Match Preview: Oldham Athletic vs Bradford City

Article by Bradford Correspondent Tim Feather

Kick Off: 3:00pm

Boundary Park

Bradford City go in to Sunday’s game against the in-form Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park. They will be looking to put Tuesday’s disappointing draw with Notts County behind them and continue the fantastic away form they showed against MK Dons last weekend. Some of the Bantams players were hit by a bug at the start of the week but six players are now fighting fit with the only one first team player suffering, Caleb Folan.

The most positive news of the week is that James Hanson has put pen to paper and signed for a three year contract keeping him at the club until July 2017. City boss Phil Parkinson told the Official Bradford City Website, "We're all very pleased that James has signed again with the football club. It is very important that we keep our best players here at the club.” Hanson is one of the most important players for the club and over the years he has grown from a boy into a man with Bradford. Parkinson said "He has done very well for the club since he's been here. He has been improving over the years and he's going to keep improving.” It is a real boost for Bradford, with constant transfer speculation surrounding Hanson and Wells; it is good to have one half of the duo signed for the long term.

Phil Parkinson has got some decisions to make regarding the team to pick after the substitutions on Tuesday night really made a positive impact on the game. Nathan Doyle gave Bradford much more stability in the midfield and controlled the game and Mark Yeates earned City a point with his goal. The Bantam’s boss said, I'm pleased that our substitutes have come on and made an impact in recent games. Having four different goal scorers in the last two games is also a positive for Parkinson, who will be looking to try and find a run of form to move away from the chasing pack. He has set the Bantams a mini target of still being in the play-off positions going into the FA Cup break next week, “We want to go into the break in good spirits. We’ll need an all-out effort because they are on a good run but a win keeps us in the top six – there’s that carrot definitely.”

Similarly to the ambitions Parkinson has set out, Oldham Athletic boss Lee Johnson is aiming to make Sunday’s match one that will help the Latics become play-off contenders themselves; "It is a six-pointer so far as we are concerned. If we have serious ambitions about getting into the play-offs, it's a game we have to win,” However, Johnson has not been drawn into taking the Bantams recent run of form too lightly and knows how dangerous they can be, "They are a direct side, but I have an awful lot of respect for them and for what Phil Parkinson has done - where he has taken them from.“ He has a lot of respect for everything Phil Parkinson has done at Bradford, but will be looking to get the win on Sunday.

Bradford City haven’t won against Oldham Athletic since 1997 when they won 2-1 but have failed to win seven times since then, drawing once. Oldham have not lost in all competitions since the 29th October enjoying a good run of form in the cups this season. In the past three weeks they have accomplished three impressive wins against Wolves in the FA Cup and Shrewsbury and Gillingham in the league. Bradford City have no injury or suspension concerns and should be up to full fitness. For Oldham, new loan signings, Ellis Plummer and Wade Joyce are set to make an appearance, but Christian Montano, Edjis Joksts and Kirk Millar are expected for extended spells on the slide-lines.

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