League Two Tips: Bantams to be held at home

Bantams and Boro to both keep up momentum

Bradford 2.77/4 v Stevenage 3.02/1; the draw 3.39/4

Bradford and Stevenage are hard to split on form, with both securing four wins and a draw from six. Where might be the chinks? Or could this match finish level?

Unbeaten at home, the Bantams have either scored none (in goalless draws) or two. Furthermore, Andy Cook has sprinted into the season with six league goals.

Mark Hughes can feel "the spirit" growing and some fans have reacted to say the squad is the most likeable in years. Is that code for 'the most likely to achieve promotion in years'?

Matthew Platt continues to command the defence, while Alex Gilliead slotted in again perfectly in midfield as they overcame Tranmere 2-1 on Tuesday, having let the hosts back into the game just after the break.

Opta say that Bradford are unbeaten in eight at home, point out that only Manchester City (9), Portsmouth (14) and Liverpool (26) have better runs in the top four tiers. I am sure Bradford will just be delighted to be mentioned in such exalted company.

However, they find themselves having to play catch-up on second-place Stevenage. Away defeats have been the cause. Steve Evans' visitors know they have a tough ask to win against a side which has only conceded once at Valley Parade.

However, the layers do not entirely write them off. While Boro have looked super solid at home, they have looked pretty good away, too, losing at Salford and drawing with Walsall but defeating Crewe on their last outing - and beating Tranmere 2-1, just like Bradford.

That win against the Railwaymen will have made many teams take notice. Although saying he did not have a great game at Crewe, Evans hailed Alex Gilbey as a "special player" after he curled in the only goal to beat Newport on Tuesday.

Extra sessions to up his fitness levels clearly helped the on-loan Charlton man. If he can conjure an understanding with forward Jamie Reid then Stevenage could maintain their great start and turn it into a genuine promotion push. Neither side will want to lose ground or momentum. A draw would give both teams satisfaction.

Mariners marauding well on their travels

Colchester 3.211/5 v Grimsby 2.56/4; the draw 3.613/5

Paul Hurst might be exasperated at Grimsby's series of home draws this season, but he must be delighted with their away form. The Mariners have won three (losing the other). The football manager's mantra of win you home games and look to at least draw away is playing out in reverse.

Hurst was delighted to see Ryan Taylor chalk up his first league goal and six games unbeaten is nothing to be sniffed at. Captain Luke Waterfall has hailed his centre-back partnership with Andy Smith already.

Grimsby have the second best defensive record in League Two. They might need to maintain that, because the "goals for" column is one of the lowest.

Away from home, the goals for column doesn't look so bad, with five, but they will have to show all their qualities to justify the slight favouritism of the three possible results to overcome Colchester. Opta point out that, after three straight away wins, they have not won four in a row since 2005. It's time the Mariners changed that if they want further success to add to last season.

The U's also have a penchant for drawing at home, where they have conceded more (5) than they have scored (4). They have plenty of capable goal getters: Frank Nouble, Noah Chilvers, Freddie Sears, Beryly Lubala on occasion. But their inability to score more than once per match since the opening day also points towards an away win if Grimsby can continue their strong away performances.

Stalemate on cards between Rovers and Robins

Doncaster 2.89/5 v Swindon 2.89/5; the draw 3.55/2

Boss Scott Lindsey urged fans to "stick with us" after some Swindon fans booed for a tactical decision he made in the win over Sutton, when Luke Jephcott was replaced by Jacob Wakeling.

The game had bubbled up to 2-2 before going "flat" explained the Robins' boss, whose reasons for the substitution included that the Plymouth loanee hasn't played 90 minutes since pre-season. Wakeling went on to score the late, late winner. Harry McKirdy surely can't come back soon enough from suspension, what with Swindon unable to force more than a draw away from home. A shock reverse at Harrogate on day one is their only defeat.

A glut of signings close to the deadline will take time to gel, but there is nothing coy about Swindon's intent to get promoted if they are capturing that many signatures late in the summer.

Doncaster's three wins and a defeat at the Keepmoat suggests they are strong at home. But victories there have hardly been plain sailing. Kieran Agard and George Miller both scored after the 90 minute mark to earn an early August win over Sutton. Agard repeated the trick to see off Stockport. Against Salford, Kyle Hurst strike twice as they came from behind to win. And then after equalising against Mansfield just before the break, the Stags strode off with victory.

Swindon, point out Opta, have drawn their last three away, but not drawn four in a row since 1992, when they were in the second tier (a run of five). This could be a real battle of wits and wills, however, and a story of two teams wearing each other down to a stalemate.

Stags won't want to stay outside top bracket

Gillingham 4.03/1 v Mansfield 2.111/10; the draw 3.613/5

Gillingham's inability to score for five League Two games running is as fascinating as it must be worrying for Neil Harris. Finally, against Grimsby, Mikael Mandron managed to score only their second goal of the season. He was ready to "jump in with the fans" and celebrate. Reports suggested he could have had a hat-trick.

He will need to be at his best what with Scott Kashket, the Gills' other scorer this season, a doubt. Harris was left feeling "hard done by" after the draw. However, his and many other sides at the wrong end of the table especially will do well to gain points from Mansfield as the Stags hit their stride.

Another stop-start beginning to the season has only brought four victories for Nigel Clough, three of them at home. But winning at Doncaster, themselves strong at home, a fortnight ago was a real statement. A shame that Carlisle brought them back to earth on Tuesday!

Ollie Clarke and George Maris are putting pressure on the strikers to lead the scoring charts, with two each.

Hiram Boateng and James Law could still feature as the injury list eases, while Clough expects Will Swan to return after a chest infection. The manager felt George Lapslie's strike (ruled out for offside) should have counted. Instead, they fell outside the top eight and are left playing catch up. Not nearly as badly as last year, when injuries and covid left them in the bottom third, but they will not want to hover much below the automatic promotion places at any stage.