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Saturday 31st March

West Ham v Middlesbrough

West Ham's chance of survival are slim, 8 points from safety and running out of games. Defensively they have been shambolic, highlighted by their loss against Tottenham recently. Boro will probably be safe for this season so have nothing to play for, unless they collapse completely. The Hammers are missing df Upson, df Gabbidon, df Davenport, mf Quashie all would probably be starters here. Key df Woodgate (23 apps) is missing for Boro, they also have a doubt over reg mf Arca (16 apps, 2 goals). Suspended are mf Cattermole (19 apps, 1 goal) and Morrison (14 apps, 2 goals). If Woodgate makes the line up then Boro +0.5 would be preference for us, if he misses the games the better match option would be Over 2.5, West Ham are certain to adopt an attacking style given their plight.

Cardiff v Sunderland

An exciting fixture between two of the top teams. Sunderland the form team of the league at the moment and their all action never say die attitude clearly comes from their impressive manager Roy Keane. However we like Cardiff too, they play a decent passing game and in the likes of Chopra they have some top class players. This brings us opportunely to the team news. Some doubt over Chopra and Scimeca for Cardiff. Chopra is absolutely crucial with his ability to make his own chances aswell as finish them. The games where he has missed out Cardiff have really struggled. More bad news for them with the definite missings of their first choice centreback pairing Loovens and Purse. This means Johnson and most likely Macnaughton will continue at the back, Johson has been solid this season but we have our doubts over Macnaughtons ability to cope with top class attackers. The market will inevitably go with Sunderland here but Cardiff's home rate is good, Ninian Park isn't the friendliest of places and although the Mackem hordes will be plentiful expect the welsh choirs to rise to the occasion and produce a vociferous atmosphere. With the momentum with them Sunderland look the team to back but it might be wise to hold off until news whether Chopra makes it hits the wires.

QPR v West Brom

More top v bottom fare and a match WBA really should be winning if they are serious about promotion. QPR have a nice porous defence which should have Kamara and Phillips licking their lips at the thought of the golden chances which should come their way. However WBA aren't exactly tight at the back either regularly leaking goals and significantly they have injury problems here also. Mainstay of the back 4 Davies is defintely out, while Robinson and Clement are playing through injuries. I was surprised at the lack of pace in the Baggies back line when i saw them last and Blackstock, who should be fit, has the pace to lead the QPR attacks past these lumbering defenders. You can see where we are heading here, yep goals look on the menu and it's a suprising low line 2.25 1.9 at Pinnacle. Again the market will surely follow WBA here but we're not so keen on that, QPR are very capable of giving top teams a shock as their "surprise" 3-3 draw at the Hawthorns indicated. More of the same likely here.

Friday 30th March

Leeds v Preston

A Roses derby and even more at stake than the local bragging rights. Preston of course chasing promotion while Leeds fight their desperate battle to avoid the drop. Plenty of intimacy on both sides as Cresswell, Healy, Lewis, Ricketts and Pugh all line up against their former clubs. Mackenna and Whalley two reg and imp mf's are doubts for Preston while Leeds still miss Derry and Westlake, estranged captain Nicholls, Thompson mf and Flo up front. Some positive news for them with Kelly, Foxe and Marques all playing for the reserves giving them some much needed defensive cover. Preston deserve to be healthy favourites here - they have everything Leeds do not, i.e stability and a good team set up. While Elland Road has seen a catalogue of changes every other week, Preston's team has remained largely the same throughout the season and when possible dissent has emerged in the ranks the culprits have been shipped out of the club tout suite. Contrast this to the widespread dislike of manager Wise amongst the Leeds fans, "The Chelsea **** is taking us down.." We find it hard to disagree....UPDATE - seems Mackenna will be fit for this one, a 1st team reg for Preston.

