FA Cup preview: Cobblers to oust tired Bantams

 

Bradford performed heroics against Premier League opposition in the Capital One Cup in midweek but it could come at the expense of their FA Cup aspirations at Northampton on Saturday. Take some of the 7/4 on Aidy Boothroyd's men bringing them back down to earth with a bump.

The Bantams bridged a gap of 59 league places when holding Wigan to a goalless draw over 120 minutes on Tuesday, eventually winning through on a penalty shoot-out to set-up a money-spinning quarter-final tie with Arsenal. But, afterwards, manager Phil Parkinson was quick to acknowledge the huge effort it required from his players and those exertions could take their toll against a robust Cobblers outfit.

The two matches will seem like chalk and cheese to the Yorkshire club. After all the concentration required to track the movement of a slick Latics outfit, such subtlety will be at a premium at Sixfields with Boothroyd bound to order a merciless high-tempo approach from his troops in the hope of preying on any lingering fatigue.

The two teams met at the same venue only last week and Bradford were worthy 1-0 winners on that occasion, so they know what's required, but that's unlikely to serve as any encouragement should it dawn on them that they cannot repeat those standards with what remains in the tank after their show of endurance at the DW.

Instead, the Cobblers can learn from their shortcomings in that encounter and build on the morale-boosting win they posted against high-flying Port Vale in League Two last weekend, a match overshadowed by a horror injury to Alex Nicholls who sustained a broken leg in scoring the opening goal.

We cannot hide from the fact that Northampton have selection issues with David Artell, Ben Harding and Luke Guttridge also sidelined but they were down to the bare bones against the second-placed Valiants and landed odds of 9/4 in that game. Now the crisis has eased somewhat with Chris Hackett and John Johnson returning this week and expected to feature.

Meanwhile, Steve Evans boasts a remarkable FA Cup record over the past couple of seasons and he can work his motivational magic to get an inconsistent Rotherham side firing on all cylinders for the visit of Stevenage.

The Millers are 7/4 and that looks about right in the scheme of a 26-place differential, but extra weight must surely be added to the home win when you exhibit the six higher-division scalps that Evans claimed with Crawley, bridging a gap of at least two divisions on four of those occasions.

Clearly, the belligerent Glaswegian has a knack for the fine art of giantkilling, so let's not be put off by Rotherham's patchy league form, the worst of which occurred during Evans' six-match stadium ban in any case.

Rotherham spent big over the summer and this presents an opportunity for them to demonstrate their credentials as future third-tier material. If both teams perform to the standards expected of their respective playing budgets, then you'd probably have to make the Millers slight favourites with home advantage.

Stevenage have shown great consistency under Gary Smith but their measured approach isn't necessarily suited to knockout football and you do wonder whether they can raise their game to match the intensity of the opposition if a typical cup-tie atmopshere awaits.

Finally, those looking for a big-price winner could do worse than backing Boreham Wood to beat Brentford at 5/1. The Hertfordshire club are going great guns in the Conference South and came from two goals down to beat Hayes & Yeading in the last round, reaching the first round proper for the first time in eight years.

As with any giantkilling, the stars need to align in favour of the underdogs, meaning the Londoners must have an off-day, but Uwe Rosler's men have an unwanted habit of coming up short in the relationship between results and territorial dominance, a point the German has touched upon more than once in recent weeks.

If the Bees bring their shooting boots, they could win this match at a canter. But if their profligacy continues, then Ian Allinson's men could be in a position to make them pay. The Wood have won six of their last seven matches at Meadow Park, scoring 20 goals and conceding just three.

Betting advice...

2pts Northampton to beat Bradford at 7/4 (Bet365)

Bantams could pay for their exertions in midweek against a robust Cobblers outfit.

2pts Rotherham to beat Stevenage at 7/4 (Blue Square)

Steve Evans can get inconsistent Millers firing to maintain his remarkable cup record.

1pt Boreham Wood to beat Brentford at 5/1 (Sky Bet)

Big price in light of Bees' nasty habit for not making territorial dominance count.

For more betting advice, visit Best of the Bets by clicking here.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: Look To The Lady In The Prince Of Wales

The Prince of Wales Stakes today is regarded by many as the No1 race of the Royal Ascot meeting and ...

by Gareth Purnell

iBet: Favourites have a good record in the Coventry stakes

Today’s St James Palace looks a cracker and there has been sustained money for Dawn Approach since t...

by Gareth Purnell

Newcastle don’t need a football director – they need a new medical team after finishing bottom of the injury league

Newcastle United have shocked their fans by appointing Joe Kinnear as director of football but new f...

by Alex Miller

       
 

Day In a Page

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Hannah England: I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess

Hannah England: Keeping Track

I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess
Beards, brawn and body art

Beards, brawn and body art

Meet London’s new batch of male models
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

British love of shows such as The Bridge, Borgen and The Killing shows no sign of fading
Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?

The Great Green Wall of Africa,

Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
Laughter Inc: the cheering growth of the chuckle industry

Laughter Inc

The cheering growth of the chuckle industry
The bad science scandal: how fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research

The bad science scandal

How fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research
To the manor born: The female aristocrats battling to inherit the title

Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title

A passionate protest is gathering pace among the women of Britain's aristocracy, who believe that men should no longer automatically inherit the family pile and title.
Love struck: Photographs of JFK's visit to Berlin 50 years ago reveal a nation instantly smitten

In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963

Photographer Ulrich Mack accompanied Kennedy on the entire trip. The results are an astonishing record of a watershed moment.
Eat shoots and leaves: Mark Hix gets creative with fresh peas, mangetouts and sugar snaps

Mark Hix gets creative with English peas

English peas and their offsprings, such as mangetouts and sugar snaps, are great tossed into a salad, says our chef.
Ceviche with a smile: Chef Martin Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends

Chef Martin Morales: Ceviche with a smile

Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends