The Voice - Match preview #6: Walsall vs Bradford City Saturday 14th September 2024 3:00pm

EFL League Two Fixture #6
Saturday 14th September 2024 15:00
Walsall (6th) vs Bradford City (5th)
Poundland Bescot Stadium

Record:
Games Won: 20
Games Drawn: 23
Games Lost: 15

Last 5:
25 Jan 2022: Walsall 1 – 2 Bradford City
03 Sep 2022: Bradford City 2 – 1 Walsall
07 Mar 2023: Walsall 0 – 0 Bradford City
30 Sep 2023: Bradford City 1 – 3 Walsall
20 Apr 2024: Walsall 2 – 3 Bradford City

Walsall:
Walsall have made a strong start to the season under aptly-named manager Mat Sadler, who guided the Saddlers to an 11th place finish last season, and looked on course to deliver much more after a run of 7 wins, 2 draws and just 2 defeats between February and April of this year. Sadly for them, a run of 4 defeats from their final 5 games cost them, one of those defeats coming at home to Bradford City by 3 goals to 2. An Andy Cook goal and a double from Jamie Walker killed off Walsall’s promotion push, and even a red card for Walker on the 68th minute could not reinvigorate Sadler’s men.

Picking themselves up from that bitter disappointment, Walsall have delivered 4 wins from their first 8 games thus far this season, a run that has involved a pair of EFL Cup upsets over League One side Exeter City (on penalties), and a 3-2 win over Bradford City’s West Yorkshire rivals, Huddersfield Town. A third cup victory, again on penalties, came in the EFL Trophy over Birmingham City.

In the league, Walsall have traded wins and losses at a ratio of 3:2, putting them one point and one place behind Bradford City. During that time, Walsall have scored 7 goals and conceded just 3 – with both defeats coming by the same 1-0 scoreline against both Tranmere Rovers and MK Dons.

An injury to Josh Gordon opened the door for 6’3 18 year old Nathan Lowe on loan from Stoke City, and he duly responded with a brace against Huddersfield Town in their cup upset, as well as a first league goal in the 2-1 home win over Cheltenham Town – but Walsall failed to register a goal in their last game against MK Dons and managed just 2 shots on target. Josh Earing came closest to netting a Walsall leveller but was brilliantly denied by an instinctive Tom McGill save.

Lowe has looked shown real pace and quality movement up front, belying his young age, but when partnered with fellow loanee, the 20 year old George Hall against MK Dons, Walsall failed to score for only the second time this season. Local newspaper the Express and Star said Hall “looked off the pace in his first competitive start in 17 months”, and it might be expected that experienced frontman Jamille Matt returns to the starting lineup after completing back-to-back 90 minutes for the first time in a Walsall shirt prior to that game – and helping himself to 2 goals already this season.

Whether the MK Dons decision was a case of Sadler keeping the 34 year old ready for a big game at the Bescot this coming Saturday, only he can answer. He will also have to address a growing sense that Walsall may, for the second season running, be poor travellers. Walsall fans can park that fear for now, though, as they host Bradford City on the back of a perfect start on home soil.

A home win over strugglers Morecambe on the first game of the season has been followed by a penalty triumph over Exeter City in the EFL Cup, a 3-2 win over League One new boys Huddersfield Town, and a 2-1 win over recently relegated Cheltenham Town. The Saddlers will be full of optimism, then, when the Bantams make their way down the M6 this Saturday afternoon to what looks to be a Poundland fortress.

MK Dons 1 – 0 Walsall



Walsall 2 – 1 Cheltenham Town



Bradford City:
Graham Alexander’s men put things right at the first time of asking when they welcomed strugglers Carlisle United to Valley Parade last weekend. With Carlisle’s misfiring forwards unable to find the back of the net themselves, it would take a gift from City goalkeeper Sam Walker to get them back on level terms after an Andy Cook opener – but Cook would then score a second to consign that gaffe to the backs of the minds of the Bradford City faithful with a powerful second half header that wrapped up all 3 points for the Bantams.