Tuesday 27th March

York v Stevenage

Two of the best teams in the Conference meet tonight in Yorkshire. Brimming full of attacking talent, both sides play a fast offensive game with the emphasis on entertainment aswell as getting the result. Perhaps this has hampered Stevenage slightly as despite having on paper the strongest squad in the Conference, results recently have been mediocre. A home reverse against the part-timers Altrincham was not what the doctor ordered despite manager Stimson asserting that it was their best performance for some time. York meanwhile were a shade unlucky against Exeter - with a man sent off early on and the concession of the subsequent penalty they still fought back well to secure a draw. Team news for this match - York miss Greenwood, Peat, Lloyd, Dudgeon through suspension and injury. Unfortunately for them these are all in the same defensive area. They are now wide open at full back where in will come Purkiss - an inexperienced new signing from a lower league. He will face up to Steve Guppy (ex-England, Yes things were bad back then also....) who is still quality at this level. Stevenage will miss Adam Miller - as mentioned previously a key creative influence in the midfield, there is also a slight doubt over defender Fuller. Gaia is back from suspension but may have to sit on the bench because Oliver has filled in well at centreback. The only other important issue of note is to highlight the nature of the York pitch. Kindly described by manager McKewan as a "cabbage patch" it has proved a real barrier to the home team this season, they have dropped points in 11 out of their 19 fixtures this season.

Southport v Halifax

It's another one of those six-pointers, although frankly Southport look doomed. Both teams deep in the relegation mire and this match is absolutely crucial. A 7 point gap lies between Southport and safety while Halifax hover uncomfortably 1 point above the drop zone. The away team were unimpressive last time out looking particularly fragile in defense, it was more a sign of Oxford's inadequacy up front that they escaped with a 1-1 draw although it's fair to note their confidence did increase after their equaliser. Will they take stock from that and kick on? Very difficult to judge, Halifax's away record is absolutely shocking W3 D1 L13 needs no extra explanation. Southport hardly convince either though, Davenport has made some odd tactical changes since taking charge - it is baffling to see the likes of Blakeman, Boyd and Baker occasionally warming the bench while lesser lights take the field. Tonight should see a full strength squad for them barring Hoolickin who is on the fringes anyway. Halifax miss Smeltz reg fw still on international duty, Key fw Stamp is carrying a stomach injury while key defensive man Quinn is still coming back from injury. Both managers have stated that this is a "must win" game, they both play an open game, so goals are not unlikely here.

Forest Green v Exeter

A localish match should ensure a big crowd for this game. It's another one of importance to both sides. Forest Green have been sucked back into the relegation fight largely due to their inactivity recently. They haven't played for 10 days and this can be a setback for teams at this stage of the season where the intensity rises rapidly. Exeter meanwhile limp on towards the play offs, they don't really impress - failing to beat 10 man York and a pathetic effort at Northwich recently. Team news is important - Forest Green miss Rigilioso, he's been out for a while but hard to overestimate his importance to the team as a creative midfielder, he scored 6 goals in his limited appearances for them. They also have a doubt over Hardiker in defence who missed out last time through injury. Exeter still have doubts over Tully in defence and Buckle in midfield both important players. The market is moving slowly towards Exeter on this one.

Monday 26th March

Oxford v Dagenham

Showpiece fixture in the Conference tonight with the top two meeting at the Kassam. It's not as important fixture as it might have been a few weeks ago with Oxford having pretty much blown their chances of automatic promotion. Dagenham are 11 points clear with only 7 games left for their nearest challengers. Therefore questions have to be raised over their motivation to go for a win tonight. Anything but a loss will pretty much put the title to bed, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a more pragmatic attitude from the top team. On the other hand of course they could go for a champagne finish to what has been a sparkling season, there is no doubt in this writers mind that they deserve their position at the top of the tree. For the majority of the campaign they've had a very settled side and they have consistently pulled off results as their current run of 1 defeat in 15 suggests. Anyone who has watched Oxford recently will by now have realised that their name is a lot more potent than their actual team in this division. They struggle to create and put away chances and have relied too much on their physical defence to grind out results. They should get into the play offs but after that the end will be nigh for this untalented team. Tonight's team news is important - Dagenham will miss centreback Boardman, a key figure recently, expect new signing Arber to slot into his position. Oxford meanwhile welcome back Duffy their main goalscorer from suspension. Midfielder Foster remains suspended. Their defence has been hit by injuries recently and last time out Gilchrist and Johnson missed out but Luke Foster actually looks quite decent as a replacement so not too much of a problem there. It should be an interesting game but the recommendation is to take a watching brief as it's a televised match - Dagenham are definitely the better team but they don't really need to win this one - better to wait and see what attitude they adopt before getting heavily involved.

