Plymouth ARGYLE vs Bradford City-Match Preview

Following the defeat to league leaders Gillingham on Saturday, Plymouth Argyle return to Home Park to face Capital One Cup finalists Bradford City.

Seventeen whirl wind days after walking out onto the Wembley pitch to perform against Premier League opposition Swansea City, Phil Parkinson’s Bradford City now make the long trip south to Devon to Home Park home of Plymouth Argyle in Npower League Two fixture which is to be played on a Tuesday evening in freezing temperatures.   

With fourteen points separating Bradford positioned in 11^th place and Argyle in 24^th place bottom of the football league, both teams will be aiming to achieve maximum points to guide themselves closer to the play-offs and to football league safety. 

The last time Bradford travelled down to Plymouth was on Saturday March 31^st 2012. The Bradford squad that day included current Argyle defender Guy Branston.  The result of the fixture was a 1-0 victory for Argyle after Juvhel Tsoumou, on loan from then his parent club Preston North End, had given the Pilgrims an early lead on 4minutes after Paul Wotton had delivered from a free-kick.  This season however produced a victory for Bradford when Argyle visited the Coral Windows Stadium on Tuesday 20^th November 2012.  An early strike on the 20^th minute mark from there Captain Gary Jones earned them the three points.  

Another player who will compete against his former club will be Will Atkinson.  The midfielder joined Argyle on loan from then his parent club side Hull City in August 2011. Having made his debut and scored the opening goal at the beginning of August 2012, he was re-called by Hull in January 2012 having made 25 appearances whilst scoring 4 goals for Argyle in all competitions. Having gone back to Hull, Atkinson signed with Bradford City until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent deal for the following season.  So far Will Atkinson has made 44 appearances for the Bantams whilst scoring 2 goals in all competitions.       

The visitors on Tuesday evening have surprised everyone this season by reaching the Capital One Cup Final which was held at Wembley.  To reach that milestone of the competition they faced though opposition along the way, beating Notts County, Watford, Burton Albion, and Premiership Sides Wigan Athletic, Arsenal and Aston Villa.  The finalists were Swansea City and Bradford City.  Unfortunately the Yorkshire side were beaten 5-0 by the Welsh side. 

One player who manager John Sheridan will be without is striker Gozie Ugwu, the striker was re-called by his parent club Reading on Monday.   John Sheridan will welcome Tyler Harvey back into the match-day squad after the striker has been scoring plently of goals in the youth team.   Defender Anthony Charles will be closely monitored leading up to Tuesday night’s fixture following a slight groin injury that he sustained in Saturday’s encounter against Gillingham.  Guy Branston will be set to face his former club when he will be named in the match-day squad to compete against Bradford City.            

 Available: - Jake Cole, Ollie Chenoweth, Maxime Blanchard, Jamie Richards, Guy Branston, Onismor Bhasera, Jason Banton, Luke Young, Lee Cox, Paul Wotton, Conor Hourihane, Paris Cowan-Hall, Andres Gurrieri, Ronan Murray, Jared Sims, Isaac Vassell, Reuben Reid, Nick Chadwick, Tyler Harvey, Matt LeCointe.       

Doubtful: - Anthony Charles (slight groin injury), Durrell Berry (knee injury), Curtis Nelson (groin injury), Rene Gilmartin (hamstring injury) 

Unavailable: - Jamie Lowry (ankle injury), Gozie Ugwu (been re-called by hometown club Reading), Warren Feeney (ankle ligament injury),