DPL v Bradford City

This fixture is seemingly perennial and although, looking back, my worry is that we have not been all that successful, the reality is that the 2 most recent results have been wins.

More recently, when we have won this season it hasn’t always seemed easily, nor has scoring goals, although we have been mean in defence. We have a scoring record based on one very good midfielder and header of the ball and some potentially good forwards. Moly, Middleton and Sharp and from time to time Gibson, are in this category, but without Bailey we would be struggling with a real goal-scoring crisis.

Depending on one man playing well is not a sustainable position and Moly being doubtful and Sterry still short of 100% readiness, makes one cautious about our ability to win matches against teams like Bradford.

On the plus side the defence is dependable but I’m inclined to feel that the best we can hope for is a draw. So I’ll be optimistic and go for a 1-1 draw with Gibson or Middleton the scorer of the goal.

I doubt whether Olusanya (whose contribution in midweek I did not see) will start, having been out of regular training for months and I am not particularly optimistic about his prospects because, not since Ironside, has McCann been good in choosing central strikers.