PREVIEW | Wrexham vs Bradford City

Back home at last

9 February 2024

A clash between a title-chasing team who are coming off a rough patch on the road and a side still looking for their first league win of 2024. The stakes are high for two clubs eager to get back to winning ways.

THE WREXHAM ANGLE

It feels like an eternity since Wrexham enjoyed the comforts of home, not least because recent away games have been disappointing to say the least. However, Wrexham's home form remains strong, with the last 8 league games at the Stok Cae Ras all ending in victory.

The injuries which have beset Phil Parkinson all season seem to be clearing up, as it appears the whole squad will be available except for Rob Lainton, Anthony Forde and Tom O'Connor. That means the possible of a couple of home debuts: Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott made their first Wrexham appearances at Salford last Saturday, and will be eager to make a positive early impression on another big Stok Cae Ras crowd.

The sides have already met at the Stok Cae Ras this season, in the second round of the Carabao Cup, fighting out a 1-1 draw before City went through on penalties. The match started dramatically as City were awarded a controversial penalty after 90 seconds following a challenge by Aaron Hayden on Jamie Walker. Tyler Smith scored from the spot and City would hold onto the lead deep into the second half, despite Ben Tozer hitting the bar and Sam Dalby having a shot cleared off the line.

The equaliser came in the 72nd minute when Will Boyle headed home Luke Young's corner and the game went to penalties: The Bantams held their nerve to win 4-3.

LAST MEETING

THE OPPOSING VIEW

After coming close in the play-offs last season, Bradford have suffered a frustrating season, although a late surge of good form could still propel them into the top seven. Changing manager in October hasn't immediately led to an improvement in their league position as they stand in 18th place, exactly where they were when Welsh legend Mark Hughes was removed in October, although under Graham Alexander there have been signs of promise under the experienced gaffer, who made his reputation at MK Dons, Scunthorpe United, Motherwell, Fleetwood Town and Salford City, leading the last two to promotion.

After a tough start, losing his first two games to promotion candidates Barrow and Notts County, his side reeled off 6 wins in a row. Since then, league form has dropped off, and City haven't won in their last 8 matches in League Two, drawing 5 and losing 3. Despite that poor run of form and lowly league position, they're only 7 points off the play-off places.

City haven't scored in 4 of their last 6 games, and that lack of goal power has concerned their fans. Alexander saw promising signs in last Saturday's goalless home draw with AFC Wimbledon, feeling that his side are creating chances and will become prolific once they start being more efficient in front of goal.

“We cannot feel sorry for ourselves,” he told Bradford's club website.

“Our players are committed and they are not holding back, we just need that one goal, then we can hopefully build on that, and it can snowball from there. I thought we were the better of the sides. We had the opportunities. When we had the chances, we just could not finish them off.

“We just need to show that we have the required quality to score. It was a game we should have won, we just could not grab that goal to come away with the win.”

“January can be disruptive, with players looking over their shoulders of players coming in or out, but we are settled now and happy moving into the rest of the season.

“I was pleased with the defence and their performance. Our defensive structure is good and we have consistency to our defensive play. We just need to add the intent to score and that comes from all other the pitch. The strikers have the intent to score, and we need that from all over the pitch. Going forward we can hopefully add that. Whether it is from a set-piece or other means, hopefully we can add goals around the squad.”

It's surprising to see The Bantams struggle for goals considering the quality of the strikers in their squad. The prolific Andy Cook is a very familiar face to Wrexham fans, and not only because Dean Keates pursued his signature constantly during his two spells as Wrexham manager. Cook has scored over 20 goals in a season 4 times, and has often scored against us, most famously at Wembley when the sides met in the 2012 FA Trophy Final.

He came off the bench against AFC Wimbledon, having been withdrawn at half time in the previous match at Swindon, and Alexander explained to the Telegraph and Argus that he felt the totemic forward was taking the team's scoring struggle to heart and trying to do too much.

