The Voice - Match preview Crewe Alexandra vs Bradford City Wednesday 3rd May @ 7:45pm

League Two Fixture #45

Wednesday 3rd May 2023 19:45
Crewe Alexandra (16th) vs Bradford City (7th)
Gresty Road (AKA Mornflake Stadium)

Most Recent Results:

1: Bradford City 3 – 1 Sutton United
2: Rochdale 0 – 3 Bradford City
3: Swindon Town 1 – 0 Bradford City
4: Bradford City 2 – 2 Gillingham
5: Northampton Town 1 – 2 Bradford City

Form: WDLWW

1: Colchester United 4 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
2: Crewe Alexandra 2 – 0 Walsall
3: Leyton Orient 2 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
4: Grimsby Town 2 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
5: Crewe Alexandra 2 – 1 Swindon Town

Form: WLLWL

Head-to-Head Results:

Head-to-Head Form: DLWWW

03 May 2015: Crewe Alexandra 0 – 1 Bradford City
14 Nov 2015: Bradford City 2 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
28 Mar 2016: Crewe Alexandra 0 – 1 Bradford City
31 Aug 2019: Crewe Alexandra 2 – 1 Bradford City
27 Aug 2022: Bradford City 0 – 0 Crewe Alexandra

Head-to-Head Results (All Time):

Won: 43
Drawn: 20
Lost: 36

Biggest Margin of Victory:

15 Sep 1965: Crewe Alexandra 7 – 1 Bradford City [League Division Four]
28 Apr 1979: Bradford City 6 – 0 Crewe Alexandra [League Division Four]



Crewe Alexandra 2022/23:
Crewe Alexandra continue to compete with bags of pride at Gresty Road, despite a dismal away record

Crewe Alexandra's home form is exactly the same as Northampton Town's prior to Bradford City's visit on Saturday afternoon, with 5 wins and 1 draw from their last 6 home games. That's an impressive statistic, and one that forms an absolute perfect dichotomy when compared against their dismal away form.

It's unfortunate for City fans that The Bantams cannot seek to rely on Crewe's record of just 1 win from their last 13 away days, but this season has not exactly been built on doing things 'the easy way'. So it will be that Mark Hughes' men must travel to the Mornflake Stadium, where Crewe recently completed the double over Swindon Town, the first team to score at Gresty Road since March 10, when Crewe completed a thrilling 4-3 victory over high-flying Salford City.

Under manager Lee Bell – who effectively swapped roles with previous incumbent Alex Morris, now Bell's assistant – Crewe Alexandra have begun to show green shoots of recovery, with wins over the likes of Swindon Town, Walsall, Barrow, Salford City, and Hartlepool United in recent months, restoring a sense of pride about the club following last season's disastrous 24th place finish in League One.

While away performances have not matched the home form (the club have scored just 3 goals away from home in their last 7 games, losing rather limply in 6 of those ties, including a 4-0 defeat at Colchester United), Crewe have been regularly inflicted late goals, penalties, and red cards upon their opposition.

Crewe managed 2 goals in the last 8 minutes to turn around a 1-0 deficit at the weekend, while they had left it even later in the seven-goal thriller against Salford City; Salford had actually taken the lead as late as the 85th minute, only for Crewe to score twice more – in the 87th and 90th minute specifically – to claim an impressive come-from-behind win. Both Hartlepool United and Walsall have seen themselves reduce to 10 men at Gresty Road, both in losing efforts. Against both Barrow and Salford City, Crewe Alexandra have also converted from the spot.

The question is, does the renewed sense of pride currently hanging around Crewe Alexandra and their home form specifically give them enough motivation to hang in there with promotion-chasing Bradford City, for whom victory is absolutely vital?

Bradford City 2022/23:
Victory for Bradford City will keep their faint automatic promotion hopes alive, and establish them as the division's best away side

At times this season, Bradford City have looked to have thrown away chances at both the automatic promotion spots as well as their claim to being the best travellers in the division. As it stands, however, Bradford City can still lay claim to both of those accomplishments, and one cannot happen without the other!

If Bradford City do not finish the season as the best away side in League Two, they will likely fail to achieve automatic promotion. Failing to beat Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road will leave Salford City ahead of Bradford City in the away table; equally, defeat to Leyton Orient on the last day of the season will see the League Two champions overtake The Bantams – and open the door for Northampton Town to do the same!

