| Wrexham look to build on our victory over league
leaders MK Dons last weekend when we entertain Bradford in this
rearranged fixture. Both teams have taken
advantage of having no fixture this weekend to bring forward this game from mid
February and Wrexham will be full of confidence after the impressive
display and performance last weekend.
The victory ended a run of eight straight defeats for
us and Bradford, who initially struggled to acclimatise to life in League Two
under Stuart McCall, are on a decent run themselves with three wins in their last
five games.
Bradford have paid the price for a difficult October
when they went on a run of eight games without a win, including six
defeats, and their 2-2 draw at Bury in midweek has left the Bantams in
seventeenth position with thirty-one points from their twenty-five games
Bradford are yet to win this season when trailing at
half time and their defensive record is matching their form in front of
goal this season.
Top goal scorers for the Bantams are Ndumbu-Nsungo and
the experienced Peter Thorne with six goals each.
Ndumbu-Nsungu arrived from Gillingham in the summer on
a free transfer whilst Thorne signed from Norwich on a similar deal.
Manager Stuart McCall has moved to strengthen his side
in the transfer window when he returned to his former club Sheffield
United, where he was assistant manager last season, to sign defender Ben
Starosta on loan.
The Polish under 21 defender will provide cover for
the injured Mark Bower after he was ruled out for six weeks earlier on
this month after tearing his cartilage in his right knee.
McCall has had a quiet January compared to Brian
Little with only Lee Bullock the only other arrival on loan from
Hartlepool since the transfer window opened but Paul Heckingbottom has
made his loan deal from Hartlepool permanent.
McCall is a former Bradford player and took over as manager for
the start of the season and this is his first
permanent job as a manager, but he did have a caretaker spell as manager of
Bradford in 2000 which lasted only two games.
Recent Encounters:
The sides last met in August with Bradford taking all
three points courtesy of a stunning finish from substitute Luke Medley
with twelve minutes left.
Bradford had opened the scoring Eddie Johnson after
half time and Neil Roberts grabbed what was a deserved equaliser five
minutes later but Medley's strike meant Wrexham left Valley Parade empty
handed.
Prior to this, the last meeting between the two sides
was on Boxing Day in 2004 when Wrexham collected a point in a 1-1
draw in West Yorkshire.
Our last win over the Bantams came in the same season
when Dennis Lawrence scored the only goal of the game after two minutes
at the Racecourse.
Bradford lead the head-to-head with 30 league wins compared to Wrexham's 21 and there have been 14
draws in the 55 league games between the sides.
Team News:
New signings Rob Duffy and Drewe Broughton have
completed their respective loan moves from Oxford and MK Dons in time to
be included in the matchday squad.
Their inclusions provides cover for Wrexham up front
with strikers Eifion Williams and Paul Hall ruled out with hamstring
injuries.
The same problem keeps Mark Jones on the side lines
along with fellow midfielders Danny Williams (back) and Sam Aiston
(ankle).
Peter Thorne is a major doubt for Bradford with the
experienced striker unlikely to be risked with his neck injury.
New loan signing Ben Starosta is in contention whilst
winger Omar Daley could play in a more central attacking role alongside
Barry Conlon if Thorne fails to make it
Elsewhere in League Two:
With Mansfield in FA Cup action this weekend, three
points over Bradford will see us leap frog the Stags and more
importantly off the bottom of the table.
There is a big game just out of the relegation zone
when third bottom Dagenham travel to fourth bottom Lincoln, which means
at least one team just ahead of us will be dropping some points.
Fifth bottom Bury are another team in FA Cup action
and sixth bottom Macclesfield face a difficult trip to Darlington who
are up to third position. |
