Our game in hand is as difficult as they come.
For months now we’ve been able to say something along the lines of ‘three points outside the play-offs but with a game in hand’ well on Tuesday night we finally play out the extra game we have on the teams around us in the League One table barring Coventry who sit level on points with ourselves and a position above us and face a trip to struggling Shrewsbury.
It has been a difficult week for the Bantams. After that stunning loss to Colchester last Tuesday night a substantial reaction was needed on Saturday afternoon away at Gigg Lane but it rarely threatened to materialise. In a drab affair that played out to yet another nil nil final scoreline, our third against Bury this season, we rarely threatened. Apart from a Reece Burke header in the second half that went just wide, we only mustered up one shot on target against a mid-table side, the sort of team we need to be beating if the play-offs are a realistic ambition this season round. Once again we played well defensively, looking solid throughout as Bury were reduced to few attempts on goal but the lack of a clear goal scoring threat is still a worry.
As Parkinson and Darby stated after the match on Saturday, a point away from home can never be underestimated however. It’s another point gained at the end of the day whilst Coventry and Sheffield United slipped up again, both losing at the weekend to weaker sides.
Unfortunately there was an injury blow going into the dying embers of the match on Saturday as Rory McArdle left the pitch in some discomfort, Parkinson later confirming that the centre back and Bradford’s best player this season had suffered a dislocated shoulder during an awkward fall. Phil Parkinson later added; “It’s a real shame because Rory played well. He was right at his best.” Expect Nathan Clarke to partner alongside Reece Burke against Burton on Tuesday night.
Tonight we face very difficult opposition. The Brewers sit at the top of the League One ladder and deservedly so. For a team with little in the way of money compared to some in this division and an average home crowd of only around 4,000 Burton Albion sit nine points clear of third placed Gillingham with the game in hand against us to play and are good value for their lead at the top.
As far as the form table goes, like us Burton have lost only three times in their last ten league matches but have also won on five occasions including big wins against Sheffield United, Coventry and ourselves last month. Despite leading the way so far this campaign the Brewers are the lowest scoring team in the top seven but also boast the best defensive record in the league, thanks in no small part to the eleven 1-0 wins the Midlands side have recorded in League One this season.
Despite stating that he left the club on a sour note, we also welcome back former goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin whom made 125 appearances for the club before joining Burton in 2014 including coming on as a substitution in our 2013 League Cup final and starting in the 2013 League Two play-off final victory against Northampton.
A huge match coming up on Tuesday and the sort of game where we need to be fully behind our team. To finish with what Stephen Darby said after our match against Bury. “We’ve got two home games coming up and we’ve got to use that to our advantage. We have to build on that point come tomorrow night.”