Alan Alger
11:22am, Tue 4th Sep 2012
Newport County remained at the top of the Blue Square Bet Premier table despite suffering their first defeat of the season on Saturday at Wrexham. Justin Edinburgh’s side are away at Dartford on Tuesday night and are the 5/4 favourites to get back to winning ways and stay at the summit. Dartford made it three wins on the spin with the 5-1 demolition of Alfreton at the weekend. Tony Burman’s team moved into the top half of the table and are just 9/5 to beat the leaders. Forest Green Rovers remain unbeaten in second position in the table and are 1/2 favourites to win their fourth game on the trot, a home fixture with Ebbsfleet United. The Fleet travel to the New Lawn off the back of a decent draw at Lincoln City. Liam Daish’s side haven’t won since the opening day though and odds of 5/1 suggest they won’t be changing that run tonight. Gateshead are the only other unbeaten side in the division and their fixture at Southport pitches them at 11/10 to remain in the top five with another win. Southport have lost three of their last four matches and have been pushed out to 2/1 to beat Ian Bogie’s team. The Sandgrounders have only scored one goal in their first three home matches.
Cambridge United were deserved winners at Kenilworth Road in September of last year. That 1-0 victory over Luton Town put them up to 6th from 9th in the early table and pitched them as real promotion contenders but they then went on to win just four of their next 12 matches. The U’s start from a lower position this time, dropping to 13th in the table having failed to win their last three matches. They were 4/1 last season to win this game, but tonight are half a point shorter at 7/2 - in worse form and against arguably a much better Luton team. The Hatters are 8/13 favourites to win the game. Stockport County and Macclesfield Town meet in a local derby at Edgeley Park. Steve King’s visitors lost 4-1 in an away game at Luton on Saturday after conceding early on in the first half. King has brought in a number of good additions to his Silkmen squad, but will need to ‘bed them in’ as soon as possible. They are still favourites at 5/4 to win at a Stockport team who are winless in four matches since the opening week of the season.
AFC Telford United won’t find themselves favourites for many away games in this division, but are afforded that respect off the back of an incredible run which sees them as high as 6th in the early table. Andy Sinton’s team are 13/10 favourites to win at Nuneaton and 5/2 to keep another clean-sheet, which they have already done in all three of their away games. Nuneaton are the 9/5 outsiders to win at home for the first time since promotion. Wrexham’s defensive problems have not materialised since a season ending injury to lynchpin Mark Creighton. The Red Dragon’s haven’t conceded a goal in their last three games and now welcome Hyde to the Racecourse. Andy Morrell’s team are the shortest price on the coupon at 4/9 to beat the reigning Blue Square Bet North champions. Scott McNiven’s side have lost their last four games but are not being beaten by wide margins, they may be kept waiting for their first win though.
Tamworth’s good start has been curtailed with successive defeats – at home to Wrexham and then away at Braintree. They are 7/2 to get back to winning ways at Mansfield Town. The Stags have won three and lost three of their first six matches. Their victories coming in games they would have been expected to win, whilst their defeats have been against teams that may be challenging them for promotion. This game is a big one for Paul Cox and his squad as they look to prove they are over their early season wobbles, they are 4/6 to gain a vital three points. Hereford United have lost their last two games, both by a 0-2 scoreline. They are as short as 8/13 to win at home to Woking. The Cards travel to Edgar Street following three heavy defeats in which they have conceded a total of 10 goals. Braintree Town, who won 4-1 at Woking last midweek, have moved up to 10th with back-to-back wins. Alan Devonshire’s team welcome bottom club Kidderminster Harriers to Cressing Road and are 13/10 favourites to extend the misery of Steve Burr’s team. The Harriers are yet to win a game but gained their first point at Barrow on Saturday.
Elsewhere Grimsby Town are on course for three straight league wins for the first time since January. They are 4/5 favourites to win at a Barrow side who have points on the board from three draws, but have only scored three goals in the opening 540 minutes of the season. Lincoln City are also 4/5 favourites as they host Alfreton Town at Sincil Bank. Nicky Law’s visitors took their goals conceded column to 16 with a heavy defeat at Dartford on Saturday and make little appeal at 11/4 to arrest that slide here.
Alan’s Best Midweek Treble:
GATESHEAD to win at Southport
GRIMSBY TOWN to win at Barrow
AFC TELFORD UNITED to win at Nuneaton Town
Remember you can earn money for your club when you register and place bets with Blue Square Bet – visit www.bluesq.com/fans for more details.
You can follow me on Twitter - @AlanBlueSquare
You can also follow Blue Square Bet on Twitter for our latest offers and giveaways - @bluesq
