The Voice - Match preview AFC Wimbledon vs Bradford City Saturday 14th October 2023 3:00pm

EFL LEAGUE TWO FIXTURE #13

Saturday 14th October 15:00
AFC Wimbledon (4th) vs Bradford City (14th)
Cherry Red Records Stadium (AKA Plough Lane)

22/23 Results:

24 Sep 2022: Bradford City 2 – 2 AFC Wimbledon
14 Jan 2023: AFC Wimbledon 0 – 0 Bradford City

Head-to-Head Form: DDDWL (most recent result first)

Won: 5
Drawn: 3
Lost: 5

Current League Form:

Bradford City: WLLWD
AFC Wimbledon: DWWWD

AFC WIMBLEDON

AFC Wimbledon sit in a very healthy league position (4th), and boast the best away record in the division. They are 1 of only 2 teams to remain unbeaten on the road, the other being draw specialists Mansfield Town (1 win, 5 draws). At home, though, the situation hasn't been nearly as productive.

1 win, 3 draws, and 1 defeat at the Cherry Red Record stadium sees them sat in 22nd place in the 'Home' league table, with 9 goals scored and 7 conceded. If Bradford City fans thought they had been underwhelming at home under Mark Hughes, AFC Wimbledon under Johnnie Jackson have been even worse off in terms of outcomes, despite a recent 4-1 victory over Tranmere Rovers on home soil (their first home win of the season). And yet, AFC Wimbledon fans would be hard-pressed to be disappointed by their start to the season, such is the topsy-turvy nature of lower league football.

For whatever reason, Jackson's men run a tight ship when they're not at the Cherry Red Records stadium. Just 3 goals conceded across 7 games on the road is a statistic any manager would be proud of – yet that hasn't been replicated at home. In fact, AFC Wimbledon haven't kept a single clean sheet at home so far this season in league or cup, having conceded a single goal on 4 separate occasions, and 2 goals on 2 occasions. Not exactly the stuff of nightmares, but contrast that with no fewer than 5 clean sheets away from home, and one wonders what the issue might be.

Well, part of it has to be the level of competition AFC Wimbledon have faced at home. Wrexham, Stockport County and Crewe Alexandra all sit in the top 7 as we speak, and have managed to make away with a combined 5 points from their respective raids on Plough Lane. Forest Green Rovers also held AFC Wimbledon to a 1-1 draw, before the aforementioned Tranmere Rovers capitulated, in part thanks to a red card for defender Jordan Turnbull.

Ali Al-Hamadi, who netted 10 times in half a season after joining in January last season, netted a hat trick against Tranmere, but has otherwise found the net difficult to find this campaign. With a total of just 4 goals scored, Al-Hamadi has endured a similar start to that of Bradford City's Andy Cook – although he has since gone 2 further games without scoring. James Tilley is the only other AFC Wimbledon player to have netted more than once in the league this season, having notched up a fine tally of 7, while NINE other players have all netted a goal a piece – showing that when Tilley isn't firing, the Dons know how to spread the goals around.

Former Bradford City goalkeeper Alex Bass has been an ever-present for AFC Wimbledon this season, joined by defenders Ryan Johnson and Isaac Ogundere, with Tilley, Joe Lewis, and Omar Bugiel among the players to have only missed out on one league start. It has been a largely settled first XI for Johnnie Jackson, and another former Bantam Jake Reeves is up there with the regulars having made 9 starts so far.

Fast starters, AFC Wimbledon have scored in the first half in 6 of their last 7 league outings, and against Mansfield Town they had the chance to continue that run of form – only for James Tilley to miss from the penalty spot (though only just...).

Kevin McDonald's Bradford City will have to be ready from the get-go, and prepared for plenty of runs from midfield and shots from range as AFC Wimbledon look anything but the traditional direct ball merchants. Slick passing moves and opportunistic attacking midfield play are more the go-to.



