BIG MATCH PREVIEW: Bradford City V Swindon Town

Get set for Saturday's game

4 March 2022

Swindon Town will be looking to bounce back when they take on Bradford City in the EFL Sky Bet League Two on Saturday.

The Reds are in EFL Sky Bet League Two action at Valley Parade tomorrow (3pm Kick-Off), and they will be looking for a return to winning ways after losing to Salford City last time out.

Bradford, meanwhile, will be looking to record their first win under new Manager Mark Hughes, who suffered a loss to Mansfield Town in his first game in charge at Valley Parade last weekend.

Allow us to get you set for tomorrow's action...

LAST TIME WE MET...

Jack Payne's penalty was the only goal of the game for Town who suffered a 3-1 loss at home to Bradford City on 23rd October 2021.

LAST FIVE

Season / Date	Competition	Result	Town Scorers
2021-22 - 23 Oct (H)	Sky Bet League Two	1-3	Payne (Pen)
2019-20 - 4 Jan (H)	Sky Bet League Two	1-1	Yates (Pen)
2019-20 - 5 Oct (A)	Sky Bet League Two	2-1	Yates
2016-17 - 18 Mar (A)	Sky Bet League One	2-1	Ajose
2016-17 - 26 Nov (H)	Sky Bet League One	1-0	Rodgers

FULL RECORD V BRADFORD CITY

P	W	D	L	F	A
41	15	13	13	60	55

TICKET NEWS

Fans can buy tickets on the day at @officialbantams tomorrow, but Bradford have a special QR Code system.

Please watch the below video to see how to do this tomorrow.

👇#STFC 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/a0Uo8X54Nt
— Swindon Town FC (@Official_STFC) March 4, 2022

Town fans can buy tickets on the day at Bradford, but please watch the video in the Tweet above to find out how to do this because you will need to scan a QR code in order to gain entry.

TEAM NEWS

Jack Payne has recovered from a knee injury and will be available for selection, but Louie Barry (ankle) and Ben Gladwin (hamstring) will both miss out.

For Bradford, Dion Pereira could be in line to make his first outing for The Bantams, Jamie Walker could make a return and both Tom Elliott and Charles Vernam will miss out.

A WORD FROM BOTH CAMPS

Mark Hughes, Bradford City Manager: "Swindon are doing well. They are a good footballing side, they like to knock it about well.

“We will make the players aware of what they are good at and maybe not so good at.

“I have watched their games and I have been impressed. I will continue to watch them.

“They may be slightly different to Mansfield. It will be another test, but a different test.”

Ben Garner, Swindon Town Head Coach: "They've got a good squad and if you look at them at the start of the season, they were one of the teams I felt a threat from in terms of they could really push through and challenge at the top of the league.

"For whatever reason that hasn't happened and they've had the change in Manager there now, but they've still got good depth, good quality and just look at the forward players they've got for example.

"They've got five or six front players there who are very good at the level and at a higher level, so they've got a good squad and a really experienced Manager now in Mark Hughes, and they will see that as a real coup for the club.

"The lift that a new Manager brings means we know it is going to be a tough challenge tomorrow but, as always, it is one we're looking forward to."

ONE TO WATCH

THEO ROBINSON is well-known to Town fans having spent a short spell at SN1, while he scored a stunning effort against his former team in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Robinson knows where the back of the net is and he has speed to burn, so the Reds will need to make sure they shutdown the striker on Saturday.

ELSEWHERE IN THE SKY BET LEAGUE TWO

Mansfield Town v Exeter City (Friday night - 7:45pm)

Harrogate Town v Hartlepool United (12:30pm)

Barrow v Walsall (3pm)

Colchester United v Port Vale (3pm)

Crawley Town v Scunthorpe United (3pm)

Leyton Orient v Stevenage (3pm)

Newport County v Bristol Rovers (3pm)

Northampton Town v Tranmere Rovers (3pm)

Oldham Athletic v Carlisle United (3pm)

Salford City v Forest Green Rovers (3pm)

Sutton United v Rochdale (3pm)

OFFICIALS

Referee - Paul Howard

Assistant Referee - Wayne Grunnill

Assistant Referee - Oliver Bickle

Fourth Official - Mark Cunliff

FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE

Not making the trip to Bradford City on Saturday? Don’t panic because there are numerous ways to keep up to date with all the action.

Live updates will be available on our Twitter and Facebook pages, in addition to our Match Centre on the website, which can be found at the top of the home page on matchdays.

