The Voice - Match preview Bradford City v Hartlepool United Sat 18 March 2023 1pm

League Two Fixture #36

Saturday 18th March 2023 13:00
Bradford City (6th) vs Hartlepool United (22nd)
Valley Parade (AKA University of Bradford Stadium)

Most Recent Results:

1: Doncaster Rovers 0 – 1 Bradford City
2: Gillingham 0 – 2 Bradford City
3: Bradford City 2 – 0 Colchester United
4: Walsall 0 – 0 Bradford City
5: Newport County 1 – 1 Bradford City

Form: DDWWW

1: AFC Wimbledon 2 – 2 Hartlepool United
2: Hartlepool United 0 – 1 Newport County
3: Hartlepool United 3 – 3 Walsall
4: Tranmere Rovers 1 – 1 Hartlepool United
5: Hartlepool United 1 – 1 Northampton Town

Form: DDDLD

Head-to-Head Results:

Head-to-Head Form:

09 Oct 2012: Hartlepool United 0 – 0 Bradford City
03 Sep 2013: Hartlepool United 5 – 0 Bradford City
19 Oct 2021: Bradford City 1 – 3 Hartlepool United
15 Mar 2022: Hartlepool United 0 – 2 Bradford City
20 Aug 2022: Hartlepool United 1 – 3 Bradford City

Head-to-Head Results (All Time):

Won: 35
Drawn: 21
Lost: 33

Biggest Margin of Victory:

03 Sep 2013: Hartlepool United 5 – 0 Bradford City [Johnstone's Paint Trophy]

NEW FEATURE!

For Better or Worse:
First Half of the Season vs Second Half of the Season Analysis

Doncaster Rovers: DRAW followed by WIN
Colchester United: DEFEAT followed by WIN
Walsall: WIN followed by DRAW
Newport County: WIN followed by DRAW
Hartlepool United: WIN followed by ???

Results so far: The second half of the season has seen the same total of points



Hartlepool United 2022/23:
A light schedule and the return of top scorer Josh Umerah give Hartlepool United hope of avoiding the drop, as they remain unbeaten under John Askey

There are two sides to every coin.

While Hartlepool United are boosted by the return of 11-goal top scorer Josh Umerah, and a string of 3 successive draws under manager John Askey illustrate an improvement in the club's fortunes, there's no escaping the fact the Pools haven't won a game in any of their last 5 outings. With their League Two future very much in doubt after being clawed back by Crawley Town (who are 1 point behind with 2 games in hand), Hartlepool find themselves in dire need of victories.

Frustration for the Pools, then, as they came close to besting injury-stricken promotion hopefuls Northampton Town at home last time out. A strong first half performance saw Umerah bag just 37 minutes in to his return, with The Cobblers' defence looking for an offside that never came – but Askey's men could not replicate their performance in the second half, and were duly pegged back.

After a momentous last minute double-goal salvo in Askey's first game in charge at home to Walsall to rescue a 3-3 draw, the Pools haven't been behind since; a Callum Cooke goal opened the scoring at Tranmere Rovers, only for the club for the opposition to level, and the story repeated itself at the weekend.

The good news for Hartlepool United? With just 3 games in the past 3 weeks, they have considerably longer to plan, prepare, and (crucially) rest up ahead of their away tie at Bradford City, a side who have played 5 times in that same span. Yet all of the positivity, of being unbeaten under Askey, of seeing their talismanic striker return to the first team, of scoring 5 goals in the last 3 games, will be for nothing if they cannot keep their heads above the waterline come the end of the season in just 10 games time.

Heading to Valley Parade, then, there's a conflict of narratives. In one sense, there's nothing to lose for The Pools, as building on a recent record of just 2 wins in their last 14 league fixtures looks unlikely on paper; but in another sense, there's no time to waste in terms of racking up the wins by any means necessary.

Bradford City fans expecting an easier game than they had against bottom half sides Walsall and Newport County might be dismayed, then, to learn that Hartlepool United have lost just 2 of their last 7 league fixtures, drawing the other 5. A draw for Bradford City at home is almost worthless at this stage in the season; but the same can also be said for their opponents.

Askey and his men simply have to make something happen here. The next two home games against Leyton Orient and Swindon Town don't look any easier than this, and then there's the small matter of entertaining Stevenage just 2 games later. Salford City, Barrow, and Stockport County are 3 of the remaining teams to round out a nightmarishly difficult end-of-season run for The Pools, so it's imperative they make every point count.

