We are getting towards the business end of the season, where some sides are already in this mode, and others have plenty of work to complete still! This week’s treble contains two tips that we view seeing over 2.5 and one that will be dominated by the hosts after the midweek humiliation!
Hull Vs MK Dons
Steve Bruce’s men crashed out the FA cup in midweek in which at times looked like a partisan game, for which the previous tie was not. It was clearly evident on Bruce’s expression he was disappointed at times with the gaps that Arsenal exploited in their crusade to supremacy. This run aside, Hull still have business to attend to in terms of the Championship ticket to Premiership perks and delights of TV revenue and welcome Karl Robinson’s men to the KC stadium.
Hull has a game in hand against rivals Middlesbrough three points ahead and between them is Brighton a mere point ahead. This fixture has come at a great time for Bruce’s men to turn their attentions towards promotional dreams and have no other commitments this season. MK Dons are sitting a place above the drop and Karl Robinson’s men have found life in the Championship tough after several seasons in League one.
We have a Hull side with the best defence in the league against an MK dons with the fourth worse travelling side in the league. However Robinson’s men have been showing signs of resilience towards Championship survival netting ten from the last twenty-four. To give a perspective on the last eight, second placed Brighton have fifteen from twenty-four in this table, so MK dons are showing signs of a relegation battle.
Robinson’s MK dons do not have the worse defensive record in the league which suggests that Hull can play their strategic park the bus technique. MK can keep the Hull attack at bay, which leads me to suggest that this could be a game premium of goals, both with a great need and after the shellshock of midweek, Steve Bruce will be telling his men to tighten up and go back to formula in a narrow margin win!
Gillingham Vs Crewe
The Priestfield stadium in Medway Kent will host two clubs with two different needs. One of which are trying to escape relegation and the other is looking to overturn three successive 2-1 defeats to seek automatic promotion to the Championship in four games without a win.
Admittedly Steve Davis’s Crewe has had a major deficit to overturn and in the last ten having lost just twice despite lying a place from the foot of League one. Just six other sides above Crewe has suffered similar or fewer defeats in the last ten.
Gillingham can rebound from the game with the best record at home under their belt. In addition with Priestfield being their fortress, Davis’s men visiting will have an uphill task to get something from the game. Crewe are more than capable of scoring, which they have netted in eight of the last ten, two games of which holding the top two to a draw in this period!
It must be noted that in the last four games from both five of the last eight combined has seen more than two goals in the game, with just one seeing fewer than two goals in the same period. The last five meetings between the pair favours three or more and with both sides with their individual goals in place this season, both gaffers will look to seal the win, but I can see the pair netting in the tie!
Cheltenham Vs Woking
Days before one of the biggest Horse Racing meetings in the calendar Garry Hill’s men will have no time to stop over as they look to consider the rest of their season.
Whadden road, the home of the Gloucestershire outfit is sitting firmly on top spot in the National League two points clear of Forest Green Rovers, where only the top spot are guaranteed promotion to the football league.
With Gary Johnson’s men seeing their opponents are eight without a win, they should not be too complacent on the fact that the cards have some respectability to overturn. With contract renewals at the end of the season, Garry Hill’s men undertook a mid-season low, which reverted to a peak, but has escalated to a trough once again and rebuilding for next season is a priority by salvaging some pride.
Some stats that will support goals in this fixture include Cheltenham have been undefeated in their last 11 home games. The cards have conceded at least one goal in each of their last ten games but have scored at least one goal in eighty-three percent of their away games including the last nine on the road.
Although the percentage weighs against the home side in goals, it does not for the visitors and Hill’s men have shown valiant displays in their losses, which may cause Johnson’s table toppers to net two or three to secure victory. The cards will certainly like to scalp any sides above them now. With the likes of set pieces from Giuseppe Sole in the Woking offense, may cause the home side to net at least two to win this game and will be a coin flip to determine whether the visitors can squeeze a goal in at Whadden road before final whistle despite the short odds for the leaders!
