Barrowvs.Bradford

The Bluebirds, who triumphed 2-0 in the reverse fixture back in November, will be looking to complete the double over the visitors and inch closer to the coveted third automatic promotion spot.

Match preview

Barrow's recent pursuit of automatic promotion suffered a setback after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Swindon Town at Holker Stadium.

This defeat follows a 2-1 loss to Morecambe, extending their winless run to two games. Prior to this slump, they were unbeaten for six matches, putting them firmly in the conversation for automatic promotion.

Currently sitting in fifth place with 67 points (18 wins, 13 draws, and 10 losses), Barrow trail third-placed MK Dons by seven points. However, MK Dons have two games in hand.

With only five games remaining in the season, Pete Wild's men need maximum points from their remaining fixtures to stay in contention for automatic promotion. A win against Bradford on Tuesday night is crucial for their aspirations.

Barrow boast a strong record against Bradford, winning four out of their last seven meetings. They also drew once and lost twice. Notably, three of those victories came in their last three encounters, with the November win giving them a chance to secure a second consecutive double over the Bantams.

Meanwhile, Bradford City are comfortably safe from relegation, sitting 14th in the table with a 19-point lead over the drop zone. However, they are eight points adrift of the playoff places with four matches left to play.

Following a playoff semi-final defeat to Carlisle United last season, Bradford have endured a disappointing campaign and this led to the dismissal of manager Mark Hughes in October 2023.

After a brief stint under caretaker manager Kevin McDonald, Bradford appointed Graham Alexander. While Alexander started his tenure with two losses, he oversaw an impressive eight-game unbeaten run, including six consecutive victories. Unfortunately, that successful spell proved to be a temporary blip.

Bradford's season has been defined by inconsistency. In the 20 matches since their unbeaten run, they have managed just eight wins, while losing the remaining eight.

However, they head into the Barrow clash on a high after securing a 1-0 victory over Gillingham on Saturday, thanks to a first-half goal from Bradley Halliday.

Barrow League Two form:

D

D

W

W

L

L

Bradford City League Two form:

L

L

L

W

D

W

Team News

Barrow will remain without Irish defender Niall Canavan who is set to sit out his seventh consecutive game after coming off injured against Gillingham on March 3.

Twenty-year-old midfielder Luca Stephenson has also missed the last two games and is a doubt for Tuesday's game.

Cole Stockton has scored seven goals in 14 matches since his January loan move from Burton Albion and we expect the 30-year-old to spearhead the Bluebirds' attack once again alongside Dom Telford.

Bradford will remain without midfielder Alex Pattison, who is set to continue his lengthy spell on the treatment table after a severe back injury in December.

Alex Gilliead has missed the previous three matches and is a doubt once again for this one.

Barrow possible starting lineup:

Farman; Ray, Chester, Feely; Warren, Spence, Campbell, Gotts, Whitefield; Telford, Stockton

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

Walker; Oyegoke, Platt, Kelly; Halliday, Walker, Smallwood, Richards; Pointon; Smith, Kavanagh

We say: Barrow 2-1 Bradford City

Barrow hold the upper hand in this fixture due to their solid home record and recent dominance over Bradford. Though the hosts have lost their last two matches, we expect them to end this streak against the visitors on Tuesday.

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