Expect no favours, then, from a side fighting for their EFL lives as they head to Valley Parade in relatively good spirits – and hoping for the first win under the new gaffer.

Bradford City 2022/23:
More quality demanded from Hughes, as City draw a second straight game at such a crucial stage of the season

Facing sides that have been drawing a lot lately has led to – wouldn't you just know it – 2 draws for The Bantams. Given both were away from home to resilient Walsall and Newport County sides, that would be all well and good if City fans could be confident of a home win here.

But home wins have been surprisingly hard to come by for Mark Hughes' men, with just 7 victories at Valley Parade out of 17 league fixtures. That leaves City some way short of a 50 % win rate at home, and in need of 3 straight wins to reach that particular mark. Nonetheless, Bradford City's home record isn't as bad – relatively speaking – as has been made out.

Bradford City are the 11th best home team in the division, at present, but could be joint 7th with a win here. Perhaps that's not as impressive as Bradford City fans might have hoped for preseason, but combined with their best-in-class away record, it gives The Bantams every hope of achieving a top 7 (possibly even a top 3) finish.

A draw against another side with renewed resilience and fight wouldn't be good enough here. We are firmly entrenched in the business end of the season, and results on home soil are more imperative than ever. City must brush Hartlepool United aside here in a show of force – or at the very least, salvage the full complement of 3 points.

Andy Cook continues to be ever-reliable as the division's most lethal marksman, but it has not gone unnoticed that the imposing frontman has had to make the most of minimal chances all season long. That has often been just about enough lately, with City losing just 1 game in their last 8 (and winning 5), but as was shown away at Newport County, such slim margins can soon disappear into nothingness.

Liam Ridehalgh's unfortunate own goal was gutting, but Bradford City had managed just 3 shots on goal all game – and low shot counts are becoming a routine part of a Mark Hughes set up that relies so heavily on outstanding defensive performances and records. Conceding just 2 goals in 7 games is a phenomenal statistic. If Bradford City could begin to combine that with a more dynamic and creative output up front, The Bantams would soon become automatic promotion favourites.

That has to be the aim here.

Highlights:

Newport County 1 – 1 Bradford City



Hartlepool United 1 – 1 Northampton Town



Hartlepool United 1 – 3 Bradford City



Outlook:

The odds on a home victory this weekend are such meagre pickings, it would be foolish to back The Bantams on an outright basis. One imagines, though, that accumulators up and down the country will include the 5th place side against a team down in 22nd who can't buy a win lately.

A word of caution, though: Northampton Town were equally expected to beat The Pools, and had to settle for salvaging a single point. That wasn't a fluke. John Askey is getting more out of this Hartlepool United side than his predecessor Keith Curle, and the two sides share 5 draws in their last 5 outings (non-linear). Hartlepool United are now battling for their EFL survival, and injuries to key players have eased up.

A draw is definitely not out of the question, and to be pragmatic about it, neither is a Hartlepool United win. If The Pools follow the blue print of successful away-day raids made by Rochdale (far and away the worst side in the division) and Barrow, the tactics City employ may unravel yet again. Possession isn't going to be massively important to Hartlepool United – though note they tend to enjoy more possession than one might expect from stragglers at the wrong end of the table – we are firmly in 'by any means necessary' territory here.

That said, Bradford City simply have to show their class here. The likes of Matty Dolan and Callum Cooke will be familiar to City fans, but not due to their success at Valley Parade. A workmanlike squad fronted by a dangerous frontman in Umerah could test City's defence – but if that is the case, and City fans will hope that it is, Bradford City might just shine.

5 goals scored, 5 conceded in their last 3 outings is something Bradford City fans could only imagine! If Hartlepool come to attack, and they just might, then even if they are to net once, one imagines City's counter attacks and in-form centre forward might just benefit.

That said, City's issue since the departure of Tyreik Wright has been getting someone besides Cook on the score sheet. No problems if Cook can score 2 or 3, but that hasn't happened lately. This could be the ideal fixture for Jamie Walker to step forward and deliver damage in what we hope will be an open, expansive game of high stakes League Two football. If that's the case, expect City to punish Hartlepool and push them closer to the EFL trapdoor.

Odds:

3/5: Bradford City
13/5: Draw
19/4: Hartlepool United

Predicted Outcome (THE VOICE):

Bradford City 4 – 1 Hartlepool United