“I think Cooky needed a little reset. I spoke to him at length on Friday and he was really good about it. I watched him in the changing room before the game and he was really positive with the players supporting them. I thought he looked sharper with his movement when he came off the bench. Sometimes you just need a brain dump and then go with a fresh start.

“We can’t be a team that doesn’t give opportunities for performance or keeps going with the same line-up. We have to try things to try and win. I said to him that he looked like a ball of frustration all the time at many different things.

“We want Cooky to be at his best level. But we have to have a policy here where it’s performance-related as well. If we’re not winning and not scoring, then we have to give the opportunity to other people.”

While Alexander will hope that Cook will be rejuvenated by his mini-break, he has other attacking options available to him. Jake Young was on loan to Swindon Town for the first half of the season and was a sensation, with 16 goals and 4 assists. Half of those assists, and 4 of his goals, came at The Stok Cae Ras in The Robins' insane 5-5 draw last October. Inevitably, City recalled him during January and although he was substituted prematurely on Saturday, he will be available for selection.

“Jake reported a little bit of a tight hamstring at half-time," Alexander explained, "We were conscious of the fact that we lost Tyreik Wright after him not being with us and coming back and playing. “Jake Young hasn’t been with us for a long time and played.It was a precautionary message with him reporting something at half-time. He feels fine now."

“We couldn’t afford with the goal threat and pace we need in the front line to lose another guy who’s got that quality. We’ve already lost Tyreik for a few games and we can’t lose Jake as well."

“We worked hard in January, we brought in players, we improved our squad and attacking threat. We do not have them all up to speed but we will get there and we can build on that in training.

-Graham Alexander

Another option up front is Callum Kavanagh, son of ex-Irish international Graham, who signed on deadline day and made a lively debut off the bench on Saturday.

"It feels brilliant to be here. It is a huge club with huge ambitions, and this is a new chapter in my career that I am really looking forward to", he told the club website.

"I met the manager and we had a conversation, and as soon as we had spoken I knew this was the place for me. This is what I need at this stage of my career, and this club gives me a platform to progress as a player and hopefully achieve promotion.

"I would say I am an energetic player who likes to press, get in behind players and get in people's faces and ultimately score goals. I am here to win games.

"I am looking forward to getting on the grass and showing what I am about, doing really well in this league and for this club. I cannot wait to meet the fans and pull the jersey on."

"It feels brilliant to be here. It is a huge club with huge ambitions, and this is a new chapter in my career that I am really looking forward to.

"I would say I am an energetic player who likes to press, get in behind players and get in people's faces and ultimately score goals. I am here to win games.

"I am looking forward to getting on the grass and showing what I am about, doing really well in this league and for this club."

HEAD TO HEAD

Stalemate has been the usual order of things in our recent games against Bradford, with 4 of our last 5 matches being draws including two clashes already this season. City also drew their most recent Football League game at the Stok Cae Ras, in January 2008: Neil Roberts gave us a half-time lead, but a goal by Kyle Nix denied us victory and began a sequence of 3 draws between the sides in North Wales.

A sequence of draws was inevitable, I suppose, as that 2008 game was City’s first draw at The Stok Cae Ras since March 1969, and the last goalless draw between the two sides in North Wales was in 1949! In fact there has only been one 0-0 in this fixture home or away in fifty-four games since then, at Valley Parade in December 1982.

In the 1970s we won four consecutive games against The Bantams at The Racecourse, then promptly lost four out of five home matches to them in a row.

Our last win over The Bantams came in September 2004 when a Dennis Lawrence goal in the second minute decided the game, while their previous visit, for a League Cup tie in September 2002, had a memorable conclusion. City arrived as firm favourites as they were two divisions higher, and when they took the lead with seven minutes left against the run of play it looked like they would triumph. However, Andy Morrell equalised in the eighty-ninth minute and Carlos Edwards hit a dramatic winner before the game could go into extra time!

