DELAHUNT FOOTBALL COLUMN for Saturday March 22
WREXHAM banked a massive three points away to Wycombe Wanderers last Saturday and the Hollywood backed Red Dragons can win again at 7/5 at home to Stockport.
A Scott McTominay penalty helped Scotland beat Greece – more on that later[/caption]
Jim Delahunt has cast his eye over the rest of the weekend’s footie[/caption]
Sam Smith‘s late winner meant Phil Parkinson’s side leapfrogged their hosts into the second automatic promotion place and today’s visit of fifth top Stockport can see them end the weekend back in second after Wycombe won their game in hand at Rotherham on Tuesday.
The Chairboys 3-2 win in Yorkshire means Wrexham have to do it all again this afternoon but they’re level on 71 points with Wanderers and while a draw will be enough to edge back in front, home advantage gives them a great chance of taking all three points.
Stockport arrive in Wales after last weekend’s 1-0 win at Bolton kept them four points clear of 6th top Huddersfield and they’re now unbeaten in four games since a 2-0 defeat away to bottom 3 club Cambridge.
Wrexham lost the reverse fixture 1-0 back in November but the Welsh side looks to be coming nicely to the boil for the serious business end of the campaign and while league leaders Birmingham may be away and gone over the horizon, second place still guarantees Championship football next season.
110-goal Dragons striker Paul Mullin has missed 8 of the club’s last nine matches due to a rumoured falling out with Parkinson but three 1-0 wins in their last four games suggest they’re adjusting to life without their talisman striker and I genuinely thought they’d be a much shorter price today.
LINCOLN look second best on a truncated League One card die to the international weekend with the Imps fresh from a 5-0 hammering of a previously in-form Bristol Rovers last weekend.
Today’s opponents Exeter keep the home side’s price respectable at 4/5 thanks to a five-match unbeaten run for Gary Caldwell’s players which moved them 8 points clear of the relegation zone.
That run is all the more commendable after Exeter only managed four points from nine games in January and February but Lincoln have now scored nine in their last two wins at Sincil Bank and Michael Skubala’s side can make it three in a row as they look to end the season in style.
Northampton and Peterborough are both on good runs and both look capable of performing well against higher placed teams in the shape of Blackpool and Charlton, with the draw prices of 12/5 and 9/4 worth taking and both matches looking contenders for Both Teams to Score lists.
League Two‘s second top club Bradford have stalled a little in their last two games and Graham Alexander’s Bantams might have to bite the bullet again today when COLCHESTER come calling to Valley Parade.
The U’s are flying high in seventh place after five straight wins since their 1-1 draw at home to top three Wimbledon and are now unbeaten in 13 matches since losing at home to Accrington in early January.
Last week’s 3-0 win over Fleetwood came as Bradford were losing at home to normally poor travellers Tranmere and Colchester’s 5-10-3 road form earns today’s nomination as the Saturday Single at a value 14/5.
PORT VALE are keeping Colchester out of the final play-off place at the moment and I expect that to still be the case by close of play this weekend after The Valiants bank another three points at home to MK Dons last Saturday.
Today’s visitors are second bottom Morecambe and I can’t see the home side passing up another three points at what could be a value 4/7.
Back in Scotland, their could be lower league draw material in the games between Kelty and Arbroath, Montrose at home to Annan and Stirling versus Peterhead at 14/5, 5/2 and 14/5.
Saturday SINGLE
COLCHESTER have only conceded one in five straight wins and the League Two play-off chasers can win at 3/1 away to Bradford.
WEEKEND ACCA
Wrexham 7/5
Port Vale 4/7
Morton 6/4
Ayr 8/13
Falkirk 2/9
5 homes across 3 divisions this week with the Acca paying out at better than 17/1.
SCOTLAND V GREECE Sunday 5pm BBC1 Scotland
Thursday night’s first leg win in Athens means Scotland can win or draw to win this two-leg play-off and punters should be confident enough to back John McGinn and company to win again at 8/5.
Steve Clarke won’t be throwing caution to the wind anytime soon but Scott McTominay‘s penalty was a major blow to the seemingly confident hosts and the 9/5 chances can’t be relishing chasing a 1-0 deficit in Glasgow.
Che Adams has been scoring goals for Torino and looks sure to get some proper chances tomorrow, while McGinn and McTominay’s threats are a bonus and the blooding of George Hirst in Greece looks a positive as well.
AYR V HAMILTON
Ayr’s title hopes took a massive hit with back-to-back road defeats at Morton and Partick and the Honest Men need a win to regain momentum ahead of increasingly likely play-off matches.
Accies are having a season to forget at the other end of the table but they’re a point above Dunfermline as they try to avoid the relegation play-off spot and did bank an unlikely point against Falkirk this month.
The visitors are 9/2 with the draw at 14/5 but there’s plenty of 8/13 about Scott Brown‘s men winning and they’re back at home for the first time since a Curtis Main double helped them to a 4-1 win over Airdrie.
FALKIRK V AIRDRIE
John McGlynn’s side all but wrapped up the title last weekend with four goals at Queens Park making it three straight wins as Livingston and Ayr both dropped points.
Livingston are due in Falkirk on Tuesday night after a Saturday off but the Bairns have a chance to stretch that gap to 11 points before the Lions arrive and they look rock-solid bankers to do just that.
Rhys McCabe’s Diamonds are fighting hard despite relegation looking inevitable but 11/1 looks about right for the win and Falkirk should win this comfortably at 2/9.
MORTON V QUEENS PARK
The Spiders have won two meetings to Morton’s one this season but a fourth straight league defeat cost Callum Davidson his Hampden job last weekend and I fancy Morton to have the edge here.
Dougie Imrie’s side waited until the last five minutes to bag the winning goals at the manager’s old side Hamilton last week but that followed a 2-1 win over Ayr United and the Ton look set for a winning finish to the Championship campaign.
9/5 Queens are surely better than the recent form which cost their Rangers-conquering manager his job but the Cappieow side look to have the momentum and 6/4 looks a good price in Greenock.
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