Preview: Bradford City v Hartlepool United

By Albatross
March 18 2005

It's getting close to the crunch time: Hartlepool United travel to Bradford City knowing that anything less than a win at Valley Parade could see them drop out of the Playoff Places. Meanwhile the Bantams aren't out of the running either...

Five points behind Pools and having played a game more, Bradford are not quite out of the playoff picture yet although they are starting to look like outsiders. Even so, that's not a bad achievement at all considering the state of the club in the close season; certainly few people expected them to do best of the relegated clubs.

Colin Todd has though managed to keep some key players from last season and with some shrewd signings and use of the loan system has stabilised things on the pitch, although they are considerably lower now than they were earlier on in the season. The former Everton pair of Steve Schumacher and Michael Symes, Darren Holloway, Lee Crooks, Donovan Ricketts, Owen Morrison, Andy Cooke and Craig Armstrong have all arrived permanently since the summer, while the likes of Dele Adebola, Neil Roberts and currently Paul Tierney and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson have all been on loan at Valley Parade.

Quite a few of those players are forwards, and to an extent that highlights one of City's problems. Veteran Dean Windass is having an Indian Summer to his career and has hit 20 in the League alone; but support in the goalscoring stakes has been sadly lacking. Nobody else has got more than four in the League, with defender David Wetherall and midfielder Schumacher on that tally. Cooke is currently the player that Todd is playing alongside Windass, and he's scored three in eleven games since arriving a couple of months ago.

Recent form hasn't been too hot - they've won just two of their last twelve, against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday, and suffered defeats aginst the likes of Blackpool and possibly more embarrassingly at home to MK Dons, who came away from Valley Parade with a 4-1 victory. Their home form is actually looking like a real problem; they've earned more points away this season, and although they won their last home game against Huddersfield, that was their first home victory in ten games. From being in an Automatic Promotion spot in October, they have slowly drifted into mid-table.

As far as team news for the Bantams go, the main decision for Todd seems to be whether to recall Lee Crooks, and if so who for - he could replace Bridge-Wilkinson, or alternatively the on-loan Stockport player could be pushed out wide and Ben Muirhead could make way. The midfield apparently lacked bite in last weekend's draw with Peterborough, so Todd may well decide to go for the more combatative Crooks.

For Pools, the news on the injury front is improving at last. Despite last weekend's widely reported shenanigans involving Adam Boyd the club has yet to state that he's an injury doubt so he will probably play; meanwhile Chris Westwood, Mark Tinkler and Hugh Robertson are all back in contention, and although Jack Ross is still missing even he may only be a couple of weeks away from an earlier than expected return. Cooper is therefore faced with the problem of who to leave out.... I suspect we may see Westwood coming back into the centre of defence and Clark asked to play at right back; the choice in midfield is harder though, with Gavin Strachan having done enough in most eyes to deserve to retain his place but also the feeling that Tinkler and Strachan in the centre would be essentially trying to do the same job. 3-5-2 isn't out of the question, but in that case Humphreys may end up having to play as a wing-back unless Cooper is prepared to drop Sweeney.

Having lost four on the bounce this is now a crucial game for Pools. Win and we're back in the driving seat for a playoff place; lose, and we may well be on the outside looking in for the first time since New Year. Bradford have been pretty terrible at home recently, and seem over-reliant on Windass to score the goals for them. I'll go for Pools to keep it tight and then snatch a 1-0 victory with Joel Porter scoring the winner for Pools.