After a pulsating midweek programme that saw 24 goals in the 6 games played, all 24 League One clubs are back in action on Saturday & as always here’s my take on things…
ACCRINGTON STANLEY v BLACKPOOL
Stanley temporarily halted their worrying slide down the table with a creditable midweek draw at Gillingham but will find Terry McPhillips Tangerines extremely difficult opponents in this Lancashire derby at the Wham Stadium.
Play-off hopefuls Pool are on a four-match unbeaten run picking up a healthy eight points from them whereas Stanley are winless in five & need the points to stave off any fears of losing their hard-earned League One status.
PREDICTION NO SCORE DRAW
BARNSLEY v SCUNTHORPE UNITED
The Iron make the relatively short trip to South Yorkshire to face Daniel Stendel’s promotion contenders.
No team in the division are in better recent form than Stuart McCall’s Scunny side who are on a six-game unbeaten run winning five of them which has thrusted his side into mid-table after looking relegation fodder for the majority of the season.
Barnsley will be looking to stretch their own impressive unbeaten run to ten games as they look to make up ground on the division’s top two in their bid to regain their place in the second tier at the first time of asking.
All good runs eventually come to an end & I really can’t see the Iron getting any reward at fortress Oakwell.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
BURTON ALBION v OXFORD UNITED
Nigel Clough’s mid-table Brewers are in decent form losing only once in their last seven but seem to be developing a drawing habit whereas their opponents the U’s are one of FOUR sides on 31 points with only a superior goal difference keeping them out of the bottom four places. Oxford fans will have been disappointed in midweek where they let a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 draw with Barnsley at the Kassam but five points from their last three League games hints at small shoots of recovery & I think they’ll get another point here.
PREDICTION SCORE DRAW
COVENTRY CITY v GILLINGHAM
Steve Lovell’s Gills will feel as though they missed out on a gilt-edged chance to move well clear of danger when they only drew with an Accrington side in decline in their midweek game at Priestfield so another opportunity to gain points against an out of sorts Sky Blues who have themselves lost three of their last four may be just what the doctor ordered. Coventry have done reasonably well in their first season after promotion & sit in a comfortable mid-table berth & the lack of atmosphere at a two thirds empty Ricoh may spur the Gills on to a vital three points.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
FLEETWOOD TOWN v CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Lee Bowyer’s promotion contenders have gained an impressive eleven points from their last five League games & make the long trip north in confident mood.
Joey Barton’s first season of EFL management has been relatively successful if frustratingly inconsistent but his talented side with twin strike threat of Evans & Madden are dangerous opponents for even the division’s better teams as Donny will testify when they left Highbury after a recent 3-0 drubbing.
Charlton are one of the division’s better sides but how will they cope with the loss of talismanic forward Karlan Grant?
PREDICTION SCORE DRAW
PETERBOROUGH UNITED v PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Darren Ferguson will be in the home dugout for the first home game of his third spell in charge at London Road in this vital clash at both ends of the table. Posh’s play off bid suffered a distinct wobble under the previous managerial duo & only a last gasp equaliser at Bristol Rovers in midweek prevented another damaging defeat.
Argyle’s defeat at Adams Park last weekend finally ended the Green Army’s love affair with the month of January but the Argyle hierarchy must be congratulated for putting their faith in manager Derek Adams when they looked nailed on for the drop a few short weeks ago. Argyle are still only two points clear of danger but I think they can take advantage of Posh’s average home record to pull further clear in this game.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
PORTSMOUTH v DONCASTER ROVERS
Three straight League defeats have transformed Pompey from looking promotion certainties to worried hopefuls given the tremendous recent form of Barnsley, Luton & Charlton. The acquisition of forward Omar Bogle (scorer in midweek) will help Kenny Jackett in his attacking options but it is at the back where his real problems lie conceding far too many goals recently.
Rovers make the long trip south very much in the play-off hunt hoping to replicate their impressive form in the FA Cup which has earned them a home 5th Round tie with PL Palace. Twelve goals in the last five League games for Marquis & co but surprise defeats at places like Fleetwood & Wycombe may well scupper their end of season ambitions.
A good game in front of a big appreciative crowd awaits with a point apiece.
PREDICTION SCORE DRAW
SHREWSBURY TOWN v LUTON TOWN
Another club in trouble on 31 points are Sam Ricketts Shrews who despite their FA Cup heroics are in no sort of form in the League, winless in six & looking down the barrel of relegation a year after competing in the play-off final.
What can you say about the magnificent Hatters? Unplayable in the first half of Tuesday’s win over Pompey according to reports with a winning goal by new boy George Moncur rounding off a memorable night at Kenilworth Road. TWENTY FOUR points out of the last available thirty makes a second straight promotion a probability rather than a possibility. Lots can still go wrong however but not on Saturday.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
SOUTHEND UNITED v BRISTOL ROVERS
One team that could probably beat Fleetwood for frustrating inconsistency are Chris Powell’s Shrimpers, could it be something about coastal clubs? Saturday’s narrow 1-0 defeat by all-conquering Luton completed a eleven-game record of WLWLWL so they may well win this one to keep the record going.
Graham Coughlin’s Gas couldn’t hold on for a vital victory in midweek conceding a late equaliser in a disappointing draw with Posh but remain in deep trouble despite losing only once in their last seven in the League but they need wins rather than draws if they are to survive & I can’t see Rovers picking up any reward here.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
SUNDERLAND v AFC WIMBLEDON
FA Cup heroes the Dons continue their increasingly difficult fight against relegation with a long trip north to face Jack Ross & his promotion chasing Mackems this weekend. Wally Downes men are winless in five in League One & are conceding lots of goals which makes their fight against a return to League Two even less likely.
Pompey’s recent wobble should provide the Black Cats with all the encouragement they need to reinvigorate their push for the top two though four draws in their last six games will have to be improved upon.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
WALSALL v ROCHDALE
This might not be pretty, more a war of attrition as these two struggling sides try to check their alarming slides down the table.
Dean Keates & his struggling Saddlers seem well clear in 16th but they are only four points clear of 22nd placed Dale so an improvement of their recent form of only one win in eight would be very welcome in this vital encounter.
Dale come into this game winless in six games losing five of them conceding 18 goals in the process, the worst record in the division by some distance so beleaguered manager Keith Hill will be looking for a footballing miracle to keep his misfiring squad in the Division.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
WYCOMBE WANDERERS v BRADFORD CITY
An excellent return of ten points from their last four games has halted the Chairboys recent slide & ninth in the table with an outside chance of the play-offs constitutes an excellent season so far for Gareth Ainsworth’s men.
David Hopkin’s Bantams reignited their survival bid with a thrilling last gasp winning goal from loanee forward David Ball to gain a vital three points in a 4-3 thriller at Valley Parade. They remain deep in trouble however & Hopkin may have favoured a more comfortable encounter than this.
City will battle hard as all struggling teams do at this stage of the season but the Chairboys will have too much for them.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
words Ian Bradley, D3D4 roving reporter and predictions guru