The Voice - Match preview Barrow vs Bradford City Tue 9 April 2024 - MATCH POSTPONED (AGAIN)

EFL LEAGUE TWO FIXTURE #43

Tuesday 9th April 2024 19:45
Barrow (5th) vs Bradford City (14th)
Holker Street

22/23 & 23/24 Results:

06 Aug 2022: Barrow 3 – 2 Bradford City
18 Feb 2023: Bradford City 0 – 1 Barrow
11 Nov 2023: Bradford City 1 – 2 Barrow

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

Won: 23
Drawn: 14
Lost: 17

Current League Form:

Bradford City: WDWLL
Barrow: LLWWD

BARROW

Consecutive defeats have rocked Barrow, with Swindon Town becoming only the third side to plunder Holker Street of all 3 points this season. A 2-0 defeat was a painful one for Pete Wild’s side, who had a goal disallowed, saw 2 efforts cleared off the line, and hit the crossbar with another on a day where things just weren’t going to go their way. In terms of the season as a whole, though, things have definitely gone Barrow’s way.

Having already eclipsed last season’s points tally weeks ago and sat in 5th place in the playoffs, Barrow will consider this season a great success regardless of what happens in the looming lottery for that fourth promotion place. While a top three finish looks out of reach at this point, it seems equally unlikely that AFC Wimbledon or Walsall will claw back the deficit and dump them out of the top 7. That said, there is no chance Pete Wild will allow his players to take their foot of the gas. If anything, momentum can often make or break sides that do reach the playoffs, regardless of whether they finish 4th or 7th.

Tuesday night’s game, then, is important. Getting back to winning ways is a must, and making the most of their opportunities in front of goal against a side they have beaten in all of their last 3 encounters is imperative. To help them do just that, Barrow will look to their respectable strikeforce of Cole Stockton (7), Emile Acquah (6) and Dom Telford (4), as well as top scorer Ben Whitfield (8) and Kian Spence (7) who both operate in midfield. Dean Campbell (4) and Sam Foley (4) are the other players to have scored more than 3 goals this season, rounding out a very competent midfield.

It was goals from Dom Telford and George Ray that sunk Bradford City at Valley Parade earlier this season, with Tyler Smith grabbing the consolation in 2-1 victory for the Cumbrians. Barrow would be delighted to replicate this feat on Tuesday night on home soil, and with their fine home record, they have every chance.

The 4th best side in the ‘Home’ league table, Barrow have won 11, drawn 7, and lost just 3. 26 goals in 21 home games might not be anything to write home about, but they have been able to lean on a defence that boasts the 2nd best stats of any side on home soil, conceding just 16. It will be no surprise, then, that 1-0 home wins are Barrow’s most reliable outcomes, picking up no fewer than 5 victories by that scoreline.

That said, there will be some concern that the club have lost back-to-back games against sides with little to play for. Morecambe were denied a 2-0 win by a late consolation strike from Ben Whitfield, before Swindon Town went one better by keeping a clean sheet. Prior to those defeats, Barrow had enjoyed a 6-game unbeaten run that saw them play at home 5 times. All of Gillingham, Colchester United, Newport County and Grimsby Town lost at Holker Street during that period, with an away draw at Walsall matched by a 0-0 stalemate at home to Harrogate Town.

Barrow will be very keen to get back to the good times and will once again look to lean on their excellent defensive record against Bradford City.



Barrow 0 – 2 Swindon Town

BRADFORD CITY

Playing against one of the best defensive in the division will not sound like a particularly good time for Bradford City right now, but full credit to Graham Alexander and the players for arresting a recent horrible run of results and accruing 7 points from the last 3 games. Victory over Gillingham on Saturday afternoon added to another maximum at Valley Parade against Tranmere Rovers late last month, with a draw at Grimsby Town thrown in on Easter Monday for good measure.

