The Voice - Match preview Gillingham vs Bradford City Tuesday 28th February 2023 @ 7:45pm

League Two Fixture #32

Tuesday 28th February 2023 19:45
Gillingham (20th) vs Bradford City (8th)
Priestfield Stadium

Most Recent Results:

1: Bradford City 1 – 1 Mansfield Town
2: Stevenage 2 – 3 Bradford City
3: Bradford City 2 – 0 Tranmere Rovers
4: Bradford City 0 – 1 Barrow
5: Doncaster Rovers 0 – 1 Bradford City

Form: WLWWD

1: Gillingham 1 – 0 Crawley Town
2: Mansfield Town 2 – 0 Gillingham
3: Gillingham 2 – 1 Grimsby Town
4: Rochdale 0 – 2 Gillingham
5: Gillingham 2 – 1 AFC Wimbledon

Form: WWWLW

Head-to-Head Results:

Head-to-Head Form: DLWWD

04 Feb 217: Bradford City 2 – 2 Gillingham
12 Aug 2017: Gillingham 0 – 1 Bradford City
24 Mar 2018: Bradford City 1 – 0 Gillingham
27 Oct 2018: Gillingham 4 – 0 Bradford City
22 Apr 2019: Bradford City 1 – 1 Gillingham

Head-to-Head Results (All Time):

Won: 14
Drawn: 16
Lost: 23

Biggest Margin of Victory:

14 Sep 2001: Bradford City 5 – 1 Gillingham
23 Feb 2002: Gillingham 0 – 4 Bradford City
27 Oct 2018: Gillingham 4 – 0 Bradford City

NEW FEATURE!

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

Mansfield Town: WIN followed by DRAW – Regression
Stevenage: WIN followed by WIN – Equal
Tranmere Rovers: WIN followed by WIN – Equal
Barrow: DEFEAT followed by DEFEAT
Doncaster Rovers: DRAW followed by WIN

Results so far: The second half of the season has seen an improvement by 1 point



Gillingham 2022/23:
Gillingham's upswing in form has coincided with the appointments of Director of Football Kenny Jackett and Head of Recruitment Andy Hessenthaler

There is no substitute for experience, and Gillingham have done a fantastic job of underlining that point in recent times. With the club, under manager Neil Harris, floundering at the wrong end of the table come January, the owners made the bold decision of appointing vastly experienced manager Kenny Jackett as Director of Football, and Gillingham legend Andy Hessenthaler as Head of Recruitment. Based partly on the success of a resulting January transfer window in conjunction with these pivotal appointments, The Gills have since won 6 of their last 8 League Two games, losing just once.

The good times have been in particular effect at the Priestfield Stadium, with Gillingham winning all 4 games since Jackett and Hessenthaler's arrival in early January, albeit against 4 sides in the bottom half of the League Two table. Even Gillingham's pathetic away record has improved with 2 wins – their first on the travels in the league this season!

A bad time, then, to play Gillingham for Bradford City?

Statistically, there's nothing massively impressive about the way Gillingham are playing. Shots on target/off target have been well within the normal range for the Kent side, while possession continues to hover around the 50 % mark in most games, but frequently falling to below 39 % against the likes of Crawley Town and Rochdale – and as low as 28 % in the remarkable 3-3 draw at Swindon Town (when Gillingham were 3-1 up after just 13 minutes)...

So what has been the difference? With 7 new arrivals in January, including centre forward Tom Nichols (who scored 3 goals in his first 4 appearances, but none since), Gillingham appear to have reinforced well – and at reasonable expense. A double-swoop for Mansfield Town pair Oli Hawkins and George Lapslie has provided a significant boost to creativity, while ex-Bantam Tim Dieng has also featured heavily.

Goals, then, from all 4 aforementioned new boys have Gillingham firing on all cylinders, and slowly pulling away from the dreaded drop zone. The bad news for the immediate future, however, is that both Tom Nichols and Tim Dieng limped off before half time in the recent 2-1 home win over AFC Wimbledon, which will no doubt be a huge blow to Harris' new look side.

To soften that blow, Harris has been able to call upon the experience of former Millwall forward Aiden O'Brien in place of Nichols. While yet to get off the mark this season, O'Brien, a late capture from Shrewsbury Town on loan, certainly has the pedigree to cause problems in League Two.