Sunday 25th March

Northwich v Cambridge

This match was moved because of the International fixtures and takes place in the early afternoon on Sunday. Inevitably this may see a more low key atmosphere among the fans. Both teams are in relegation trouble but things are more serious for Cambridge as Northwich have plenty of games in hand. Form is mixed for both sides, Northwich recorded a morale boosting victory midweek against Exeter but in general this season their home form has been very poor. Cambridge meanwhile have hit a nasty patch, two 5-0 thumpings followed by a scratchy 1-1 draw at Crawley. There seems little confidence in Jimmy Quinn's ability to steer them out of this crisis. In the background there is instability for both clubs, Northwich are the poorest supported team in this league while Cambridge are desperately short of financial investment. There has been desperate calls from both sets of owners for more investment and support from the fans. The end of the loan window saw some movement at both clubs - Warburton a midfielder in from Rochdale and Smith a midfielder in from Port Vale for Northwich while Cambridge let Brady move to Kidderminster with Hughes coming in from Colchester. Ironically the aforementioned Smith had been on loan at Cambridge but Quinn didn't think he merited a 1st team place so Vale pulled him and sent him off to the Vics. Expect the young midfield man to put on a motivated showing for obvious reasons. Other team news sees the continued absence of Jonny Allan and Elliott for Northwich both important players in defence and midfield while Cambridge have a slight doubt over Duncan at the back.

Saturday 24th March

Stevenage v Altrincham

Important fixture for both sides, Stevenage challenging for the playoffs while Altrincham battle on against relegation. The key factor here is that both sides have faced a punishing schedule recently with on average two games a week for sometime now. This is tough on a side like Altrincham who are part-timers and their manager Heathcote has given them the rest of this week off training to recover. This is in contrast to Stevenage who have one (if not) the strongest squad in the league. They pretty much have solid cover in all areas so can afford to rotate a little. Strangely though they don't see to have utilised this squad strength with the likes of Hakim, Slabber and Batt remaining largely on the sidelines. The form lines for the two teams are interesting, Altrincham have been fighting hard recently and have managed an impressive haul of 4 victories from their last 6 matches. Stevenage too are at a decent level results wise but some of their performances have been under par suggesting that they are not nailed on to make the end of season shake up. The consensus among the fans seems to be that they miss their midfield maestro Adam Miller who is an important source of creativity. He will be absent again for this fixture with manager Stimson suggesting that he is still 7 days away from fitness. Stevenage should win here but the odds are not particularly interesting bearing in mind all the factors mentioned.

Nottm Forest v Cheltenham

Forest occupy top spot in the play off positions, 4 points behind an automatic promotion place. Cheltenham are in the relegation zone, 1 point from safety and an inferior goal difference on the team above. Both teams are very underish statistically, Forest 25 from 38 under, 11 from 19 under at home and last 4 league games all under. Cheltenham 23 from 38 under, 11 from 19 under away, 7 of last 10 under, 4 of last 5 under. One interesting stat concerning Cheltenham is that in their last 30 league games no team for or against them has scored 3 goals or more. The reverse fixture at Whaddon Road resulted in a 2-0 win for Forest. Under 2.5 Goals has to be the call here at 1.85, however the enthusiasm for the under is tempered by the game situation in that both teams desperately need the points, which could result in a game more open than normal.

