressive Francis Okoronkwo effort.

Mellon, Kavanagh and Pointon may be the three best-rested and most suitable starters for Tuesday, then, though Graham Alexander may also wish to reward Tommy Leigh, who came within a whisker of opening his Bradford City account – but who still looks somewhat short of being a viable striker option. Jamie Walker and Brandon Khela also stepped in, as did Tayo Adaramola, underlining the importance of squad depth. Perhaps that was Graham Alexander’s primary flaw this season, seeking a smaller, more streamlined squad ahead of a tumultuous and arduous campaign. Regardless, any such issues were addressed in January, and the Bantams still look well-equipped even with half a dozen potential absentees that will include that man Andy Cook for the rest of the season.

Also key to City’s success alongside squad depth has been a real camaraderie and togetherness. When one man falls, another is ready to take his place and toe the line, and the nature of the winner at Salford City shows – like Cheltenham Town did in their 2-2 draw at Walsall – that this Bantams side will fight until the last. You don’t achieve promotion – or potentially even league titles – without all of that, and Graham Alexander’s men have it in spades.

Salford City 1 - 2 Bradford City


Bromley 0 – 1 Bradford City

 

Prediction:
A relatively modern fixture with surprisingly little history, Bradford City vs Cheltenham Town has been a highly competitive tie more often than not, and that is borne out over the 16 different times the two sides have clashed. Now is a chance for Bradford City to push further ahead with their 6:5:5 overall record and doing so would further underline City’s title credentials. For all their injury issues and a jam-packed fixture schedule that could have ruined lesser clubs’ momentum, the Bantams have been imperious so far this year.

Now, each fixture represents an opportunity for this Bradford City side to write their names into folklore. It has been 40 years since City won a division outright, and that win was tragically overshadowed by the awful events of May 11 1985 when 56 people lost their lives in the Bradford City fire. Since then, promotions have been achieved, but not in the same manner. While 2nd or 3rd place would be more than acceptable to most Bantams fans, actually lifting the trophy after the final day of the season (or before, who knows!) would be a moment to cherish forever.

But before we get ahead of ourselves too much, there is the small matter of the 12 remaining fixtures, starting on Tuesday night at Cheltenham Town. If indeed we are to continue counting down the wins en route to something truly special, a win on Tuesday night would further increase the pressure on a Walsall side rocked by the loss of their own star striker in the January transfer window.

Cheltenham Town, despite their poor away record this season, are far from a bad side. Highly competitive and well capable of snatching a point as they have done at Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers in recent months, this is a side that score goals at the exact same rate as they concede them, equalling out at well over a goal-per-game (1.4) at both ends.

Former Bradford City man George Miller has blossomed into a reliable League Two front man well capable of double figures most seasons, and he would love to grab the spotlight at Valley Parade. Having scored in both the home and away fixtures against Walsall, Miller has shown he can score against the best sides in the division, and another goal on Tuesday night is certainly not out of the question. That said, Miller is not Cheltenham Town’s only goal threat, as the side have several players with 4 or more league goals in their midst.

Bradford City will have to be at their best defensively, press high, and commit men forward as they seek to establish dominance once again on home soil. Few games that City have played lately have been ‘easy’ on paper, but City’s form speaks to an ability to grind out results across a variety of circumstances. I’d expect that to be no different on Tuesday night, and feel Bradford City should be able to walk away winners in yet another competitive fixture.

Final Score:
Bradford City 2 – 1 Cheltenham Town