This season’s results against the four best defensive sides are as follows: Stockport County [1-1 (A), 0-0 (H)]; Mansfield Town [0-0 (A), 1-5 (H)]; AFC Wimbledon [0-1 win (A), 0-0 (H)] and Barrow [1-2 defeat (H)] suggesting that games against defensively sound opposition are most likely to result in a stalemate with totals of 4 draws, 2 defeats, and 1 victory.

Bradford City would love to go one better at Holker Street and keep the results rolling in as the side head towards an otherwise uninspiring midtable finish. Certainly, a good end to the season could generate a little bit of goodwill from the fanbase, which would be very welcome in the Bradford City boardroom at the moment.

That sentiment alone, however, will not make the task of coming away from Barrow with all 3 points any easier. Not many teams have done it this season (just 3), and in truth Bradford City’s away record isn’t much to write home about either. Sitting 12th in the ‘Away’ league table is far from disgraceful, but with 9 defeats from 20 away days, it’s hard to look passed a series of statistics that suggest City would be doing well to come away with a point.

Still, what better time to play spoiler than when the pressure is off? With little to play for, the Bantams could be allowed the freedom to get at Barrow and ask questions about their resilience after back-to-back defeats. Will Pete Wild have the answers to Graham Alexander’s tactics? He certainly did against Mark Hughes, beating him in 3 successive games, but Graham Alexander’s Bradford City side employ a very different style of play, more akin perhaps to Barrow’s own.

A side that do not rely on possession and often record wins with sub-40 % possession stats, Barrow are happy to sit in and hit opponents on the counter or with a high press. They almost did just that against Swindon Town on Saturday in the very first highlight (see above). That’s less likely to be an option against Bradford City on Tuesday evening, although Bradford City are still likely to play at a fast tempo and a direct approach.



Bradford City 1 – 0 Gillingham

THE BREAKDOWN

11/10: Barrow
13/5: Draw
12/5: Bradford City

While a draw might be the most likely outcome for this game based on previous games against sides with good defensive records, there’s no escaping the fact that Bradford City haven’t had the best of times on the road lately. A 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Grimsby Town required a last gasp equalizer from the penalty spot, and before that the Bantams were thumped 3-0 by Harrogate Town in an uncompetitive affair. Neither result will inspire much confidence in City going to Barrow and turning over a side who seem to have had their number lately, nor does Bradford City’s scoring rate of 5 goals in their last 7 games suggest they’re about to produce a demolition job.

That Barrow have now dropped out of realistic contention for the top 3 might just ease the pressure on them enough to use the last few games as an opportunity to build towards an assault on the playoff semifinals and a potential date at Wembley stadium – an unlikely accomplishment for one of the ‘smallest’ clubs in the division!

Two players that will certainly want to prove themselves are strikers Cole Stockton and Dom Telford, the former having arrived in January and rattled in 7 goals in 13 starts. A lively pairing with a decent reputation at this level, Bradford City’s backline might be more concerned about their form than Barrow will be about Andy Cook. While ever-dangerous, City’s top scorer is enduring a relative lean patch with just 5 goals from his last 20 outings.

Still, Barrow fans will be concerned about the law of the ‘ex’, with Cook having scored 4 times in 13 games against his former employers, the side with home he made his name after an early-career release from local rivals Carlisle United. Former Bantam Niall Canavan is unlikely to be charged with marking him after suffering a pulled calf last month that was expected to keep him out for 4 weeks. Rhys Feeley could be the one tasked with playing alongside veteran defenders James Chester and George Ray as has been the case lately – although Feeley found himself hauled off at half time in a triple substitution as Barrow trailed 2-0 at home to Swindon Town.

All that said, the pick will be a 2-1 win for Barrow in a performance that both gets Barrow back on track and underlines their excellent home record. Should that be the case, it will be the third time Barrow have scored 2 or more goals at home in their last 6 home games, but also the fourth game in a row their otherwise solid defence has been breached.

PREDICTION:

Barrow 2 – 1 Bradford City