It wasn’t always comfortable, though. Former Bantam Charlie Wyke had an excellent early chance to open the scoring but continued to his early season run of drawing blanks – and he would go even closer in the second half when he fired a shot against the post, again to no avail. Sam Walker, for his part, did make some smart saves – but when Harrison Neal’s hopeful flick looked like meat and drink for the City keeper, Walker unexpectedly spilled the ball into his own net.

Heads didn’t drop, though, and Graham Alexander’s men gutted out what look like a good 3 points come the end of the season. Carlisle United played well enough to suggest they will hit form sooner or later, and the prospect of a new manager will imbue the Cumbrians with confidence going forward. Perhaps it was a good time to play them, particularly on home soil where City have a great record against the Cumberland outfit.

The Bescot is another good stomping ground for City in recent years. With just 1 defeat in their last 7 visits to Walsall, and 4 wins from the last 5 meetings on away soil, City fans will travel down the M6 full of hope for another full complement of 3 points. Andy Cook will be key as he faces another former side, having already netted against both Grimsby Town and Carlisle United so far. With an overall tally of 5 goals in 7 appearances (5 starts, 2 substitute appearances), it’s clear Cook is back to something close to his best form, and with a new strike partner in tow. Fulham loanee Olly Sanderson had scored in back-to-back games prior to the Carlisle win, and has justifiably cemented his place ahead of an out-of-sorts Calum Kavanagh. Sanderson looked lively once again against Carlisle, linking up well with City’s attacking midfielders and, more importantly, Cook. With neat feet, good passing, and an eye for a run beyond his strike partner, Sanderson could prove a very savvy signing if he can continue his current form.

The return of Jamie Walker, likewise, has been significant, the ever hard-working Scot dispossessing a Carlisle defender to lay on a tap in for Cook and set City on their way. Walker has had to bide his time, but an unfortunate injury to Antoni Sarcevic looks to have opened the door for him to cement a regular starting berth once again – and he looks set to seize that opportunity.

Another player to have broken into the first team is new Exeter loanee Cheick Diabate. The late Summer signing has taken Aden Baldwin’s spot after another injury, and Cheick had a very solid league debut for his new side this past Saturday. Eyes will be on him to shore up a back line that has been a little leakier than one might expect of a team that has made such a positive start this season.

Bradford City 2 – 1 Carlisle United



Grimsby Town 2 – 1 Bradford City



Prediction:
Walsall’s good home record will go head-to-head with City’s excellent recent form at the Poundland Bescot Stadium, as 5th play 6th in an early season clash between two teams with plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future. While Walsall have been buoyed by cup success, City have seen their better results come in the league, reflected by the fact the Bantams have only been beaten once so far, and sit a point ahead of their Midlands rivals.

What this game might come down to is which strike force can make their mark first? Andy Cook and Olly Sanderson are looking like forming a very promising partnership indeed, while at the other end, 6’3 18 year old loanee Nathan Lowe has made an explosive start to life as a Saddler. 3 goals in a short space of time outline the danger he will present to Graham Alexander’s back line, and Jamille Matt might just win his place back after an indifferent performance from another young loanee in George Hall.

A good omen for City is that Cook has a superb record when playing against his former side. With 5 wins, 3 draws and just 1 defeat, Cook has personally contributed 6 goals and 1 assist across 9 competitive fixtures against the Saddlers, and will be looking for even more on Saturday afternoon. Keeping tabs on the on-song hitman will be easier said than done for Mat Sadler’s men.

That said, Walsall’s defence has been manful this season. With just 3 league goals conceded, Cook will have to be at his bruising best as he tussles with 6’3 pair Oisin McEntee and Priestley Farquharson. Halifax-born Farquharson, described upon signing for Walsall as a “man mountain” by manager Sadler, will be a major physical obstacle for Cook to overcome, but that won’t mean shackling City’s prolific number 9 will be easy. For once, City find themselves at the start of a campaign where – because they cannot rely on a watertight defence – they are looking to out-score the opposition rather than nick a single goal here or there. So far, they are doing this rather effectively.

Expect that to continue here as City upset Walsall with another fine result down at the Bescot. The pick is a 2-1 City win as some fans enter a bit of a nosebleed period!

Final Score:

Walsall 1 – 2 Bradford City