Mansfield Town 0 – 0 AFC Wimbledon



Harrogate Town 0 – 1 AFC Wimbledon

BRADFORD CITY

2 wins from 2 games from Kevin McDonald's first games in charge have lifted the atmosphere, and (right now) it looks like Kevin McDonald will get a third bite at the cherry this weekend (pun intended).

Bradford City's 1-0 win over high-flying Swindon Town was a delightful surprise, coupled with a first professional goal for 19 year old Bobby Pointon: “He's one of our own”, indeed! The 2-1 EFL Trophy win at Grimsby Town might have come with 9 changes to the first XI, but in some ways that's not a bad thing: it was a Grimsby Town side that looked very similar to the one that had Mark Hughes' City side on the ropes at Valley Parade recently, so to go away and continue to build momentum with a largely second string side is an excellent sign.

Perhaps it is a case that McDonald has given the players more license to attack; it certainly appeared that way against Swindon Town, where a high press coupled with a complete absence of 'building from the back' saw Bradford City carve a string of opportunities, with no fewer than 19 total shots. While only 4 were on target, it was a refreshing change for an attack-starved City fanbase that ultimately helped persuade CEO Ryan Sparks to call time on the Welsh legend's Bradford City tenure.

Andy Cook was hungry, and had a full 6 efforts on goal, but it was young Bobby that won the day by bundling home Jamie Walker's cross. Brad Halliday continues to be City's most consistent player, the right back gaining more and more plaudits, including as a substitute against Grimsby Town on Tuesday night after Daniel Oyegoke hobbled off in the first half.

Centre back Ciaran Kelly scored to remind Kevin McDonald he remains at option at centre back, before Emmanuel Osadebe scored with a fine finish – only to be sent off in the final moments after appearing to grab defender Harvey Rodgers by the shirt and haul him to the ground. It was an unusual display of anger from Osadebe, but came after an unnecessary double-foul from Rodgers on City's young forward Chisam Afoka.

Osadebe will be available for the weekend, however, as his ban only affects other EFL Trophy games – with Kevin McDonald still considering a potential appeal.

More of the same, please, from Bradford City in a game that certainly won't be easy – can the 'new manager bounce' continue?



Grimsby Town 1 – 2 Bradford City



Bradford City 1 – 0 Swindon Town

THE BREAKDOWN

AFC Wimbledon: Evs
Draw: 5/2
Bradford City: 11/4

There's nothing to suggest Bradford City have an easy game this weekend, not even Grimsby Town's home form. On first glance, 1 win in 5 isn't good enough, but when taking into account the calibre of opposition that have thus far visited Plough Lane, the fact the Dons have only lost once is real credit to their ability.

Bradford City probably wouldn't sniff at a draw: Wrexham, Forest Green Rovers and Crewe all had to share the points at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, which is good company by any means – but City really to be greedy here and go for more. The Bantams sit in 14th place, nowhere near where was expected at this stage of the season, and while a win could potentially life City to 9th place, a draw has potential to see them slip further down the table.

Still, football is often a game of compromise. Against AFC Wimbledon, they're facing one of the brightest starters in the division both in terms of early goals and early season form. With just 1 league defeat all season, AFC Wimbledon are hard to beat – and much easier to draw with. Only Mansfield Town (8) can out-rank AFC Wimbledon (6) in the draws column, while Bradford City have been erratic to say the least. 4 wins, 4 draws, and 4 defeats across their first 12 league fixtures have made City one of the toughest teams to predict in all of League Two, though generally they can be relied upon for low-scoring affairs.

It's hard to look past a 1-1 draw here, but football is also a game of fine margins. If either club can find a little bit extra, or an additional slice of luck, either could take this – but the question is, will they?

The fact the 2 clubs drew both fixtures last season coupled with a perfectly even head-to-head record suggests a stalemate might be the right pick.

PREDICTION:

AFC Wimbledon 1 – 1 Bradford City