WEEKEND BLUE SQUARE BET PREMIER PREVIEW
by Alan Alger, from Blue Square
The competitive nature of this season's Blue Square Bet Premier is evident in a goal difference column that has only one team showing 'double figures', an unfortunate -11 for bottom of the pile Altrincham. The remaining 23 clubs vary from +7 to -8 with the majority between +3 and -3 showing that games are being won and lost by very close margins. The +7 belongs to table toppers AFC Wimbledon who continued their good form with a 2-1 win at Kettering Town on Saturday. The Wombles had their price to win the title cut from 14/1 to 9/1 after that Rockingham Road victory left them two points clear at the summit. Boss Terry Brown landed the August 'manager of the month' award and can continue to stake his claim in September with victory over Bath City this weekend. Brown's side are the odds-on favourites at 4/7 to beat the newly-promoted West Country outfit. Last season's South division play-off winners have had a reasonable start to life in the top-flight which is not reflected by their position in the table. Narrowly beaten on three occasions their six point haul leaves them only one win off mid-table at this early stage but also one place off last spot. An away win is priced at 9/2 with a draw offered at 5/2.
One of many highlights in an exciting round of fixtures is Cambridge United's visit to Kenilworth Road to face Luton Town. The away side have picked up form to record successive home wins and now face a test of that new found resolve with a game against the pre-season favourites. Martin Ling's side are generously priced at 3/1 considering their recent 5-0 win over Gateshead, which included five different scorers. Luton opened Premier Sports' TV coverage of the division with a fruitless trip to Grimsby Town. That extended their winless run to four matches as the transfer of Tom Craddock and Andy Drury's suspension hit creativity in the final third. Drury is back in contention this week and Hatters boss Richard Money will be hoping his side can get back to their free-scoring style of earlier in the season. A home win is 4/5 with the draw at 12/5. Luton forward Danny Crow is 11/2 to score first in this match against his former club.
Wrexham extended their unbeaten run to four matches with a 1-1 draw in Sunday's 'Welsh Derby' at Newport County. Dragon's boss Dean Saunders claims his side haven't had the rub of the green in their early encounters and feels his team should be nearer the top half of the table. Saunders' side host last year's losing play-off finalists York City in another huge clash on Saturday's list. The Minstermen's patchy start leaves them travelling to the Racecourse Ground in twelfth place, with their form looking difficult to weigh up. A goalless draw at Grimsby and a 2-0 home win over Rushden & Diamonds are positive highlights in amongst the lows of a home defeat to Kidderminster and another goalless game, at home to Barrow. Home advantage will make Wrexham the favourites at 6/5 with Martin Foyle's visitors offered at 15/8. The draw is priced at 23/10 and could be of interest based on the recent form of both sides. Another goalless draw to add to York's record is an 8/1 chance. Meanwhile Newport take to the road to face Rushden and on comparative form another draw could be on the cards here at 12/5.
Crawley Town are 8/11 to win at Histon and keep up the pressure on their rivals at the top of the table. Richard Brodie was a second-half substitute in his debut appearance for the Sussex based club last Saturday and will be looking to make more of an impact here. It's 3/1 that Brodie breaks the deadlock in this match and 100/30 that that honour falls to his new strike partner Matt Tubbs. Tamworth continued their excellent run with a 1-0 win at Mansfield Town last week, they host Grimsby Town on Saturday and the two sides are matched in the betting at 6/4 each. Summer-signing Magno Vieira continues to find the net for new club Fleetwood Town and he's the 7/2 favourite to open the scoring as they host Kettering Town this weekend. The Lancashire outfit have impressed in their early exchanges in this division and consequently are the 4/5 favourites at home to last year's sixth placed Poppies. Mansfield made a bright start to the season but will need to bounce back from defeat as they travel to Southport. It's another tight match on the prices with both sides priced at 6/4.
The eighth round of games is probably a very early point to mention the prospect of a 'relegation six-pointer' but with 19th placed Gateshead hosting bottom of the table Altrincham winning will be of upmost importance to both sides. Gateshead picked up a vital midweek win over Southport as they cope with the switch to full-time football. Altrincham's start has left them five points adrift at this early stage with just one draw and four goals to show for their efforts. A home win is priced at Evens with an away success for Graham Heathcote's men offered at 9/4. Eastbourne's hour long battle with nine-men to achieve a point at home to Darlington is followed by their longest journey of the season. The Sports travel to Barrow, where they are 5/2 to claim a victory and 12/5 to draw. A home win for the men from Holker Street is 10/11. Darlington need to bounce back from the disappointment of the aforementioned trip to Sussex and are 4/7 to win at home against a resilient Forest Green Rovers. Kidderminster Harriers will carry the hopes of odd-on punters with an 8/11 quote to win at home to Hayes & Yeading United, but Garry Haylock's men have already been involved in five matches which have gone completely against the odds.
ALAN'S BEST WEEKEND TREBLE
Fleetwood Town (to beat Kettering)
Gateshead (to beat Altrincham)
Wrexham (to beat York City)
£10 RETURNS £79.20 at the current BLUE SQUARE prices.