Our best ever win against Bradford was a solitary victory in the midst of that run of run of four home losses in five I mentioned earlier. It was a 6-1 win in an Autowindscreens Shield tie in November 1994 with Gary Bennett scoring a hat-trick in a game which ironically attracted the smallest ever crowd for a visit by City of just 1,407.

Prolific 1950s forward Tommy Bannan is our top scorer against The Bantams with 8 goals, 3 ahead of Ron Hewitt and Don Weston. On 4 goals are Gary Bennett, Arfon Griffiths and Jack Boothway.

As I mentioned earlier, Bennett has a hat trick against Bradford to his name; the only other Wrexham player to achieve that feat is Eric Betts in a 4-3 away defeat in August 1955.

A bruising encounter, the match was something of a reunion as Peter Jackson, who left Wrexham the previous season to take charge in Bradford, fielded his twin sons, Peter and David, who had both followed him to Valley Parade. Indeed, David opened the scoring but Betts kept us in the game, equalising twice. City took the lead for the 3rd time in the 80th minute, and when David Jackson added another 3 minutes later it looked like it was all over. Betts completed his hat trick with 5 minutes left to set up a dramatic finale, but Wrexham couldn't manage a 4th goal and travelled home empty-handed.

TODAY’S OTHER FIXTURES

AFC Wimbledon v Barrow

Crewe Alexandra v Crawley Town

Doncaster Rovers v Tranmere Rovers

Forest Green Rovers v Mansfield Town

Grimsby Town v Stockport County

Harrogate Town v Colchester United

Milton Keynes Dons v Accrington Stanley

Morecambe v Sutton United

Swindon Town v Salford City

Walsall v Newport County

On a weekend when most of the promotion-chasing sides will fancy themselves to obtain 3 points, the match of the day sees AFC Wimbledon, one point off the play-offs, take on 3rd-placed Barrow. Leaders Stockport visit Grimsby, and 2nd-placed Mansfield travel to bottom team Forest Green Rovers.

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

Jordan Tunnicliffe's 325th career appearance.

Match Reports

REPORT | Wrexham AFC 0-1 Bradford City

Red Dragons fall to late defeat at STōK Cae Ras

10 February 2024

Wrexham AFC succumbed to defeat against Bradford City at the STōK Cae Ras, as Andy Cook’s 90th minute strike secured a 1-0 victory for Graham Alexander’s side.

The hosts started the game strongly and had the better of the chances in North Wales, with Sam Walker kept busy in the Bradford goal.

However, Wrexham struggled to create the same chances in the second half, and they were eventually made to pay for not taking advantage of their earlier dominance in the fixture.

Arthur Okonkwo made a crucial save in the 83^rd minute to deny Cook from the penalty spot, but it wasn’t to be as the veteran striker eventually made up for his failed spot-kick.

Cook took advantage of a smart break from the visitors, following up on his initial effort to fire home with just added time remaining to give Bradford a vital three points.

Phil Parkinson named two changes to the Starting XI from last weekend, as Steven Fletcher and Eoghan O’Connell replaced Sam Dalby and Jordan Tunnicliffe in the side, with the Red Dragons looking to get back to winning ways in North Wales.

Paul Mullin got proceedings underway at the STōK Cae Ras, and it was the hosts who registered the first opportunity of any real danger on a sunny afternoon in Wrexham.

Mullin’s cross in the 8^th minute found Fletcher, who powerfully headed towards goal from close-range, forcing Sam Walker into an impressive stop early-on to keep the deadlock intact.

Andy Cannon was next to fire an effort towards goal, as he unleashed a thunderous long-range effort on his right foot which momentarily had Walker worried and scrambling in the 10th minute.

Parkinson’s side continued to gain further control in the match, as Bradford struggled to contend with Wrexham’s swift and efficient build-up play.

