As the season has entered its most interesting phase & getting tired of becoming a youtube superstar in one of my many vlogs I have decided to dust off my crystal ball to start doing L1 previews & predictions on a weekly basis starting this weekend so for the first time in 2019/20 here goes……

Friday

Lincoln City v Rotherham United

Michael Appleton’s Imps have seen a lot of comings & goings during the recent transfer window & recent results have nosedived as a result. Tyler Walker has gone & they seem a little light in the scoring dept. Three straight defeats including one at whipping boys Southend won’t have helped confidence however Lincoln are still formidable opponents in this League especially at Sincil Bank.

What can you say about Paul Warne’s Millers? Seven wins out of the last eight games, scoring plenty of goals & entertaining the fans. They were perhaps a little fortunate to edge past Burton in their last game 3-2 but they are finding a way to win, a par requisite of any successful team.

Prediction: Imps 1 Millers 2

Saturday

AFC Wimbledon v Fleetwood Town

The Dons are showing a lot of fight & commitment in their fight against the drop with a recent victory over promotion chasing Peterborough a highlight though a lack of consistancy in both results & performance remains a problem.

The Cod Army’s playoff push has stalled in recent games. Although remaining difficult to beat, they’ve drawn five of their last seven games & find themselves a not insumountable five points short of the top six. Joey’s lads are a well drilled combative unit & the twin strikers Evans & Madden are always a threat.

Prediction: Dons 1 Cod Army 1

Blackpool v Southend United

The wheels appear to have well & truly come off at Bloomfield Road. After looking strong playoff candidates for the first half of the season Simon Graysons Tangerines are on an awful run that has seen them lose six of their last seven league games plummeting them down to 15th in the table.

Are Sol’s Shrimpers waking out of their slumbers? Just one defeat in six have had fans thinking the impossible at Roots Hall but to me it’s too little too late I’m afraid.

Prediction: Pool 2 Shrimpers 2

Burton Albion v Gillingham

Nigel Clough’s Brewers impressed me in their unlucky NYS defeat last weekend. The evergreen Stephen Quinn still looks 25 controlling the midfield & covering every square inch of the field. Rangers loanee Murphy looks a dangerous astute signing & should form a potent strike partnership with Akins.

Steve Evans has done a remarkable job in his first season at Priestfield turning the perennial strugglers into a cohesive unit with a decent chance of gatecrashing the playoffs. The signings of Akinde & Pringle during the recent transfer window could prove masterstrokes. Currently on a long unbeaten run, hopes are high in Kent & Evans knows how to get out of this division

Prediction: Brewers 1 Gills 2

Coventry City v Bolton Wanderers

The Sky Blues love affair with their St Andrews “home” shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Mark Robins men are on a seven game unbeaten run which has propelled them up to fifth place & will be strong contenders for an automatic promotion berth.

Keith Hill will be trying out players & positions ready to mount an assault on L2 promotion next season. Obviously he’ll have to say that he hasn’t thrown in the towel & his side can still beat the drop but truthfully they can’t & the Trotters are doomed but credit must go to Hill & Flitcroft for at least making them competitive.

Prediction: Sky Blues 4 Trotters 1

Doncaster Rovers v Rochdale

Darren Moore’s Rovers must start to show more consistency if they are to reach their goal of a playoff place. Ninteen points from the last ten games suggests an improvement but more must be done if Rovers are to catch in form rivals further up the table.

Darren Moore’s Rovers must start to show more consistency if they are to reach their goal of a playoff place. Ninteen points from the last ten games suggests an improvement but more must be done if Rovers are to catch in form rivals further up the table.

Prediction: Rovers 1 Dale 0

Peterborough United v Oxford United

Four straight wins including one over leaders Rotherham suggests Posh have recovered from their recent dip in form. Striker Ivan Toney simply cannot stop scoring right now & is ably assisted by new signing Smodicks.

Oxford have had a superb season so far & the mere fact that they are still playoff candidates is testament to the coaching staff at the Kassam. The Us are a joy to watch when they click but I fear the titanic effort in their unlucky Cup defeat in midweek may hold them back here.

Prediction: Posh 2 U’s 0

Shrewsbury Town v Milton Keynes

The natives are restless down Salop way with fans unhappy with the negative style of play Ricketts adopts. They were particularly upset with the teams display in the Anfield replay. They look as safe as houses in lower mid table but the fans need entertaining.

Russell Martin is doing a fine job at MK especially recently with victories over Wycombe & Pompey particularly impressive. Nine points seperate MK & Tranmere in the final relegation place & they could move further away from trouble this weekend.

Prediction: Salop 0 MK 1

Sunderland v Ipswich Town

Defeat at Fratton Park halted a nine game unbeaten run for the Black Cats as the mackems finally started to flex their L1 muscles. Currently two points behind Pompey in 7th, I fully expect the North East giants to “come again” before the end of the season to clinch at least a playoff spot.

Successive defeats to Rotherham & Peterborough has seen Lambert’s Tractor Boys look nervously over their shoulders in their promotion push. The long time leaders have hit a patchy run of form at exactly the wrong time but they are still in 4th place &playerwise have quality all over the field but if I was Lambert I’d consider a recall for keeper Holy over Norris.

Prediction: Black Cats 2 Tractor Boys 1

Tranmere Rovers v Portsmouth

Just one win in their last ten league games & seven defeats have pushed Mellon’s SWA firmly into the relegation mire, six points from safety & it would take a comeback of herculean proportion to stop Rovers from returning to L2.

Jackett’s Pompey’s recent excellent record of six wins & a draw in their last eight games have propelled the team back into the playoff places & propelled their fans in the belief their favourites could do even better & grab a top two place.

Prediction: Rovers 0 Pompey 3

Wycombe Wanderers v Bristol Rovers

A worrying run of six defeats & only ten points from the last ten games pays tribute to Ainsworth & his Chairboys magnificent first half of the season as remarkably they are still 2nd in the table. Heavy defeats to Coventry, Posh & Sunderland must be particularly worrying to the manager as he bids to lead the Chairboys to the 2nd tier for the first time in the club’s history.

Talking of teams in awful form, the Gas haven’t tasted victory since a fine 2-1 victory at Ipswich in Coughlin’s last game as manager. Three points only have been gained in nine games since Ben Garner took the helm. They still look safe in lower mid table but I can’t see their recent trouble ending in this clash.

Prediction: Chairboys 3 Gas 1

words Ian Bradley, D3D4 predictions guru