The Voice - Match preview #42: Swindon Town vs Bradford City Saturday 12th April 2025 12:30pm

It was strange to flood the team with defenders when we were winning against a team at half time with a really shite defence don't you think? Or maybe you agree with that strategy? I think it was wrong and eventually contributed to our demise.

 

I backed Swindon at 2-3 when they were all over us at 5/1. I needed a little consolation for when the inevitable happened.

 

With injury time to go today, despite playing most of the game with 10 men, we were 4-3 up heading for the most unlikely of wins. An inch percent cross to one of the best heading strikers in the division and Shepherds sliced clearance attempt in injury time see that 4-3 turn to 5-4. Looking from another viewpoint that's a heck of an effort without your Captain and down to 10 men. I'm as pissed off as anyone at the result but jeez the reaction from some is embarrassing.

 

What's this guy talking about League Two: Swindon Town 5-4 Bradford City - BBC Sport he didn't see the sending off as someone had their fat arse in front of him, then starts babbling some nonsense for the last 5 minutes.

 

If Pattison did have to go off due to illness then I can understand his thinking with the subs although I don't necessarily agree with them. 45 minutes would have been a big ask for Sarcevic so I get that wasn't really an option and I don't think there's trust in Pointon defensively. For me at half time if Pointon and Pattison needed to be the ones to go off for illness/tactical reasons I would have probably brought on Kelly and Walker as I think Walker would be better suited to playing in the middle and naturally stay central leaving Halliday to get forward from WB, I also wouldn't have been against Wright coming on instead of Kelly.
I know he didn't have a great game against Port Vale but I think having Huntington on the bench to come on would have been ideal today to bring some leadership and experienced in the 2nd half as I think we lacked that.

 

I see Sharp was sent off today for Doncaster, is it a 1 match ban or three games? Could his sending off have a bearing on their results?

 

This was in the Doncaster Press "Billy Sharp, was shown a red card without even touching the ball following an incident with a Wimbledon player in the build-up to a corner" so I would assume getting sent off before he'd even touched the ball would possibly be violent conduct or is that wishful thinking on my behalf .

 

Red cards in that game looked really suspect. Reeves sent off for dangling a leg into his opponent. It was needless but looked really soft. Sharp threw a hand in the direction of a Wimbledon defender off the ball but it looked like something and nothing. Ref didn't seem to give it at first but looked like he 'took instruction' from the Wimbledon players.

 

Headbutt so it’ll be 3 games.

 

Can't really seen what happened from this camera but it has to be violent conduct he was sent off for and if it was then that's a 3 match ban for him.

What is annoying about seeing these highlights is how lucky Doncaster's goal was and how bad the miss was by the Wimbledon player at the end, he has to hit the target at least.

 

I think Wimbledon will have a chance of winning an appeal for that red card if it goes down as serious foul play, which I suspect it will as the ball was close by, as I don't think there is enough force in it to be serious foul play.

 

The Doncaster player got him sent off by his reaction. It's one of those where the ref has to be stronger and judge it on the incident rather than the reaction of the player.

 

I'd imagine the assistant referee will have had a good view of it to be able to tell the referee what happened.

 

Pragmatically, today probably underlines that we have a really good opportunity still.

Walsall are still struggling. They probably will only sink further.

I think Port Vale will win it easily from here, with Doncaster possibly grabbing 2nd. But can you really see another team overtaking us? I kinda can't.

I think we will hold AFC Wimbledon off to clinch third. Title hopes have gone. Let's just get an auto now.

 

Agree
Port Vale have got some form and probably will win title
Looking back at end of December we looked like mid table fodder
I’ll take 3rd and believe we can still achieve that

 

Be honest dave do you honestly think we miss out again this year the fans will be forgiving of his antics of which wind refs up week in week out. In imo a poor captain and definitely at the very least change of captaincy.

 

I disappeared most of the day as I was gutted .
So not sure if it’s been said but well done Kelly for sticking up for his team mate when their front 3 celebrated in Shepards face when he scored the OG. Let’s be fair yet again another unmarked player was ready to tap in behind him anyway , at least he tried to stop it . Today started by thinking of Stephen Darby ,and you wouldn’t have seen him celebrate in such a manner . I’d like to think he’d have defended his team mate the way Kelly did . Bravo Ciaran . let’s get this top 3 one way or another , PLEASE.

 

I cant understand how Wimbledon also with a man sent off for most of the game held Doncaster off for most of the game to get a 1-1 draw and we ship Five, unbelieveable

 

Don't get me wrong, I think we should have been grabbing the title after going top, and we should have beaten Swindon, we were absolutely cruising and they couldn't defend.

BUT never mind.

3rd is absolutely fine, let's just get to League One mate!

 

That’s fair.