Chester v Barnet

Chester are mid-table with nothing to play for, Barnet are just below them probably requiring one more win to esnure League Two status fornext season. Chester have loan fw Brownlie injured and mf Bennett (21 apps, 1 goal) doubtful here and Wright is considering bringing in a striker on loan to cover that loss. Chester suffered the loss of some key players in the January transfer window and at the moment they seem to be rebuilding for next season. Key fw Bailey (35 apps, 5 goals) is on the transfer list after a training ground bust up although he did play in midweek there is a chance he could be shipped out before the loan deadline. Both teams are underish, Chester 26 from 38 under, 13 from 19 under at home, 12 of last 13 under. Barnet 12 of 19 under away and currently last 2 under. Barnet have only managed 1 goal in their last 3 away games and the reverse fixture resulted in a win for Barnet by a single goal. The stats point heavily towards the under and that is our preference on this game however the match situation whereby the teams have little to play for this season may result in a more open game than normal.

Friday 23rd March

Gravesend v Aldershot

A play off challenger (Gravesend) versus a side with little to play for. Interesting background to this one as there are rumours that Aldershot manager Terry Brown could be near resigning. He's been underfire for the bulk of the season from disillusioned Shots fans disappointed with their teams inconsistent showings this season. One of the better supported clubs in the Conference, Aldershot have flattered to deceive much of the season but the midweek loss against Morecambe has pretty much ended their play off dreams. Their opponents Gravesend though have it all to play for with only a 4 point gap to the play off berths. They are in a bit of a downtrend though with only 2 wins in 9 games. It's hard to pin down why exactly they have tailed off but some blame must surely be apportioned to injuries. For this one they still have doubts over key men De Bolla and Moore. These two attacking players formed an impressive triumvarate with leading scorer Macdonald in the opening stages of the season but the three haven't played regularly together now for quite some time. Another doubt for Gravesend is midfield man Slatter who is rated as 50/50. In the loan market Gravesend brought in Eribenne from Grays a forward who really has been a big disappointment this season. Aldershot team news is mixed - winger Soares is likely to return but defensive midfielder Newman is a big doubt. The onus is on Gravesend to win here and with the instability surrounding Aldershot, the odds seems stacked in their favour here.

Rushden v Crawley

Two teams hovering around the lower reaches of the Conference. Rushden went on a fine run under Graham Westley until in a bizarre turn of events he was sacked for not fitting into the clubs future plans what that was a euphemism for we have yet to find out. Anyway under new manager Gary Hill, Rushden have started reasonably with a fine win against Exeter and creditable draws at Halifax and at home to Morecambe. Hill has pledged to play a more attacking game with wingers in a 4-4-2 formation. Recent departures this week were Jamie Cook (mf) and Glenn Wilson (df) , Hill had brought in Woodhouse and Wright so this seems pretty much like for like. Crawley meanwhile struggle on under the player management of Judge and Woozley and overlord John Yems. It's been pretty successful for them and if it wasn't for the 10 point deduction for going into adminstration, Crawley would be in a comfortable midtable spot. Team news for this game is minimal with Crawley missing Blackman a fringe fw through injury and a slight doubt over Hiley at the back. Otherwise both teams are full strength. Crawley seem in a bit of a downtrend currently with only 1 win in 6 against some mediocre opposition while as mentioned earlier Rushden are on a longish unbeaten run. Bearing this in mind then the prices on Rushden and the over 2.25 goals (remember both sides need the points) seem quite attractive. UPDATE - 3 1st teamers doubtful for Crawley - Bull, Evans, Bulman - if they all miss out that will leave a big hole in their midfield. Rushden have reg def Hatswell out injured and Albrighton suspended (another reg defender.)

