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  • Writer's pictureCameron Calvert

Ridings Preview (North, East and West Yorkshire): Bantams Face Tough Test in First Match of 2021


Bradford have been busy in the transfer window adding six players so far.

After several cancellations to their 2021 campaign, Bradford City will be hoping to play their first match in over a month when they travel to the Abbey Stadium to face Cambridge United in League Two on Saturday.

The Bantams last fixture was on the 29th December 2020, where they played out a 0-0 draw with Port Vale at Valley Parade.

Lee Novak in action for Bradford City earlier in the season.

Cambridge United survived a scare away to Southend United on Tuesday night, coming back from a goal down to win 1-2 with second half goals from Jack Iredale and Joe Ironside.

Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars could name the same XI that finished late December's draw at Port Vale.

Winger Zeli Ismail is out for three months while Ben Richards-Everton has left for Barnet.

The Bantams have won just two league games against Cambridge since the start of 1990-91 season (P9 D2 L5), with one of those victories coming at home in December 2020 – the last time these sides played each other (1-0).

Bradford City are looking to win three consecutive away league games for the first time since December 2017 (four in a row).


Jack Muldoon is one of Harrogate Town's key players.

Elsewhere in League Two, Harrogate Town will travel to the Peninsula Stadium on Friday night to face Salford City.

Both sides drew 0-0 last time out with Harrogate drawing against Exeter City and Salford tying with ten-man Newport County.

Ryan Fallowfield is back from injury and, after featuring from the bench against Exeter, the intelligent right-back could replace Jay Williams here.

Will Smith is making progress on his long-term injury and the centre-back has been a huge miss.

This will be just the second EFL encounter between Salford City and Harrogate Town, with the Ammies wining the reverse fixture back in December 2020 (1-0).

The Sulphurites have only drawn one of their 12 away games in League Two (W6 L5), a 0-0 draw with Port Vale in September 2020.

Harrogate Town have won two of their last five matches (D1 L2), keeping just a single clean sheet.


Keane Lewis-Potter has been one of Hull's top performers this season.

In League One, Hull City face a direct threat to their top spot in the table on Saturday when they take on third place Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Tigers battered Accrington Stanley last time out by three goals to nil, with Mallik Wilks, Gavin Whyte and Josh Magennis on the scoresheet.

Portsmouth hammered AFC Wimbledon 4-0 in midweek, with goals from John Marquis, Ryan Williams, Sean Raggett and Ben Close.

Pompey have won four of their five third tier league matches against Hull City (L1).

Their only loss against the Tigers at this level came in September 1980 (1-2).

Hull City have one win in their last seven away matches against Pompey in all competitions (D2 L4), a 3-2 win in the Championship during the 2010-11 season.

The Tigers have just three losses in their 11 away matches so far this season (W6 D2), however, during those three defeats they have conceded nine goals.


All smiles for Boro last time out.

On Sunday, Middlesbrough will host Blackburn Rovers in the Championship at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro beat ten-man Nottingham Forest 1-2 at the City Ground on Wednesday night, with Britt Assombalonga and George Saville on the scoresheet.

Blackburn drew 1-1 last weekend against ten-man Stoke City with John Buckley grabbing Rovers’ goal.

Seven of the last 10 league meetings between Middlesbrough and Blackburn have ended as a draw, including the reverse fixture earlier this campaign.

The last five league meetings between Middlesbrough and Blackburn at the Riverside have ended as draws since a 1-0 win for Boro in December 2012 when they were managed by current Rovers boss Tony Mowbray.

Middlesbrough have not won a home league match in January since a 2-0 win over Derby in 2016, going 10 such games without a win since then (D6 L4).

Five of the nine Championship meetings between Middlesbrough’s Neil Warnock and Blackburn’s Tony Mowbray have ended as a draw – Warnock has won three and Mowbray has one win, when he was Middlesbrough manager against Warnock’s Leeds in February 2013.

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