The Voice - Match preview #33: Bromley vs Bradford City Tuesday 25th February 2025 7:45pm

EFL League Two Fixture #33
Tuesday 25th February 2025 19:45
Bromley (10th) vs Bradford City (5th)
Hayes Lane

Record:
Games Won: 1
Games Drawn: 0
Games Lost: 0

Last 1:
24 Aug 2024: Bradford City 3 – 1 Bromley

Bromley:
Bromley are enjoying their first season in the EFL and currently sit 10th in the League Two table. That is probably higher than many would have assumed at this stage, especially given they sit 3 places higher than 2023/24 National League Premier winners Chesterfield, who won the 5th tier at a canter last season.

Huge credit must go to manager Andy Woodman who has not only guided Bromley brilliantly for the past 4 years but has managed to establish them as the dark horse in a promotion chase that remains very much ‘on’. Buoyed by the continuing form of striker Michael Cheek (16), the division’s joint top scorer and who joined the club back in 2019, Bromley have also shown they are shrewd investors in the transfer department as well. 6’6 centre back Omar Sowunmi joined in the Summer from relegated Sutton United, alongside proven quality like former Peterborough United and Stevenage attacking midfielder Ben Thompson, and Swansea City loanee Cameron Congreve. All 3 players share the mantle of second top scorer with 4 goals each, alongside home-grown talent Jude Arthurs, also on 4.

With goals throughout their team, then, Bromley are fairly consistently ‘above average’ in most departments. While they sit 10th in the table, they are 8th in the xG table, and roughly as good on home soil as they are on their travels. In fact, Bromley have picked up 21 points from 16 games at Hayes Lane this campaign, and 24 points from 16 games on the road. While that makes for a much more impressive ‘Away’ league table than it does a ‘Home’ league table, the truth is the points tally is very similar. Wherever they play, Bromley are a consistent goal threat and, on the flipside of the coin, not so great defensively.

Speaking of ‘consistently above average’, that statement also plays out when looking at Bromley’s runs of results. While a particularly poor early run saw them fail to win any game in an 11-match run, they then embarked upon a 15-game run wherein they lost just once. What followed? Another 7-game winless streak, followed by 3 straight wins to bring us up to date: in other words, the very epitome of consistency and a side that 'streaks'.

Bradford City, then, will have to take Bromley’s current good form very seriously indeed. 1-0 wins over MK Dons and Fleetwood Town followed by a 2-0 win over Harrogate Town might not seem like results to write home about, but few Bradford City fans would quibble if the Bantams achieved a similar run, nor should they. This recent patch of form also points to a key improvement: 0 goals conceded in their last 3 outings, a welcome statistic for Woodman’s men after conceding 40 goals in 32 games across the entire season. That is an uncomfortably high figure for any promotion-chasing side, and is only surpassed by Grimsby Town in terms of the sides above them in the League Two table. This perhaps lends itself to Bromley’s most anomalous statistic: they have the fourth worst xGA in the division, better than only Morecambe, Harrogate Town and Newport County!

Bradford City will certainly have to try and make the most of that particular ranking, then, and must hope to keep quiet the eye-catching January arrivals of Barnet hotshot Nicke Kabamba and ex-Swindon ace Harry McKirdy should they factor in this fixture. Both players have shown what kind of damage they can do at points in their career (certainly Kabamba more recently), and City fans may well remember McKirdy’s cocksure display for Swindon Town at Valley Parade a few years ago. That he has failed to rekindle that since will be some comfort, no doubt.

Bromley 2 – 0 Harrogate Town


Bromley 1 – 0 Fleetwood Town


Bradford City:
Bradford City’s march to promotion continued on Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 win over MK Dons. While their opponents started the game brightly, Bradford City established their superiority on the 11th minute courtesy of Antoni Sarcevic, who then put the game to bed on the hour mark with a second, beautifully taken gaol. The red hot form of Sarcevic has been a joy to behold for long-suffering Bradford City fans, and his matter-of-fact appraisal of the club’s promotion chances after the game was music to the fanbase’s ears.

Sarcevic believes Bradford City have everything it takes to get promoted, and the club continue to show that they can win games in a variety of different ways. City, for example, had just 35 % of the possession on Saturday, but you wouldn’t know it from the number of opportunities each side had, or the play in general. Bradford City were much the better side, and only the sight of Tayo Adaramola’s knee strapped to an icebag after the game, as well as the withdrawal of Alex Pattison on the half-hour mark were a major concern. Fortunately, Alexander’s post-match comments suggested both would be available for Tuesday evening’s trip to Bromley.

That’s great news for a City side who saw Michael Mellon put in a strong shift up front, suggesting they now have decent cover in all areas. While neither Tommy Leigh nor Jamie Walker look ideal centre forward options, both can fill in during Calum Kavanagh’s (hopefully brief) absence. The key here was having a player who could do a good job for 70+ minutes, and from this evidence Mellon looks likely to be that player.

More than that, Bradford City’s excellent defensive record continued, the club having now conceded just 1 goal in eight league games. That is a phenomenal record, and a big part of the reason City have the second best defensive record in the division across the season. Only AFC Wimbledon have had a meaner back line, hence they will be one of City’s fiercest rivals when it comes to establishing an automatic promotion spot – which is now very much the target, as opposed to a mere playoff place.

If City are to accomplish that, then everybody involved in the club knows there is just one thing left to improve: their away form. That could start on Tuesday night.

Bradford City 2 – 0 MK Dons


Newport County 0 – 0 Bradford City


Prediction:
There were hopes Bradford City might use the away trip to Newport County to get their away form on its way, but an early red card to Jack Shepherd understandably hobbled City in that regard. While debate has raged about that particular decision, as well as the non-penalty awards on Saturday afternoon, there’s no getting away from the fact that the ensuing 0-0 draw reflected well upon a Bantams side on excellent form.

That this was followed up by an immensely creditable effort at Birmingham City in the EFL Trophy semi-finals and then a comfortable 2-0 home win against MK Dons reflects brilliantly on Graham Alexander and his players. There is not only strength in depth on display, but a strength of character reminiscent of the heady days of Phil Parkinson.

Now, heading into an away tie against a side who have once again achieved some positive form and have won back-to-back games on home soil, it might seem like City should be installed as underdogs, perhaps. But that does not seem to reflect fairly upon the Bantams and just how well they are playing at the moment.

While there were certainly some nervy moments at Newport thanks in large part to the lively Courtney Baker-Richardson, and while Bromley have a man mountain of a forward in Michael Cheek to contend with, the fact is City do look well-equipped to deal with such threats at present. Once again, just 1 goal conceded in their last 8 league games is the stuff of nightmares for the opposition, and something to truly celebrate for the Bradford City fanbase.

It's time to start showing the defence the respect it deserves in these articles after incorrect predictions that goals would be scored by both Newport County and MK Dons. While Cheek could easily grab his 17th league goal of the season, and most likely will should he get his head on the end of a quality cross (and yes, Bromley do have quality wide men), the pick will nonetheless be a rare away clean sheet and the start of some momentum on the road.

Bradford City’s midfield looks irresistible at times, and Sarcevic, Pattison and Pointon could continue to get goals while Mellon looks for his first in a City shirt. The pick will be a 2-0 away win with any combination of those four players grabbing the goals that keep the good times rolling. Get past the first 10-15 minutes without conceding, and that will look evermore likely. Don't rule out a consolation by Cheek, though.

Final Score:
Bromley 0 – 2 Bradford City