That said, it's only a minor caveat to a situation where Bradford City simply need to win their final 2 games of the season, then cross their fingers for results to go their way elsewhere.

As it stands, 2 wins will leave Bradford City on 81 points. They will have a superior goal difference to Northampton Town, meaning The Bantams could afford for The Cobblers to draw their final game of the season away to Tranmere Rovers. That said, they will also need an unlikely hand from already-relegated Hartlepool United, who travel to Stockport County, a team that thrashed them 5-0 in the reverse fixture. Should Stockport win their final game of their season, they too will finish on 81 points, but with their vastly superior goal difference the ex-non league outfit will nudge Bradford City into either 4th or 5th place, depending on the outcome of Northampton's game at Prenton Park.

Is there any cause for optimism, then, for Mark Hughes' men?

Well, Hartlepool United did rattle off a 3-1 win over Barrow at the weekend, in a game which left Barrow with just 9 men. They have also overcome Grimsby Town in a recent away day success, hammering the Mariners 4-1. Elsewhere and more recently, though, Hartlepool have slumped to 2-0 defeats against both Newport County and Salford City, though they were certainly competitive against the latter. A draw would be good enough for a Bradford City side that won both their final games, and Hartlepool United have seen exactly half of their last 12 games result in stalemates – could that be the ticket for automatic promotion for Bradford City?

Or will Northampton Town yet claim the spot themselves?

One thing is for sure: none of it will be at all relevant at Valley Parade on Monday 8th May if Bradford City fail to beat Crewe Alexandra on Wednesday evening.

Even if the prospect of an automatic promotion spot remains an unlikely outcome, the mere possibility of achieving 3rd place will have Valley Parade full – and bouncing – come the 46th and final League Two game of the standard season. It's all still at stake at Gresty Road.

Highlights:

Northampton Town 1 – 2 Bradford City



Crewe Alexandra 2 – 1 Swindon Town



Bradford City 0 – 0 Crewe Alexandra



Outlook:

Northampton Town were stunned by a late, late Romoney Crichlow header – his 1st goal of the season – a severe blow to their hopes of securing 3rd place. A trip to Tranmere Rovers presents a second chance to The Cobblers, and a victory will see them in League One next year regardless of outcomes elsewhere.

For Bradford City, they are doing everything they can to cling to their faints hopes of a massive turn-around that would see them avoid the play off lottery. Even though it is not a likely outcome, Bradford City will still head to Gresty Road knowing that only a victory will keep those hopes alive (if on life support!).

That Crewe Alexandra have the same fearsome home form as Northampton Town prior to last Saturday's game is cause for consternation; but not necessarily fear. If Bradford City can keep their discipline, win their individual battles, keep pace with Crewe's attacks, and compete as a team with something still to play for, they can win this game – in much the same way as they scored an unlikely win at Northampton Town.

Battered for the entire duration of the second half by The Cobblers, Northampton Town found goalkeeper Harry Lewis in inspired form. He will need to continue in that vein for at least the next 2 games, and possibly even a full 5, depending on outcomes. Andy Cook scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, an incredible feat, and Romoney Crichlow added his name to the growing list of defenders finally getting off the mark this season, albeit very late on.

There's perhaps just enough firepower in the Bradford City ranks to get something done in the last 2 games of the season; but City will also have to defend manfully against the likes of 14-goal centre forward Dan Agyei, 8-goal attacker Courtney Baker-Richardson, and a slew of contributors with between 1 and 3 goals this season. Avoiding the pitfalls of penalties and red cards against a pacey attack will be vital. Preventing Crewe from settling into a rhythm and becoming comfortable in attack – as well as defence – will fall to the likes of Alex Gilliead and Richie Smallwood being at their disruptive best. Moreover, preventing Crewe Alexandra from continuing their run of late, late goals at Gresty Road will be even more pivotal – the last thing this Bradford City side needs is another sucker punch at the death.

Can City get the job done, and ensure the last game of the season has something hanging on it? Or will the Leyton Orient fixture be a dead rubber for both sides?

It won't be easy – but nothing ever is when you're a Bantams supporter!

Odds:

15/4: Crewe Alexandra
11/4: Draw
7/10: Bradford City

Predicted Outcome (THE VOICE):

Crewe Alexandra 1 – 2 Bradford City
(Hold on tight...)