In the wake of the game, https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/ will be the place to go with a full report, reaction and pictures available to view and read through shortly after the final whistle.

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT: Bradford City 1-2 Swindon Town

Reds win it at the death

5 March 2022

Swindon Town scored a last-gasp winner to beat Bradford City 2-1 in dramatic fashion in the EFL Sky Bet League Two at the Valley Parade this afternoon.

Gareth Evans gave the home team a deserved lead before the Reds hit straight back through yet another goal from top scorer Harry McKirdy.

It was an action-packed first-half and it was the same in the second-half, with the game having an explosive ending as Jack Payne hammered home a stoppage time winner from the penalty spot.

Town Head Coach Ben Garner was forced into the one change with Jonny Williams replacing the injured Louie Barry, while there was a return to the matchday squad for Jack Payne, who took his place amongst the subs after recovering from injury.

There was a late change to the Starting XI for the visitors, with Akin Odimayo coming in to replace Joe Tomlinson after the warm-ups were completed.

Bradford started on the front foot and forced the Reds to weather an early storm as Callum Cooke forced Jojo Wollacott into a great save down low, before Caolan Lavery curled a shot inches over the bar.

It was all one-way traffic with Wollacott having to be alert to come out to claim a cross from Alex Gilliead, before the Keeper did well to cut out a dangerous ball intended for Andy Cook, who was in acres of space with an empty net to aim at.

Bradford City_Swindon_0005.JPG

There was a golden opportunity for Town to take the lead against the run of play with Harry McKirdy doing brilliantly, beating his man before seeing his shot-cross cleared off the line by Yann Songo'o.

However, The Bantams' pressure eventually told as a cross into the box was controlled on the chest of Gareth Evans, who then proceeded to smash a volley past Wollacott for the opening goal of the game.

But, that lead was soon wiped out as Town hit right back with McKirdy glancing home a fine finish with the outside of his boot from a low cross from Jonny Williams.

Ricky Aguiar curled an effort wide after a corner was only half-cleared, before Wollacott came up with a huge save moments later as he denied Gilliead with his legs after the attacker was played clean through by a combination of Cook and Luke Hendrie.

Town should have taken the lead before the break with McKirdy beating his man before clipping a cross into the box, but Josh Davison could only plant his header wide of the post.

Bradford City_Swindon_0001.JPG

HALF-TIME: BRADFORD CITY 1-1 SWINDON TOWN

It was a lively start to the second-half as both sides pushed for the next goal of the game, with Aguiar slicing a shot off target before his next effort was cleared off the line.

Bradford then came close as Matthew Foulds saw his effort come back off the crossbar from a corner, before Songo'o also hit the woodwork.

The game was being played at a rapid and non-stop tempo with both teams going all-out for the win, but they were doing a good job of cancelling one another out.

Town made their first change of the game with 20 minutes remaining as Mathieu Baudry replaced Akin Odimayo, before there was a great chance for the visitors as Davison played McKirdy clean through, but the forward's shot was blocked by Alex Bass who got back to smother the loose ball.

Jack Payne then made a welcome and long-awaited return to action as he replaced Jonny Williams, before Aguiar fired a shot straight into the chest of Bass.

Bradford City_Swindon_0010.JPG

There was a golden opportunity for Town late on as McKirdy seized on a loose ball before letting fly, forcing Bass into a fine save as he tipped the ball over the bar.

However, there would be one last chance for Town and they took it as Bass brought down Ellis Iandolo, and Payne kept his cool to smash home the winning goal with what was literally the last kick of the game.

FULL-TIME: BRADFORD CITY 1-2 SWINDON TOWN

TEAMS AND STATS

BRADFORD CITY - Bass; O'Connor (C), Songo'o, Cooke, Cook, Gilliead, Foulds, Evans (Levi Sutton 81), Watt, Hendrie, Lavery (Theo Robinson 75).

SUBS NOT USED - O'Donnell, Threlkeld, Kelleher, Daly, Pereira.

SCORERS - Gareth Evans (17).

BOOKED - Paudie O'Connor.

SWINDON TOWN - Wollacott; Odimayo (Mathieu Baudry 70), Iandolo, Davison, McKirdy, Cooper, O'Brien, Williams (Jack Payne 76), Hunt (C), Reed, Aguiar.

SUBS NOT USED - Ward, Mitchell-Lawson, East, Parsons.

SCORERS - Harry McKirdy (21), Jack Payne (90+5).

BOOKED - Louis Reed, Harry McKirdy.

REFEREE - Paul Howard.