A vital night of League One football as the competing clubs play their game in hand…..here goes!!
ACCRINGTON STANLEY v ROCHDALE
o Accrington are winless in their six home league games with Rochdale (D1 L5), losing each of the last five games after drawing their first encounter in August 2006.
o Rochdale have won 10 of their last 12 league meetings with Accrington (L2), including each of the last three, winning 1-0 in the reverse fixture.
o Accrington Stanley have lost their last four home league games in succession; they have only lost five in a row on home soil once before in the Football League, doing so in April 2010.
o After losing four straight league matches between February and March, Rochdale have since only lost one of their last five (W2 D2), although that defeat was their last such game at home to Sunderland (1-2).
o Accrington have conceded 15 headed goals in League One this season; only opponents Rochdale (20) have conceded more.
Our view
A vital Lancashire derby clash at the Wham Stadium as seventeenth place Stanley look to halt their alarming slide down the table with victory over Brian Barry-Murphy’s next to bottom Dale side.
John Coleman’s battling Accy team halted a run of three straight defeats at the weekend gaining a vital point at fellow strugglers AFC Wimbledon & victory here would double their current three-point gap over their opponents Dale.
Rochdale’s recent improvement was ended by promotion-chasing Sunderland on Saturday but they ran the Black Cats close losing narrowly in a good performance that they can take heart from going into this clash.
It’s definitely last chance saloon for the men from Spotland but I have a feeling that Stanley will take a massive step towards safety with victory here.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
SUNDERLAND v BURTON ALBION
o Burton have visited the Stadium of Light on just one occasion, winning 2-1 last season in the Championship with two goals in the final five minutes.
o Sunderland have lost each of their last two league games against Burton by a 2-1 scoreline, this after winning their first ever encounter 2-0 at the Pirelli Stadium in November 2017.
o Sunderland are unbeaten in 18 league matches, just one shy of their record undefeated streak in their league history of 19 games between May 1998 and November 1998.
o Burton Albion have won their last three league games in a row, last winning four on the bounce back in December 2015.
o Sunderland have conceded just three goals in the final 15 minutes of League One games this season; five fewer than any other side.
Our view
Is this the night where Jack Ross & his Black Cats finally overhaul Barnsley & move into the second automatic promotion place?
The Mackems entertain Nigel Cloughs on form Brewers in the first of their two games in hand over the Yorkshiremen. Burton did Sunderland a massive favour at the weekend by inflicting Barnsley’s first league defeat in twenty & come to the Stadium of Light in excellent form & have not entirely given up hope of a surprise playoff place themselves.
Burton will give the Mackems a stern test but Sunderland’s forward momentum has been building for a few weeks now & I expect them to triumph here.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
WYCOMBE WANDERERS v CHARLTON ATHLETIC
o Wycombe have lost each of their five Football League games against Charlton, conceding 2+ goals in each contest.
o Wycombe won their first ever competitive match against Charlton in December 2006, winning 1-0 in a League Cup quarter-final when Wycombe were in League Two and Charlton were in the Premier League.
o Wycombe have lost eight of their last nine league matches, including each of the last four in a row; they last lost five on the bounce in the league in February 2017.
o Charlton have only lost one of their last 15 league games (W8 D6), and are unbeaten in nine (W5 D4) since losing 1-0 at Fleetwood in February.
o No League One side have scored more goals in the opening 15 minutes of action this season than Charlton (11).
Our view
Although Gareth Ainsworth’s Chairboys are still in a position of safety & a point clear of the bottom four they are in desperate trouble near the bottom & are on a run of four straight defeats although they did run high flying Pompey close on Saturday.
Lee Bowyer’s Addicks are in tremendous form right now with a playoff place virtually assured but I’m sure the manager has told his players that a top two spot is not beyond them even though they would have to turn around a six-point deficit but they are currently playing the kind of football to do just that.
I can’t see anything other than another Addicks win here.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
words Ian Bradley, D3D4 roving reporter and predictions maestro