Bradfordvs.Cheltenham

The hosts are currently second in the table, four points behind Walsall at the top, while Cheltenham are mid-table in 12th.

Match preview

Bradford come into this match in good form, having won 12 of their last 16 matches in League Two, to send them from 11th in the standings back in December to second less than three months later.

Their latest victory came on Saturday, as Michael Mellon struck a late winner in a 2-1 triumph to steal three points away to Salford City.

Having missed out on the playoffs last season by just one point, the Bantams are determined to ensure that they do not miss out on promotion this year.

The hosts are five points clear of Notts County in fourth, and ideally, they would like to go up automatically rather than through the playoffs.

They currently have a small cushion between themselves and the playoff zone, with that five-point lead over Notts County and a two-point advantage over Doncaster Rovers, who hold the third and final automatic promotion spot in League Two.

Bradford will still have one eye on the League Two title, with Walsall falling to a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Swindon Town at the weekend.

One of the main reasons behind their success over the last three months is their fantastic home form - the Bantams have only lost one home league fixture all season and have won more home fixtures than any other team in League Two, with a whopping 42 points from 17 home matches.

The hosts also have an excellent defensive record this term, having conceded 29 times in 34 matches, with only AFC Wimbledon having a better record than the Bantams at the back.

Of those 29 goals shipped by the Bantams, only 10 of them have been conceded in front of their fans, highlighting just how strong Graham Alexander's side have been at home this year.

On Tuesday, they take on a Cheltenham side currently unbeaten in their last four matches in League Two, having won two and drawn two of those games.

Included in that run was an impressive 2-2 draw with Walsall, when late goals from George Miller and Jordan Thomas rescued an unlikely point after they fell two goals behind.

The visitors are currently nine points off the playoff places, and they still have hope of sneaking into the final playoff spot to earn a shot at promotion in May.

The Robins will need to be at their best to get a result from Tuesday's match, but they do pose plenty of attacking threat themselves, having netted 46 times in 33 matches, the seventh-best attacking record in the division.

However, their defence has conceded as many times as the team has scored this season, so they will need to put in a stellar performance against a Bradford side that have only failed to score in six matches this year.

Notably, Cheltenham have performed considerably better at home this season, with only 14 of their 46 points coming on their travels, and Tuesday's match is the toughest away match in the division at present.

However, Michael Flynn's side can take confidence from their last meeting with Bradford, having claimed a valuable point in a 1-1 draw at the EV Charger Points Stadium back in October.

Goals from Neill Byrne and Luke Young in the opening 15 minutes of the game meant that both sides shared the spoils that day, but this time around, both teams will have their eyes on three points.

Bradford City League Two form:

W

W

D

W

W

W

Bradford City form (all competitions):

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D

L

W

W

W

Cheltenham Town League Two form:

W

L

W

W

D

D

Cheltenham Town form (all competitions):

L

L

W

W

D

D

Team News

Alex Pattison is a doubt for the hosts following a recent Achilles injury that ruled him out of the win at Salford.

Elsewhere, Lewis Richards (hamstring), Tyreik Wright and Ciaran Kelly are unlikely to feature following recent injuries, while Andy Cook (cruciate) is out for the season.

Meanwhile, Cheltenham will be without Tommy Blackwell for the foreseeable future due to a hamstring issue.

In a further blow for the visitors, Ryan Haynes has suffered a calf injury, delaying his return to action following his recovery from a long-term knee problem, and Scot Bennett is a doubt with a knee issue.

Bradford City possible starting lineup:

S Walker; Adaramola, Crichlow, Shepherd, Baldwin, Halliday; Smallwood, Khela, Sarcevic, J Walker; Leigh

Cheltenham Town possible starting lineup:

Day; Jude-Boyd, Stubbs, Bradbury, Adedokun; Dieng, Young, Thomas, Archer, Williams; Miller

We say: Bradford City 2-1 Cheltenham Town

Both sides are strong in attack and are usually good for at least one goal each in a game, so we expect there to be goals at both ends.

Written by

Tom Humphrey

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