Ryan Barnett then tried his luck from range in the 21st minute after a slick one-two with Mullin, before unleashing a right footed strike that took a slight deflection to leave Walker scampering across his goal to push the ball past the post.

Wrexham’s best chance of the first half came after 26 minutes, as James McClean’s brilliant set piece delivery from over 40-yards out found Hayden as his powerful header drifted just wide of the post.

Just a minute later, Mullin was seemingly brought down on the break by a Bradford defender, raising serious appeals for a penalty kick which were waved away by referee Ben Speedie.

McClean then saw an effort of his own denied, as his half-volley from inside a crowded Bradford box stung the hands of Walker, while the visitors managed to deal with the rebound after 33 minutes.

The Bantams managed to register a few chances of their own though, as Alex Gilliead and Calum Kavanagh both attempted to test Arthur Okonkwo on the brink of half-time.

It didn’t cause the 22-year-old any serious issues, as the sides went into the break level in North Wales.

While Wrexham enjoyed a relatively successful opening 45 minutes, Bradford should’ve taken the lead just five minutes after the restart as Kavanagh spurned a golden opportunity to give his side the advantage from close-range.

Ryan Barnett enjoyed a great deal of success down the right-side, often getting the better of Gilliead at left-back and managing to produce a delivery into the box to put the Bantams under pressure.

After 62 minutes, Wrexham’s number 29 found Lee with a pin-point cross but the Red Dragons’ top goal scorer couldn’t quite manage to get his header on target. His effort drifted agonizingly wide of the post, as the hosts continued in their search of an opener.

Parkinson rolled the dice with 20 minutes remaining, as new signing Luke Bolton and Sam Dalby came on in place of Barnett and Steven Fletcher.

Chances started to become few and far between, as both teams battled away in a tense second-half showing, with Wrexham not able to quite make the same impact as in the first 45 minutes.

Jack Marriott came on to make his home debut for Wrexham as he replaced Paul Mullin for the final ten minutes of the match.

Referee Ben Speedie pointed to the spot and gave Bradford a penalty in the 81st minute. Andy Cook stepped up to take the spot-kick for the visitors, having been brought down by Aaron Hayden to win the penalty.

In the most crucial of moments, Okonkwo stood up to the test and denied Cook, diving the right way and managing to keep the ball out of his own net as the STōK Cae Ras erupted in jubilation.

However, Wrexham were handed the cruellest of blows in the 90th minute as Cook went on to make up for his failure to convert the earlier spot-kick.

In a highly charged final few minutes in North Wales, the visitors broke though on the counter and found their number nine, who initially forced Okonkwo into a good save from close-range.

However, he could do nothing about the rebound, as Cook was fastest to react, firing home to send the away support into wild celebrations.

Wrexham continued to push on for an equaliser in the six minutes of additional time, but failed to convert any of their chances as they fell to a late defeat against the Bantams.

Wrexham AFC: Okonkwo, Hayden, Tozer (C), O'Connell, Barnett (Bolton 70’), Cannon (Jones 81’), Evans, Lee, McClean (Mendy 87’), Mullin (Marriott 81’), Fletcher (Dalby 70’).

Subs not used: Howard, Cleworth, Mendy.

Bradford City: Walker, Halliday, Platt, Smallwood (C), Kavanagh (Young 64’), Cook, Gilliead, Kelly, Chapman (Odour 64’) (Stubbs 90+2’), Tomkinson, Richards (McDonald 41’).

Subs not used: Doyle, Smith, Pointon.

Match Attendance: 12,447 (1,153)

Match Reports

Ticket News

TICKET NEWS | Wrexham AFC vs Bradford City on sale to Club members from Monday January 15 at 10am

Tickets for Bradford fixture on sale Monday to Club members

15 January 2024

Tickets for our Sky Bet League Two match against Bradford City on Saturday, February 10 at the STōK Cae Ras will go on sale to all Club members from 10am today.

