The Voice - Match preview Sutton United vs Bradford City Saturday 28th October 2023 3:00pm

EFL LEAGUE TWO FIXTURE #16

Saturday 28th October 2023
Sutton United vs Bradford City
Gander Green Lane

22/23 Results:

12 Nov 2022: Sutton United 0 – 2 Bradford City
10 Apr 2023: Bradford City 3 – 1 Sutton United

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

Won: 3
Drawn: 1
Lost: 0

Current League Form:

Bradford City: LDWWL
Sutton United: LLLWL

SUTTON UNITED

Sutton United sit bottom of the English Football League having registered just 7 points in 15 games with all of those points earned at Gander Green Lane. Away from home, Sutton United have been hopeless, equals only to Tranmere Rovers, another side with 7 defeats from 7 away days. At home, 2 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats is a statistic surprisingly matched by an even goal difference: a 4-0 win against Walsall and a 5-1 win over Notts County making up for their otherwise consistently poor performance even in front of their own fans.

Those two wins seem inexplicable on paper. The first, an opening day thrashing of promotion favourites and newly reinstated League Two side Notts County, most likely gave Sutton United cause for great optimism. Matt Gray’s men were already 1-0 up when County goalkeeper Aidan Stone was given his marching orders just 15 minutes into the new season, and from there former Bantam Omari Patrick helped himself to a brace, while Harry Beautyman and Harry Smith both added to Joe Kizzi’s opener. A 69th minute response from the Nottinghamshire side’s star signing in David McGoldrick did little to dampen the mood in London.

A 2-2 draw against League One Cambridge United in the EFL Cup most likely whetted Sutton United supporters’ appetites for the new season, but then things went wrong pretty quickly. 7 league defeats in a row were punctuated by another unexpected win, this time away at Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup, sending Sutton to the third round, whilst simultaneously sinking like a stone in the league.

Port Vale would then slam the door on Sutton United’s EFL Cup progress in the third round, and only a draw with MK Dons and the aforementioned 4-0 destruction of Walsall broke up the monotony of consistent league defeats. A pair of draws in the EFL Trophy furthered the juxtaposition between Sutton United’s league form and their cup exploits. They will face Charlton Athletic next in their final group stage game where they will bid to spring a surprise and qualify.

Omari Patrick was once again on the scoresheet in the club’s other big win of the season, opening the scoring after just 6 minutes. Walsall had no response, and target man Harry Smith helped himself to a brace that was split down the middle by a Joe Riley own goal. All the goals came in the first half, and Walsall went down with a whimper.

That game, in early October, was succeeded by 3 straight league defeats. A 4-1 hammering at Doncaster Rovers, a 3-2 defeat at home to Morecambe, and a narrow 2-1 defeat away at Wrexham saw Sutton United leave with far less than they deserved. Both Morecambe and Wrexham registered late, late winners, though they well beaten at the New York Stadium by Doncaster.

If late goals are Matt Gray’s men’s kryptonite, then at least that suggests Sutton United are keeping games competitive. Not something always expected from the club propping up all 91 other English league clubs, and not a bad trait when facing a club with a real problem trying to score more than 1 goal per game.

Top scorers Harry Smith (6) and Omari Patrick (5) will fancy it against a back line that just conceded 4 and was torn to shreds at Stadium MK on Tuesday night, while defender Ben Goodliffe (2) is the only other player to score more than once for Sutton United in the league. Former Bradford City players Lee Angol and Dion Pereira could potentially also feature, though more likely off the bench. Of the two, only Angol has got a league goal this season. Cup performances have been slightly more impressive, and Harry Beautyman (3 total goals) and Aiden O’Brien (2 total goals) have both played their part.

There are no players in the Sutton United squad that have started every game, though Joe Kizzi (14) and Omari Patrick (14) have at least featured in all 15 games after coming as substitutes for their other appearance. Ben Goodliffe (14). Omar Sowunmi (12), Craig Clay (11), Josh Coley (11) and Harry Smith (10) have been Sutton United’s other most reliable starters, though in truth it would be difficult to expect a settled side at a club that has performed so poorly overall this season.

Sutton United aren’t a side that dominate possession, and even in their two big league wins this season, Matt Gray’s men surrendered the majority of the ball. That is a pretty consistent statistic this season, though at home, Sutton United have generally had over 40 % possession, and against Morecambe clocked in at 54 % possession.

However Bradford City approach this game, be it seeking to get their foot on the ball or go more direct, they will come across a Sutton United side that generally aren’t that easy to beat at home soil, and both sides will be hoping for a little bit of luck if they’re to eek out a win.



Wrexham 2 – 1 Sutton United



Sutton United 2 – 3 Morecambe

BRADFORD CITY

Just when you thought you could rely on Bradford City once again, they go to MK Dons and do that.

The truth is, the score could have been 10-1 instead of 4-1, or at least 7-1 given the Dons hammered the woodwork on 3 separate occasions. Nobody covered themselves in glory, but the centre back pairing of Sam Stubbs and Ash Taylor had a particularly bad night at the office. Harry Lewis has been called into question for at least a couple of the MK Dons’ goals despite making some very good saves. Too little, too late as they say.

Andy Cook had a heavily strapped knee and never got into the game, as indeed he has struggled for most of the season aside from a hat trick bagged at Newport County in late September. That now feels like a distant memory, as underperforming players throughout the spine of this Bradford City side have derailed a season that promised so much after narrowly missing out in the play offs last season.

Andy Kiwomya and Jamie Raynor made the case that Tuesday night was a hangover from a blood-and-thunder performance against Wrexham at the weekend, but if that is the case, the Bantams simply must do better this weekend. Much better…

There just wasn’t anything to take away from that game from a Bradford City perspective, save perhaps that there were no fresh injuries. Jamie Walker and Richie Smallwood will be welcomed back with open arms after a dismal midfield performance led by player manager Kevin McDonald.



MK Dons 4 – 1 Bradford City

THE BREAKDOWN

2/1: Sutton United
23/10: Draw
11/8: Bradford City

Sutton United might sit bottom of the league table, but the fact that they have scored 4 goals in their last 3 outings is cause for concern for Bradford City fans, who simply do not have the creativity or firepower to really get their supporters excited.

That Bradford City have scored 4 goals fewer than Sutton United – who have lost 12 of 15 league games this term – is, frankly, frightening. Harry Smith is on better form than last season’s League Two top scorer Andy Cook, and Omari Patrick will fancy nudging ahead in the scoring stakes as well, particularly with a goal against his former club.

Harry Lewis continues to perform poorly between the sticks, and Stubbs and Taylor is a partnership that did not work in Milton Keynes this past Tuesday night. Fishing for positives, Alex Gilliead became one of only 3 Bradford City players to have scored more than a single goal this season, joining Jamie Walker on 2, and trailing Cook on 5.

Bradford City might just be thanking their lucky stars that they aren’t facing a side with the same slick passing ability and possession-based style as MK Dons. They must look at Sutton United – a side who have never beaten the Bantams – as an opportunity for a full complement of 3 points, especially given they sit bottom of the table.

If this were at Valley Parade, City might be even more confident. But given it’s away from home, and that Sutton United have shown flashes of good form on home soil, doubts might creep into the minds of the Bradford City players.

Given City’s impotence in front of goal, the pick, disappointingly, is a 1-1 draw. Let’s hope they exceed expectations under Kevin McDonald once more – but you certainly wouldn’t bet on them scoring 3, which is what Morecambe needed to do in order to get the win at Gander Green Lane recently…

PREDICTION:

Sutton United 1 – 1 Bradford City