The Voice - Match preview AMENDED PREDICTION: Barrow vs Bradford City Tuesday 23rd April 2024 7:45pm

Note: There are already two full articles on this fixture that can be found here:

https://bantamtalk.com/index.php?threads/barrow-vs-bradford-city-tue-9-april-2024-match-postponed-again.8047/ (9th April 2024)
and
https://bantamtalk.com/index.php?threads/barrow-vs-bradford-city-tuesday-9-april-2024-7-45pm.7906/ (24th February 2024)

This article will be more brief than normal but will reflect critical information and an updated prediction. Thank you.

EFL LEAGUE TWO FIXTURE #45

Tuesday 23rd April 2024 19:45
Barrow (6th) vs Bradford City (10th)
Holker Street

Current League Form:

Bradford City: WWWDW
Barrow: LDLLL

BARROW vs BRADFORD CITY

Three-quarters of the sides currently occupying the play off spots are on dire form – none worse than that of Bradford City's opponents on Tuesday night, Barrow. Having picked up just one point from their last 5 games, Barrow – like Crawley Town, and to a less extent Crewe Alexandra – look like a side hellbent on gifting the sides placed 8th or lower one last shot at playoff glory. Such is the drop off in form, one has to question the bravery and character of 3 sides whom, between them, have picked up just 2 wins from their last 15 games.

While Crewe Alexandra look likely to make the playoffs regardless of recent poor form, the same assurances cannot be given to either Barrow or Crawley Town who have Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City breathing down their necks – and Walsall sandwiched in the middle as a tertiary threat. The Bantams and Doncaster Rovers are both sides on red hot form right now who are vying for what once looked like an extremely unlikely shot at a trip to Wembley and promotion.

For Barrow, part of their form’s catastrophic crumbling can be attributed to Holker Street itself. Barrow have played 4 of their last 5 games away from home thanks to the postponement of the Bradford City fixture for a second time, and it has not helped them one bit. Ironically, their only point in their last five games came against another top 7 side on ice cold form in Crawley Town.

Saturday afternoon’s crunch tie with Doncaster Rovers, a team that had amassed 8 straight wins, was one Barrow simply could not afford to lose – but 3 goals in the last 6 minutes meant they did just that, to a tune of 4 goals to 2. Now the situation is critical. Defeat at home to Bradford City on Tuesday evening would be a massive blow to their promotion hopes, especially with an uninviting final day fixture against already promoted Mansfield Town – who have now won 4 straight games themselves.

While defeat on Tuesday won’t see Barrow drop out of the playoffs just yet, Barrow face the nightmare scenario where Doncaster (also playing on Tuesday evening against Colchester United) could overtake them, while Bradford City could claw themselves within 2 points with such a tough final game of the season still to play. In this scenario, Crawley Town would drop out of the playoffs, Barrow would fall to 7th, and the pressure would well and truly be on in a potentially chaotic final day fixture next Saturday.

That’s not to say Barrow don’t have things working in their favour against Bradford City. Aside from a 2-0 loss at home to Swindon Town, Barrow haven’t been doing too poorly at home. Prior to their current run of horrendous results, Barrow had picked up 13 points from a possible 15 at Holker Street, and will no doubt look to rely on making their home ground a fortress against The Bantams.

Barrow manager Pete Wild will also point to a great recent record against City as cause for optimism, with some fans considering Barrow (and the Cumbria region in general) a bit of a bogey team/region. That said, Barrow might equally point to last season’s dreadful finish which also saw them picking up just one point from their final 5 games, effectively ending any lingering hope of a playoff place – but this would be far more painful, as Barrow have occupied a playoff spot for much of the season. They have not been mere aspirants, they have looked like rightful claimants – until now.

For Bradford City, things are a little more convoluted. While Bantams fans will no doubt be grateful that there is still something to play for, they are still heavily reliant on games going their way elsewhere. Victory over Barrow won’t take them above the Cumbrian side, or Crawley Town, or Doncaster Rovers. It will effectively knock Walsall out of the race, however, which looks the likeliest result in any event after the Saddlers 3-2 defeat to City on Saturday afternoon.

City will, to put it simply, need any 2 of Crawley Town, Doncaster Rovers or Barrow to lose on the final day of the season (even a draw would be enough for Barrow to deny City), while picking up 2 wins themselves, to make the grade. The odds might not sound great, but it’s better than nothing.

City must take a win-at-all-costs mentality to Cumbria this Tuesday evening, or the book closes on an otherwise disappointing season. With that in mind, the third prediction from this tie will be a City win in what will be a high stakes encounter that could see one or the other capitulate spectacularly. This would be a famous City win, one that keeps them involved and active, but that might not ultimately be able to stave off the very real prospect of final day heartache at Valley Parade...

PREDICTION:

Barrow 1 – 3 Bradford City