Digital match tickets can be used for this fixture, and to use this feature select print-at-home/digital tickets, and you will receive an email with a link to your digital ticket, which can be added to your Apple or Google Wallet.

If you decide to use a digital match ticket, please ensure that your phone is well-charged, the screen is not damaged or cracked and that the brightness on your device is turned up whilst presenting your ticket at the turnstiles.

Members can purchase one ticket per account for the match, while the ticket ballot for UK members who are unsuccessful in getting a ticket, will open at 4pm.

In line with our previous ticket sales will be limited to a maximum of six per transaction – regardless of the size of your network for both in-store and online purchases.

How to purchase tickets

Tickets can be bought in-store or via our eTicketing website, at the below prices – supporters are reminded that online purchases are charged at a lower price to in-person purchases.

As in line with previous fixtures, there will be no queuing system in place for purchasing tickets for this game.

For instructions on how to ensure you have activated your eTicketing account and have the correct privileges attached, please see this guide.

Tickets can be purchased as eTickets/print-at-home or as paper tickets.

As ever, the Club would encourage supporters to use the eTicket/print-at-home option wherever possible.

The club advises fans to purchase tickets online to avoid disappointment, as tickets will not be exclusively held for those attempting to purchase in-person.

Ticket Pricing

Online Purchases

Macron Stand/Wrexham Lager Stand

Adult: £24
Over-65s/Under-21s: £19
Under-18s: £12
Under-11s: £8

STōK Cold Brew Coffee Stand

Adult: £22
Over-65s/Under-21s: £17
Under-18s: £11
Under-11s: £8

Temporary Kop Stand

Adult: £20
Over-65s/Under-21s: £15
Under-18s: £9
Under-11s: £6

In-person Purchases

Macron Stand/Wrexham Lager Stand

Adult: £25
Over-65s/Under-21s: £20
Under-18s: £13
Under-11s: £9

STōK Cold Brew Coffee Stand

Adult: £23
Over-65s/Under-21s: £18
Under-18s: £12
Under-11s: £9

Temporary Kop Stand

Adult: £21
Over-65s/Under-21s: £16
Under-18s: £10
Under-11s: £7

Any supporters requiring accessible tickets pay as per the relevant age bracket.

For any assistance, please email ticketoffice@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Accessible Tickets

Wheelchair users enquiring about our accessible viewing platforms, and supporters looking for tickets in, or more information about, our PG1 autism-friendly quiet zone should contact disabilityinfo@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Accessible tickets can now be purchased online for this game, speeding up the ticketing process for supporters.

All users who are eligible have already had their ticketing accounts updated with the required information and required number of companions.

As such, users will simply need to login to their accounts and it will automatically pick-up whether they are an ambulant disabled customer, or wheelchair user and allow them access to select the area which meets their requirements.

Users will only be able to select the number of companion tickets required in accordance with their eligibility criteria (i.e. a user eligible for one companion ticket will only be able to select one companion ticket).

Companion tickets will be auto-allocated to their own "companion" account which has already been created for each eligible user, will not affect the “one ticket per member” policy, and must be purchased with an accessible ticket (companion tickets cannot be purchased on their own).

The Club reserves the right to alter the process for accessible ticket purchases for any future matches.

Ticketing Ballot

As a part of the Club’s membership package, UK members can gain access to the ticketing ballot should they not be successful in initially purchasing a ticket.

After the discussion at the Club Advisory Board meeting and the subsequent members survey, the clear outcome was that Wrexham AFC supporters are in favour of changing the way our ticketing ballot works for home matches.

The allocation will be 25 percent of the initial available allocation of home tickets and so the number of tickets being balloted will increase or decrease on a game-by-game basis in line with factors such as the away supporter allocation and segregation requirements.

The Ballot will open at 4pm on Monday January 15 and close on Tuesday January 16 at 4pm.

The ticket exchange for Bradford City will be opened up at 4pm on Tuesday January 16.