LEAGUE ONE PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS
Merry Christmas to one & all. Here’s my take on the League One boxing day fixtures.
GILLINGHAM v PORTSMOUTH
Kenny Jackett’s league leaders head to Priestfield full of confidence in the day’s early fixture off the back of a fine win over promotion rivals Sunderland last weekend. The Gills have a difficult set of fixtures this festive season & go into this game having suffered their first defeat in four games at Charlton on Saturday & I really can’t see them upsetting the rampant Pompey side here.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
ACCRINGTON STANLEY v SHREWSBURY TOWN
John Coleman’s Accy team got back on track with a welcome & impressive win at Home Park at the weekend after a worrying poor run of form which had seen them winless in eight games. Sam Ricketts Shrews had a morale boosting win over Coventry at the weekend & will provide stern opponents at the Wham Stadium & my tip is for an entertaining draw.
PREDICTION SCORE DRAW
AFC WIMBLEDON v PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
A vital clash at Kingsmeadow featuring two teams in trouble near the foot of the table. The Dons come into this clash boosted by a fine victory at Adams Park over an in form Wycombe at the weekend while Argyle’s recent improvement came to a shuddering halt with a heavy & damaging home defeat by Accy. It’ll be a tense game just edged by the home side.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
BARNSLEY v PETERBOROUGH UNITED
An interesting clash at Oakwell between two teams right in the mix for play off places. Posh have a tremendous away record but this will be severely tested against a home team full of attacking intent. The Tykes will be confident following a great win at Blackpool at the weekend & are my tip to put a dent in Posh’s away record here.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
BURTON ALBION v WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Gareth Ainsworth’s Chairboys suffered their first defeat in seven with a surprise home defeat by relegation threatened Wimbledon on Saturday & they’ll be on their guard to avoid a repeat as they travel to mid table League Cup semi-finalists Albion at the Pirelli who’s Cup heroics may have caught up with them in a defeat at Luton on Saturday. The Brewers are strong at home however & could take the points in this one.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
COVENTRY CITY v CHARLTON ATHLETIC
What has gone wrong at the Ricoh? Cov have gone from possible play off material to worrying lower mid table in a few short weeks, losing their last four & winless in their last seven games. Things won’t get any easier in this game either as Lee Bowyer’s promotion chasing Addicks come to town fresh from their third straight win over Gillingham on Saturday & I think they’ll leave the midlands with the points here.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
FLEETWOOD TOWN v DONCASTER ROVERS
Joey Barton’s Cod Army are a byword for inconsistency right now & will be low on confidence following the defeat by relegation threatened Gas at the weekend. Donny come into this Highbury clash in good shape unbeaten in their last six winning four of them & are well placed for a new year play off push. Donny to narrowly take this one.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
OXFORD UNITED v SOUTHEND UNITED
Karl Robinson’s side will be looking to continue their recent improvement with a positive result against Chris Powell’s talented but underperforming Shrimpers at the Kassam. Oxford gained an impressive but very late 2-2 draw at Donny on Saturday & are good value to keep up their recent good home form here.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
ROCHDALE v BLACKPOOL
A Boxing Day Lancashire derby at Spotland sees the home side coming into the game brimming with confidence after coming back from a long trip to Southend with a welcome three points while the Tangerine’s form seems to have dipped in recent weeks with a home defeat by Barnsley being their third defeat in four. Dale need the points to continue to move away from danger but Pool are a good side despite their recent difficulties & are good enough to take the points here.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
SCUNTHORPE UNITED v LUTON TOWN
There seems to be no end to the Iron’s downward spiral as their latest damaging defeat at Valley Parade saw them enter the dreaded bottom four for the first time this season. One win & only four points in their last TEN games for the men from Glanford Park & what do they get for Christmas? A rampant Luton side that have won NINE of their last ten, are supremely confident & score buckets of goals for fun, a no brainer of a prediction.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
SUNDERLAND v BRADFORD CITY
David Hopkin takes his Bantams side to the SOL for the most severe examination of his side’s recent improvement that has seen the men from Yorkshire finally move out of the bottom four for the first time for ages. The Black Cats long unbeaten record came to an end at fellow promotion favourites Pompey at the weekend & will be keen to get back on track in this game which looks set to be League 1’s best crowd of this & many more seasons with an incredible 40,000+ tickets already sold.
PREDICTION HOME WIN
WALSALL v BRISTOL ROVERS
Gas caretaker boss Graham Coughlin takes his relegation threatened team to the midlands boosted by their first win in six against Fleetwood at the weekend, a result that ended a run of five straight defeats. The mid table saddlers aren’t pulling any trees up either in the League with only one win in their last eight. Two out of form teams then but an encouraging win for Coughlin’s battling Gas team methinks.
PREDICTION AWAY WIN
words Ian Bradley, D3D4 roving reporter and predictions guru. You can follow Ian on twitter @Millmoor1