Wednesday 21st March

Halifax v Oxford

TV game this one so expect to see more than your normal market action for a Conference game. Most punters will inevitably side with Oxford for the usual reasons, big name team, near the top of the league against a relegation threatened side. However there are more important reasons why they might be worth a punt. As mentioned in our forum over the weekend, Halifax have hit some real trouble. Their chairman has resigned throwing the club into crisis with the players admitting they are uncertain of their futures. One 1st teamer Haslam admitted the matter had been discussed on the coach to the Tamworth game where they subsequently turned in a turkey of a performance to lose 1-0. Afterwards the team said that this hadn't been a factor in their poor effort but as we mentioned last week, the best time to back against teams is when the news has just broken and the players are still trying to adjust to the situation. This is hard cold betting but does pay results. It's arguable whether it is now too late to jump on the bandwagon, certainly the fact that this is a TV match should inspire an improved performance from the home side but still we think it's fair to say morale won't be at it highest in the home camp. Add to that - the team news, reg fw Smeltz is away on international duty, Imp fw Stamp is playing with a stomach injury and at the back imp def Quinn is still a big doubt. Negatives too for Oxford with key fw Duffy suspended, Reg mf Foster suspended and some longer term injuries to likes of Basham and co. Oxford do have a deeper squad though and should be more relaxed bearing in mind their play off spot is almost assured. Normally the prices available wouldn't be value for Oxford, Halifax are a decent team, in fact probably better than Oxford on pure individual skills but they look very brittle at the moment and with all this background instability a speculative bet on the away team could pay off @2.3+.

Tuesday 20th March

Tamworth v Kidderminster

Two teams whose form has been generally good recently. Tamworth were rock bottom before changing management and seeing an immediate improvement under old favourite Gary Mills. Kidderminster meanwhile were on a phenomenal run and looked set for the play offs before a blip hit and they lost ground. However a couple of recent wins still gives them a faint chance to make the final shakeup. Team news is relevant for both teams. Tamworth almost certainly without Weaver and Smith reg defenders while Kiddie could miss inspirational keeper Bevan who has kept them in many games this season. It will be interesting if he does play as he left Tamworth under a cloud and i'm sure the home team would have been looking forward to netting a few past him. The oddsmakers seem to have overreacted here, Tamworth's recent form has been good but it was only a few games ago that they were priced at +0.25 on the Asian Handicap against Aldershot, a very similar team to Kidderminster. Now the books started here with -0.25 Tamworth, it's moved a bit to a widespread DNB but still it's tempting to side with the away team who after all are at least one class better than their opponents. It might pay to wait and see if Bevan plays though and bear in mind the danger of "after the Lord Mayor's show" as Kiddie won through to the FA Trophy final last Saturday and will no doubt have been out celebrating.

Altrincham v Grays

Relegation showdown tonight at Moss Rd. Four go down from the Conference this season so it means some unlikely candidates have been dragged into the mire. Grays have to fit into this category, last season they were one of the finest attacking sides in the Conference but a series of events starting with the departure of charismatic manager Mark Stimson has seen a freefall into the bottom places. They have games in hand but will need all their courage and spirit to get them out of this position. On paper Grays are a far superior team, Altrincham are a group of part-timers who have to go back to their normal jobs after each match. Grays meanwhile have bought in some league talent in recent games - Alex Rhodes from Brentford, Barness ex-Plymouth and Tonkin in defence. They still have the mercurial talent of Glenn Poole in mf and the Oli/Griffiths partnership upfront has the potential to be devastating. All Altrincham can offer is the dependable Colin Little who thankfully for them has finally hit form at the right time, shooting them to several victories recently. Team news for this one is interesting. Grays - miss their influential captain Thurgood through suspension and also goalscoring midfielder Grant who is indisposed. They also played 120 mins and lost on Saturday so could be tired for this one. Alty have a few doubts in Scott and Owen but these are replaceable in a team which lacks real stars. Normally we would be looking to back Grays here and the market thinks so too with the price falling in Asia but the factors already mentioned should be borne in mind before plunging too heavily. On the 1x2 Centrebet stand out at 3.1 on the away side.

