The Voice - Match preview Newport County vs Bradford City Saturday 11th March 2023 @ 3:00pm

League Two Fixture #35

Saturday 11th March 2023 15:00
Newport County (18th) vs Bradford City (5th)
Rodney Parade

Most Recent Results:

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

Form: DWWWL

1: Walsall 1 – 1 Newport County
2: Hartlepool United 0 – 1 Newport County
3: Newport County 0 – 2 Sutton United
4: Salford City 3 – 1 Newport County
5: Grimsby Town 1 – 1 Newport County

Form: DLLWD

Head-to-Head Results:

Head-to-Head Form: WDDLL

24 Oct 2020: Bradford City 0 – 3 Newport County
09 Mar 2021: Newport County 2 – 1 Bradford City
09 Oct 2021: Newport County 0 – 0 Bradford City
26 Mar 2022: Bradford City 0 – 0 Newport County
13 Aug 2022: Bradford City 2 – 0 Newport County

Head-to-Head Results (All Time):

Won: 21
Drawn: 8
Lost: 18

Biggest Margin of Victory:

23 Jan 1960: Bradford City 6 – 2 Newport County [League Division Three]

NEW FEATURE!

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

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

Results so far: The second half of the season has seen an improvement by 2 point



Newport County 2022/23:
Graham Coughlan lauds 'show of character' as trend of improvement continues after poor start under James Rowberry led to his dismissal in October

Despite laying claim to the joint second worst home record in League Two this season after a very poor run early in the season saw James Rowberry axed as Newport County boss, new gaffer Graham Coughlan has instilled much-needed steel and character throughout the Exiles' squad. That was not something achieved through a huge overhaul in terms of transfers, but rather hard graft on the training ground.

With only 4 new faces arriving at Rodney Parade in January, and only one of note on a permanent transfer, it's perhaps no surprise to note that Director of Football Darren Kelly recently departed the club for pastures new 'closer to home' (York City, if rumours are to be believed). Harry Charsley is the only senior professional to join on a full time basis, while young trio Matt Baker (Stoke City), Calum Kavanagh (Middlesbrough), and Charlie McNeill (Manchester United) all arrived on loan.

Heading the other way were ex-Bantam Matthew Dolan, Robbie Willmott, and Lewis Collins, all first team regulars sent out on loan deals. Fresh faces, then, but nothing like the level of activity that took place at other clubs (including Bradford City), and no doubt a slight disappointment for Newport County fans. Still, top scorer Omar Bogle (9) remains at the club, while all of Offrande Zanzala, Cameron Norman, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, and Priestley Farquharson have contributed 3 goals a piece.

With only 3 defeats in their last 13 league games, it's no wonder Coughlan is full of praise for his Exiles side.

In all of Newport County's recent score draws, The Exiles have hauled back their opponents after going behind – including twice at home to high-flying Stevenage. Most recently, Newport denied Grimsby Town at Blundell Park, while before that, all of AFC Wimbledon, Crawley Town, Stevenage, and Walsall were made to cough up leads and share the spoils.

Do not be surprised, then, if that trend continues at Rodney Parade this weekend. Newport County do not lose easily these days.

Still, with only 16 points from their full compliment of 16 home games this season, Newport remain rooted nearer the foot of the table in both it's 'home' calibration as well as overall (Newport find themselves in 18th place). That won't make ideal reading for a side set to welcome the best away team in the division.

Omar Bogle is suffering a mini-drought, having failed to find the net in any of his last 5 outings, and that has led to Newport scoring just 4 goals in their last 5 games in total. Defeat in their most recent home game against Sutton United, 2-0, is their only home defeat since December 10 when Doncaster Rovers successfully raided Rodney Parade for all 3 points, while Stevenage, Swindon Town and Leyton Orient have all failed to win in North Wales since.

Not the reading many City fans will be looking for after a hard-fought point at Walsall.

Bradford City 2022/23:
Fine margins for City as Andy Cook was denied by the crossbar at Walsall; but as a consequence, City managed 0 shots on target

0 shots on target is a miserable statistic at the best of times, but to have 2 such examples (Barrow & Walsall) in the last 5 games is almost mind-boggling for a side that are, otherwise, on fine form.

5 wins in their last 7 league games, with only 1 draw and 1 defeat to go with them, is nothing to sniff at, and represents promotion form – but that City are still being stifled by hard-working outfits like Walsall, and even Colchester United for the majority of the recent home game (thrilling ending aside), will be a cause of concern for some City fans.

Still, this is League Two, and players are nothing if not fallible. It wasn't that chances weren't on offer at Walsall – Cook's header from a Brad Halliday cross was the best effort of the game – but Bradford City will need to see a response against another hard-working, difficult-to-beat Newport County side this weekend.

It is notable that the Bradford City line up has not changed much lately, despite a run that sees Mark Hughes' men head into a fifth games in just 2 weeks, and it will be interesting to see if any alterations are made against a resilient County side – especially as Hughes continues to tinker mid-match with formations and tactics.

On an extremely positive note, both Mark Hughes and Andy Cook have been shortlisted for League Two awards this week, which comes as no surprise as the lethal forward has dispatched numerous clubs in his recent run of form. With 6 goals in his last 8 games, Cook has amassed more than twice as many goals as his Newport County counterpart Omar Bogle, and will be tipped to continue to take chances as they come.

Highlights:

Walsall 0 – 0 Bradford City



Grimsby Town 1 – 1 Newport County



Bradford City 2 – 0 Newport County



Outlook:

There is little in Newport County's recent form that suggests the North Wales outfit will be pushovers this weekend. The most recent side to take a win at Rodney Parade is Sutton United, who are enjoying quite remarkable form of late

That said, it's hard to bet against Andy Cook getting on the scoresheet these days, and the striker was desperately unlucky not to grab the winner once again at Walsall this best Tuesday night. Cook isn't a man that needs endless chances to find the back of the net; he is not only the division's top scorer with 19, he also boasts the highest goal conversion rate of any player in the top 25.

What's more, Cook is a creator; with 5 assists this season, no other player in the top 25 goalscorers in League Two can lay claim to as many goals laid on for other players, either. A monster, then, whose appetite in front of goal is unquestionable.

On the other hand, Newport County are a deft hand at clawing themselves back into games and grabbing a point after going behind. The script might suggest a 1-1 draw, with Cook opening the scoring say, only for a gutsy Coughlan-inspired Newport County to grab a leveller. That is unlikely to be seen as a quality result among the Bradford City fanbase, however, and especially at this stage in the season. With the top 3 once again in range (perhaps now more so than ever), the last thing Bradford City need are grinding stalemates, even against sides as hard to beat as this current Newport County incarnation.

Something special, then, is needed from Bradford City this weekend. With Carlisle United, Sutton United and Salford City the last 3 teams to defeat Newport County, and all 3 sides hot on the tails of a League Two play off spot this season, a win here would signal that City have every chance of not only a top 7 finish – but maybe even a top 3 spot.

All to play for, but don't expect this to resemble the poor Newport County effort at Valley Parade earlier this season that saw Newport end with 10 men.

Odds:

6/4: Newport County
23/10: Draw
9/5: Bradford City

Predicted Outcome (THE VOICE):

Newport County 1 – 1 Bradford City