Coughlan: Newport County must cope with Bradford's intensity

The buoyant Bantams have given themselves an outside chance of the top seven thanks to a run of five wins and a draw in their last six.

They have climbed the table while the Exiles have slumped to 19th with seven straight defeats since being two points off the play-offs in mid-March.

Bradford are hot favourites to take the spoils at Valley Parade and will serious test injury-hit County’s makeshift defence.

They boast last season’s golden boot winner Andy Cook – who scored a hat-trick in Newport in September and has 18 goals for the campaign – as well as former Exiles loanee Calum Kavanagh, Tyler Smith and Jamie Walker as dangermen.

POWER: Andy Cook heads in for Bradford at Newport County (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“They overload you in the wide areas and cross the ball, then Andy Cook in the box is a real handful, while they are decent at set pieces,” said Coughlan.

“They have a confidence and a speed of play that I like – they are doing all the things that we were good at with the 8 running on, crosses in the box, defending their box, taking charge of games and their intensity levels are high.

“That was what we were good at when we were in our good patch so it will be a tough afternoon but an occasion that you want to be involved in and savour.”

Bradford are on song while County are limping to the finish line after seven successive losses.

It would be a shock if they avoid matching the eight-game miserable streak suffered under Graham Westley between November and January of the Great Escape season of 2016/17.

“All I ask of the players is to represent themselves to the best that that they possibly can,” said Coughlan, who is seriously limited in selection options.

“The three things we look for from games are performance, clean sheet, win. Let’s go and take one of those three.

“Normally with a performance the others will come, so let’s take one of the three away from Bradford to build on over the close season.”