Sunday 18th March

Charlton v Newcastle

Charlton have been showing good form of late, a come from behind draw at Watford followed a superb performance against West Ham. They desperately need a win here after Man City won at the Riverside yesterday. Newcastle went out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday and that will be demoralising for them. A late decision will be made on key fw Darren Bent for Charlton and reg mf Butt is suspended for Newcastle. We are fairly sure that given Charlton's plight they will go for it here, however a lot of their scoring potential rests on bent being declared fit. If he plays Charlton at level ball would be a preference. Over 2.25 goals appeals as well and maybe worth considering in running if there is an early goal, there is no site bet though because of the doubts over Bent.

Saturday 17th March

Middlesbrough v Man City

A cursory glance at this fixture and home win leaps into your mind. Middlesbrough playing their best football of the season and City with an under pressure manager, relegation threatened and can't seem to a buy a goal at any cost. However Middlesbrough have their FA Cup replay against Man Utd soon after this game on Monday and they may be tempted to rest one or two players here, indeed there are question marks raised in the advance team news over key fw Yakubu (29 apps, 12goals), imp mf Boateng (26 apps) and reg mf Arca (16 apps, 2 goals). City may emply new signing Mpenza as a lone striker which hardly aids their goalscoring, just 20 league goals from 28 games is a poor return. Man City are our preference on the Asian Handicap at +0.5, 1.84 or thereabouts, they may pinch a draw here and take advantage that Boro may have one eye on next week.

Southend v Leeds

A real 6 pointer. Southend have improved recently and are for the first time in months out of the relegation spots. Despite all their protestations Leeds remain rooted to the bottom. They have a rack of injury doubts for this one with imp df/mf Lewis struggling, recent signing Johnson out, Imp mf Thomson struggling and df Sa also 50/50. Add to this Nicholls imp mf out of favour and they look short in the midfield area in particular. Southend meanwhile are less troubled with only reg mf McCormack suspended and Barrett reg df out. Even without the team news Southend look an attractive bet, Leeds have hidden for far too long behind their "good name", the facts are they are a desperately poor side lacking in any real confidence. It's hard to isolate a player who is playing particularly well for them, even the gk Angrecen who had performed ok dropped a real clanger to concede against Leicester. This sort of match needs some sort of mental strength, precisely what Leeds have been lacking this season. Roots Hall is a tough, tight little venue and it has already proved a graveyard for the likes of WBA, Southampton, Sunderland and of course Man U this season. More importantly the odds are decent value Southend -0.25@ 2.0+ looks the way to go.

Sunderland v Hull

Friday 16th March

Southampton v Colchester

This Friday night game features one of the play off contenders in the Championship in Southampton. Their form has faltered recently with points dropped against Stoke, Cardiff and Preston. However this looks an easier test against a Colchester side which is now showing it's true level after their early season high points. The away team haven't won in 6 and have only scored a paltry 2 goals in the process. This has seen manager Williams try to shake things up a bit by resting players but really they don't have a big enough squad for that. An important doubt for this game with the likely miss of skipper Duguid who is an energetic player for them. Southampton welcome back Jones from injury but mf Belmadi will miss this one. They've dropped leading scorer Raziak recently and this has shaken his confidence so it's likely Jones will partner Saganowski who has shown decent form up front. This is a strong home team against a very weak away side and we have Southampton as solid favourites. However not quite enough to warrant a bet at the unappealing -0.75 Asian Handicap @2.08. There could be goals in this one as both sides have conceded heavily almost 2 goals per game in last 6 but hold off on backing the over until the news of Cureton's fitness for Colchester. He missed out against Sheff W with a slight calf strain. Although he hasn't scored for a while he remains Colchesters most potent goal threat.

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