20-01-23. Match preview Vs Bradford (PA) AFC

Preview: Phil Lench

With the temperature expected to plummet to below freezing this evening, and to rise not much above during tomorrow, then it’s to be hoped that the frost covers that have been put on for the past few days now, to give this game against Bradford (PA) any chance of going ahead, will have done their job. The crucial area is in front of the South Stand where that part of the pitch stays in the shade throughout the Winter.

I fully expect all the above to be ok anyway so it should be game on and a big chance to get our home form back into some kind of order. Not having won at home since October 25th when we beat Chorley FC. Since then we’ve had four games at Aggborough and only picked up one point from a possible twelve, that coming against Hereford FC on New Years Day. As an aside in that same timeframe we’ve played away from Aggborough ten times.

Our last away game was at Dorking Wanderers in the FA Trophy last Saturday and possibly one of our better performances of the season although we lost 3-2 after two early goals either side of Zak Browns equaliser did for us. This time it wasn’t so much our firepower that could be faulted but instead our defence that was all over the place at times during the first half. It wasn’t good watching but we tightened up in the second half and with a bit of luck, and an extra five minutes, we could have taken the game to penalties and maybe a 5th round tie at Aldershot Town.

The Dorking game saw a long overdue return from injury for Alex Penny and also a place for another absentee, Nathaniel Knight-Percival, on the bench. The return of those two should see us much stronger at the back and, with it, hopefully the win.

We also had the first glimpse of our new on loan striker with Joe McGlynn making his debut. He looked a little unsure of himself but made some good runs into the box without much reward. He was subbed during the second half for Amari Morgan-Smith but he will need a little more game time before he get’s on the same wavelength as his new team mates. It was AMS that scored our second goal in extra time.

We’ll be without Caleb Richards for a second game after he injured his ankle in training before the Dorking game while Joe Leesley will be out for the remainder of the season.

Bradford have a few injuries with Mitch Lund injured at Spennymoor Town last weekend, Jamie Spencer out with a hamstring injury while there are also doubts with the former Harriers loanee Will Longbottom and Simon Richmond also picking up slight injuries at Spennymoor too. They’ll also be without the suspended Reece Staunton as well.

BPA come to us on the back of an improving season although they remain just above the relegation places in eighteenth, four places below us. In their last seven league games they’ve racked up three wins, three draws and just the one defeat with that coming last weekend at Spennymoor Town. 

That kind of form, compared to ours, is worrying but hopefully with the return of key players then we can begin to turn our form around. It all depends on the weather now.

Teams:

Harriers from:

Palmer, Emery, Penny, Knight-Percival, Foulkes, McNally, Pearce, Margetson, Byrne, Brown, Lissimore, Owen-Evans, K Hall, Martin, McGlynn, Freemantle, Bearne, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith.

Bradford (PA) AFC from:

King, Sykes-Kenworthy, L Hall, Havern, Odunston, Maroodza, Adewoju, La Bastide, Hopper, Brewis, Fielding, Richman, Lancaster, Dockerty, Church, Blyth, Preston, Smith, Johnson, Longbottom.

Referee: Mr Jonathon Maskrey. Staffordshire

Talk about the game here

Links to Bradford (PA) AFC websites here

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