FLEETWOOD v BRADFORD – Pick: 1 AH0 – 02 February 2013

Fleetwood to take advantage of distracted Bradford City

League One/Two Tips

Football – England – League Two

Saturday 2nd February 2013 – Kickoff:  1500hrs

Fleetwood Town entertain Capital One Cup finalists Bradford City at their Highbury Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the hosts look to record back-to-back home wins following their impressive display against Oxford United last weekend.

Fleetwood overcame Oxford United in a 3-0 win and that’s not their only top scalp recently as The Cod Army have seen off second placed Port Vale 2-0 at Vale Park no less and they’ve also taken a point off Southend United and League Two leaders Gillingham as well.

Fleetwood Town have lost just once in their last five at home which was a surprise 0-3 defeat to unpredictable Bristol Rovers, but they have more than held their own in their inaugural season in the football league and can be very proud of their season so far with a home record which stands at  6-5-4  19/16 and all three points today could in fact put them third depending on other results.

Onto the visitors Bradford City then, and perhaps it may be unfair to say they have other things on their mind right now, but their last league win was back on Boxing Day when they beat lowly Accrington Stanley 2-1. Since then, they’ve claimed the Premiership scalp of Aston Villa to reach the Capital One cup final, but this also coincides with The Bantams taking just one point from the last possible twelve – a 0-0 draw at Morecambe their only return in their last four league matches.

Defeats to Rochdale 2-4 at home, a 0-2 loss at Barnet and a 1-2 reverse at home to Oxford United provide proof of their cup exploits being a distraction from their league ‘bread and butter’ and they have subsequently dropped out of the play-off pack and manager Phil Parkinson knows he has a hell of a job to keep his players’ minds on the job in hand right now.

Bradford City’s away form reads  3-5-5  15/20 and they’ve won just once in their last six on the road which was a 2-0 win at fourth from bottom club Aldershot Town back in mid-November. Draws at Bristol Rovers, Southend United and Morecambe haven’t been enough to prevent them dropping out of the top seven and they now face a side who have very realistic ambitions of achieving a play-off place in their first season in League Two.

The incentive is definitely very real for Fleetwood here today – grab all three points to move into a play-off position and topple the Capital One cup finalists all in one hit. Fleetwood should be fully focused for this and they’ve seen off the likes of Port Vale and Oxford United recently as well. I’ll back Fleetwood with the round ball just in case but it’s still tempting odds. Could be a 2-1 win for Fleetwood.

Pick:  Fleetwood Town AH0 (Draw No Bet) @ 1.98 Pinnacle looks a good price