I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself right now having tipped the correct result from five of the six-midweek games including one correct score.
I’m hoping to keep my good form going in another weekend full of vital games during this vital time of the season.
FRIDAY
PORTSMOUTH v ROCHDALE
Kenny Jackett’s promotion-chasing Pompey welcome Dale to Fratton Park, the second of three Home games in seven days. This game has been moved from Saturday due to BT Sport televising their FA Cup 5th Round tie with Arsenal on Monday night.
Back to matters ON the pitch & Pompey moved back into a playoff place in midweek with a home victory over MK which was a good response to their weekend defeat to rivals Fleetwood.
Lowly Dale will be keen to avoid a third straight defeat as manager Barry-Murphy continues to keep his side away from relegation danger.
An awfully long trip for Dale on a Friday night especially to unbeaten at home Pompey, this can only go one way.
PREDICTION: POMPEY 4 DALE 0
SATURDAY
BLACKPOOL v IPSWICH TOWN
Pool gained their first win in four games in midweek but it took an injury-time winner to finally dispose of doomed Bolton but they look comfortably placed in mid-table.
The Tractor Boys slide from promotion candidates & playoff certainties to mid-table obscurity continued with a damaging home defeat to rapidly improving Oxford at the weekend. The natives in Suffolk are far from happy & manager Paul Lambert must be hanging onto his job by a thread.
Town aren’t entirely out of the playoff picture but they have to start winning & soon starting here.
PREDICTION: POOL 1 TOWN 2
BOLTON WANDERERS v ACCRINGTON STANLEY
A Lancashire derby probably not to savour between two badly out of form teams.
I feel sorry for Bolton boss Keith Hill having to give post-match interviews after yet another defeat almost every week. His team did perform well at Blackpool in midweek losing out to an injury-time winner. It’s tough being a Bolton fan right now I’m sure.
Stanley, for all their impressive attacking football clearly miss a cutting edge in the final third. Impressive as they were against Rotherham & in the first half at Oxford John Coleman’s side struggle to score when they’re on top in games but they are a far better side than Wanderers & Stanley will win this.
PREDICTION: BOLTON 0 STANLEY 2
BRISTOL ROVERS v SHREWSBURY TOWN
Another clash of two poor teams whose managers Garner & Ricketts can’t wait for the season to end.
The Gas had a very promising first half of the season before Graham Coughlan jumped ship & the team’s form & more importantly morale seemed to follow him.
The New Meadow atmosphere during Tuesday night’s horrendous 3-2 defeat to relegation-haunted Tranmere was bordering on toxic with most Salop fans wanting Ricketts sacked citing an ultra-defensive style of play that clearly isn’t working.
The Gas to get their second straight home win.
PREDICTION: GAS 1 SALOP 0
BURTON ALBION v PETERBOROUGH UNITED
The Pirelli Stadium hosts what could be the game of the day in League 1 between two very good sides.
The mid-table Brewers may be on a disappointing run of only one win in six but Clough’s men are formidable at home & play some terrific stuff at times.
Posh come into this game very well rested having not played for a fortnight. Great going forwards with goals all over the team, Ferguson’s men will be hard to stop in their promotion push but if they do have an Achilles heel it is their away record which is one of the poorest of the promotion contenders.
I fancy a narrow home win here.
PREDICTION: BREWERS 3 POSH 2
DONCASTER ROVERS v WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Two successive defeats have stalled Rovers already outside chance of making the playoffs so boss Darren Moore may have one eye on next season as he welcomes Gareth Ainsworth’s promotion-chasing Chairboys to the Keepmoat.
Saturday’s routine home win over Tranmere kept the Quarters in the hunt for automatic promotion & whatever happens from now until May it has been a remarkable season from the men from Bucks.
Donny are more than decent at home & will hold the Chairboys here.
PREDICTION: DONNY 1 CHAIRBOYS 1
GILLINGHAM v AFC WIMBLEDON
The Gills unbeaten record continues. Saturdays 0-0 snoozefest at Sincil Bank took Steve Evans men to 14 games unbeaten which is a remarkable feat & leaves the Kent side with an outside chance of making the playoffs.
A poor return of only three points from the last eighteen available couldn’t have come at a worse time for Glyn Hodge’s relegation threatened Dons & Tranmere’s win in midweek has cut the Dons “buffer” to only five points with the Merseysiders having a potentially crucial game in hand.
No joy for the Londoners here.
PREDICTION: GILLS 3 DONS 1
OXFORD UNITED v SOUTHEND UNITED
Three successive wins have given 8th place Us fans renewed hope of a playoff place after a major dip in form just a few short weeks ago. Karl Robinson’s impressive side seem to have rediscovered their early-season swagger & looked mighty impressive in midweek despatching a good Accy side 3-0.
What can I say about the Shrimpers? Without Bolton’s points deduction they’ed be cast adrift at the bottom. TBH I’m surprised Sol Campbell is still there given the team’s woeful form. All they are doing at the moment is fulfilling their fixtures.
Banker!
PREDICTION: OXFORD 4 SHRIMPERS 0
ROTHERHAM UNITED v MILTON KEYNES
Paul Warne’s table-toppers kept the division’s top spot after a bruising encounter with second place Coventry in midweek, the game finishing honours even in a 1-1 draw. With just one league defeat in fourteen games the Millers should approach this game with eighteenth placed MK with confidence but it looks like they’ll be without influential midfielder & set-piece specialist Dan Barlaser for some time due to a bad injury sustained at St Andrews.
Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Pompey was MK’s first defeat in six games & have improved immensely since the Millers recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Stadium MK earlier in the season & manager Russell Martin had got his team playing good football with forwards Rhys Healey & Alex Gilbey particularly impressive.
A narrow Millers win.
PREDICTION: MILLERS 2 MK 1
TRANMERE ROVERS v FLEETWOOD TOWN
There’s renewed hope at Prenton Park of an unlikely escape from relegation following an unexpected but fine 3-2 success at faltering Shrewsbury in midweek but the visit of Joey Barton’s playoff-chasing Cod Army might not have been on manager Micky Mellon’s wish list.
Fleetwood dropped out of the playoff places after the 97th minute Sunderland equaliser in midweek but make no mistake about it the Cod Army are an excellent team & are right in the promotion picture & more importantly are bang on form & should despatch the SWA without too much difficulty here.
PREDICTION: TRANMERE 1 COD ARMY 3
SUNDAY
COVENTRY CITY v SUNDERLAND
Second v fourth on a Sunday lunchtime should be a good un.
Rotherham stopped the Sky Blues from notching a sixth straight win in midweek & with their imperious form at their temporary home of St Andrews Cov will take some stopping in their promotion bid.
Similarly, the Black Cats home draw with Fleetwood ended their own run of four straight wins & will provide stern opposition for the Sky Blues.
Hordes of Mackems will descend on the second city to cheer on their favourites & I can see Sunderland doing what they do best…draw!
PREDICTION: SKY BLUES 1 BLACK CATS 1
words Ian Bradley, D3D4’s prediction guru