Notts v Bradford... BIG match preview

Last updated : 22 February 2008 By Paul Smith
A striker who scores goals. Finally! Perhaps the missing piece in the jigsaw? Time will tell but certainly Notts' defence have been very impressive of late
Meadow Lane
and all the side have lacked is a regular goalscorer up top.

Now Danny Crow has made a big impact with a goal on his second debut, and things are looking much rosier.

Should he and Ryan Jarvis strike up a decent loan partnership, Notts will surely move away from trouble, starting at Meadow Lane against a strong Bradford City outfit.

Back to back wins have been rare all season for the Magpies, but the signs are positive that it could happen this time.

Bower... Possible return
Team news

Notts
- Kevin Pilkington is out after suffering an as yet unknown training ground injury and with Tim Sandercombe also unavailable Notts' plans are in chaos with no goalkeeper on the books. Gavin Strachan remains out with his hamstring injury, while Stephen Hunt is struggling.

Bradford - Mark Bower could make a return to action, while Chilean Willy Topp will figure despite a bizarre complaint of muscle tightening towards the end of every match meaning he is unlikely to last the distance.

Form guide

Notts
- One defeat in seven for Notts, but just two wins in that spell too, meaning you can either take the half glass full, or half empty approach. In that spell Kevin Pilkington's goal has been breached only four times and Notts are now 19th in League Two, five points above the drop zone. At Meadow Lane it is five wins, three draws and eight defeats.

Bradford - Back to back defeats for Stuart McCall's men going into this game. The Bantams have been inconsistent since the sides last met six games ago, winning two, drawing two and losing two. Away from home City have four wins, with five draws and six defeats highlighting why they sit in 15th. They are five points above Notts.

Last time out

Bradford City 3-0 Notts County - Valley Parade, Saturday January 12, 2008

A Peter Thorne hat-trick gave a dominant City a deserved three points in a
Thorne... Hat-trick hero
game where Notts were totally outplayed.

Thorne struck in the 34th, 58th and 90th minutes to complete a Bantams rout in front of a huge 13,494 at Valley Parade.

Notts never looked like getting anything from the game as they failed to muster any outstanding opportunities despite Ali Gibb and Gavin Strachan making their debuts in midfield.

The opener came after disastrous Notts defending from a corner that David Wetherall nodded at goal only for Hunt to clear from the line but straight to Thorne who scrambled it home.

Only stopper Kevin Pilkington prevented a bigger defecit at the break, denying Thorne and Barry Conlon, who went threough one-on-one and should have done better.

Thorne's second again came from a corner as he lost his marker Dudfield with ease and turned in the centre with a neat volley from close range.

In a game of few chances the former Stoke star completed his hat-trick in the final minute with the best of the lot, a fine finish from the edge of the area.

Key men

Notts
- For Notts to get anything from the game they will this time have to keep that man Thorne quiet as he often finds the back of the net against Notts.

Therefore it will need a nother big performance from captain Adam Tann who has been outstanding alongside Mike Edwards at the back in recent weeks, including being named in the official League Two team of the week after the Chester win.

Tann has got better and better as the season has gone on and his determination and bravery is ideally suited to stopping the predatory Thorne.

Bradford - It could quite easily be that man Thorne, but it was another who
caught the eye in City's easy win in the return fixture, creating the danger that led to Thorne's brilliance.

That was Jamaican international winger Omar Daley who gave the Notts defence a torrid afternoon in January.

His pace and power did a whole host of damage to Lee Canoville, and the Notts man must get the better of Daley as they resume hostilities this time out.

If Daley plays as he did at Valley Parade Notts will be under a lot of pressure, as his pace and ability to get to the by-line cause most sides in League Two huge problems.

Big battle

Crow's
matchwinner at Chester has got everybidy hoping that he is the man to be Notts' new striking hero.

On Saturday he will come up against one of the most experienced players left in the game in the form of City skipper Wetherall.

The former Leeds United defender has played in each of the divisions for City and has become a real Valley Parade legend.


Having announced that he will retire at the end of the season, Wetherall will be in no mood to end the season in disappointing fashion and will be dong his level best to deny Notts - and Crow in particular.

The winner of this could decide where the game goes.

Possible line-ups

Notts (4-4-2)
- UNKNOWN; Lee Canoville, Adam Tann, Mike Edwards, Paul Mayo; Ali Gibb, Jay Smith, Richard Butcher, Myles Weston; Danny Crow, Ryan Jarvis.

Bradford (4-4-2) - Scott Loach; Paul Heckingbottom, David Wetherall, Matthew Clarke, Ben Starosta; Eddie Johnson, Kyle Nix, Lee Bullock, Omar Daley; Willy Topp, Peter Thorne.

Prediction

I fancy Notts in this one. Momentum is a wonderful thing... 2-1 Magpies.