Serious plaudits go to Jackett and Hessenthaler, then, but it's under Neil Harris as manager that Gillingham's revival takes place. Still a relatively direct force, one recent aspect of improvement has been Gillingham's increasing versatility from set pieces, throw ins, and wide positions. While Bradford City can expect their defence to come under intense pressure from such situations, remaining alive to the threat of Gillingham mixing things up with short throw in routines will be as much a test of concentration as it will physicality.

The question must be, can Bradford City match their opponents in this regard, and make the most of any opportunities to launch counter raids?

NOTE: I would like to extend best wishes to Olly Lee, who has had to make the difficult decision to retire at the age of just 31 this week due to a combination of psoriatic arthritis and Reynaud's condition. Good luck in your coaching career, Olly.

Bradford City 2022/23:
Bradford City remain, pound for pound, one of the most potent away teams in League Two

Victory at Doncaster Rovers consigned the home defeat against Barrow to the history books, and City fans might actually relish the fact Bradford City's next game, again, takes place away from home. Victory here, and City will officially be the most proficient raiders of opposition grounds in the division!

Will it happen, though?

Certainly the West Yorkshire club are looking extremely strong defensively lately, with just 4 goals conceded in their last 7 games (home or away) – but it's going forward that seems to be the most problematic aspect of City's play at the moment.

Victory at Doncaster Rovers saw a third Adam Clayton corner converted since his free transfer switch from the Eco-Power Arena – against his former club, no less. Andy Cook, once more, was the beneficiary, marking 4 goals from his last 5 starts, and he will no doubt be looking for more at the Priestfield Stadium.

One bonus for City fans was the return to action for Emmanuel Osadebe on the 88th minute, with Dara Costelloe withdrawn in the only substitution conducted by Mark Hughes. Osadebe, the unfortunate victim of a broken leg in the reverse fixture on the first game of the new season, was welcomed back by a raucous City following of over 4,000 fans. It will be interesting to see if the former Gillingham player make an appearance on Tuesday night.

One area of potential concern might be how City fare in the stamina stakes with a second game coming in such quick succession (and another Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday scheduled for the coming weeks, as well). It's no secret that the midfield engine room is manned by a 32 year old and a 34 year old, yet there's nothing to suggest Clayton and Smallwood are struggling with the demands of a heavy schedule – but it might be that we see more Ryan East or Harry Chapman in the coming days to keep things fresh.

Romoney Crichlow, too, may factor given centre back Sam Stubbs' recent injury woes, while Jamie Walker has (astonishingly) already racked up 4 yellow cards this season – and could face an imminent suspension.

Highlights:

Doncaster Rovers 0 – 1 Bradford City



Bradford City 0 – 1 Barrow

.

Gillingham 2 – 1 AFC Wimbledon



Rochdale 0 – 2 Gillingham



Outlook:

Gillingham's recent revival, while impressive, has largely come by way of victories over relegation rivals. Grimsby Town (15th) and AFC Wimbledon (16th) aside, everyone Gillingham have defeated recently have been positioned in the bottom 6 – including all of the bottom 3.

That, then, is not representative of the challenge they will face in high-flying, playoff-contending Bradford City, who are as good as anyone in League Two on their travels. Indeed The Bantams have not lost away from home in 2023, and have an impressive record of 5 wins, 3 draws, and just 2 defeats from their last 10 league fixtures.

If Gillingham are to continue their recent run of form, they will need to be at their physical and disruptive best to get The Bantams off their game. This is possible, as was proven by both Rochdale and Barrow at Valley Parade lately, but will Gillingham's confidence be high enough that they pay no heed to City's form? And if so, can Mark Hughes' men capitalise with another dominant territorial display?

Gillingham's most recent game against a top 7 side – Mansfield Town away – saw The Stags record a routine home victory, suggesting Gillingham's turn-around may be just a little overstated. That's not to say Bradford City will automatically be the favourites according to sharp bettors leaning on recent results. Indeed the 2 goals Gillingham did conceded at Mansfield were a deflected strike from range and a penalty. Cut those anomalies out, and The Gills were certainly not totally outmatched.

It is likely, then, that a single goal – with an element of fortune or otherwise – could be the decider here. And while predicting City's form of late has been something akin to betting on a roulette wheel, there's just something irresistible about The Bantams when they arrive in a new town.

Odds:

15/8: Gillingham
2/1: Draw
13/8: Bradford City

Predicted Outcome (THE VOICE):

Gillingham 0 – 1 Bradford City