Blue Square Bet Premier – Live Match & Weekend Betting Preview

Friday’s Live Match – DARTFORD v WREXHAM
Tony Burman has called on his Dartford side to see out the season in style after their FA Trophy run ended and their unlikely push for promotion fell away. It’s been a fantastic first season back in Non-League’s top-flight for the Kent side and boss Burman is keen to repeat the experience next year. The Darts are ten points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games to play and should have no real danger of the drop after some fantastic results – including a league double over pre-season favourites Luton Town. Blue Square Bet Premier leaders Wrexham are the visitors to Princes Park on Friday night for the live Premier Sports match. An away win is the favoured outcome at 11/10, with a Dartford win priced 21/10. A draw is offered at 5/2. Burman has already seen his side win an incredible six out of seven home games against teams in the top nine, so the Red Dragons should be fearful. Andy Morrell’s side have the second best away record in the division though and while they’ve struggled against the top sides away from home (no wins out of six away to the top eight), they have a 100% record of 8 wins from 8 against teams placed from 9th to 18th – Dartford are situated in 11th.

Wrexham have the tightest away defence in the division with a miserly 0.72 goals conceded per game. They don’t guarantee entertainment when they are in town with total goals averaging just 2.17 in their away matches. Dartford are unbeaten in their last five home matches in the league with the last four all under the 2.5 total goals band. ‘Under 2.5’ goals in this match is priced at 5/6 and looks like the best play in that particular market. Wrexham have seven clean-sheets on the road and have won four of their away games by a 1-0 scoreline. That eventuality is priced at 6/1 and also looks worthy of investment. Kevin Thornton has been in incredible goalscoring form for the Welsh side and is 7/1 to get the first goal of the game. Harry Crawford is back at Princes Park after his transfer to Barnet and is 6/1 in the same market for the home side.

Saturday’s Matches
Kidderminster’s seven game winning streak was brought to a dramatic halt at Bootham Crescent in midweek as Gateshead dented title hopes with a 2-0 win over Steve Burr’s team. The Harriers travel to Grimsby Town for the game of the day in the Blue Square Bet Premier as 5th plays 2nd. The Mariners are looking for their third straight win in the league and have an impressive record when hosting their fellow title contenders. They’ve won three out of three matches at home against the top six sides in the division, conceding just one goal in the process. Kidderminster have won two out of two on their travels against ‘top six’ teams and they haven’t conceded at all in those two fixtures. It all makes for a fascinating clash, one that Grimsby are the 5/4 favourites for with home advantage. An away win is offered at 15/8. Mansfield Town sitting in third place will no doubt be hoping for a draw at Blundell Park. The Stags are just 2/5 for their game at home to struggling Stockport County. Paul Cox’s team have mirrored last season’s late surge for the top of the table and have an excellent home record against the lower sides – 10 wins from 12 versus teams from 10th downwards. It all points to another three points for them at Field Mill.

Ebbsfleet United have just completed a run of three incredibly difficult away games in the division. Liam Daish’s team failed to win a single point on their trips to Kidderminster, Wrexham and Grimsby with another promotion contender up next at home. Fourth placed Newport County are the visitors to Stonebridge Road and an away win is priced as the favoured outcome at 10/11. A vital win for the Fleet, as they try to escape the drop-zone, is offered at 12/5. The top sides have struggled in Kent this season and Daish can look proudly on a home record which shows his side unbeaten in four matches against the current top six. Forest Green Rovers have suffered four games without scoring a goal as their title hopes all but evaporated. Dave Hockaday’s team will still harbour hopes of breaking back into the play-off zone though. Rovers are 4/7 favourites to get back to winning ways as Barrow are the visitors to The New Lawn. The Bluebirds have done their survival hopes no harm with just one defeat in four matches and see a range of teams above them in touching distance after being cut adrift earlier in the season.

Macclesfield Town fought back from a goal down at home against Lincoln City in midweek to register a 2-1 home win. Steve King’s team travel to bottom club AFC Telford United on Saturday afternoon with an away success heading the market at 6/5. Telford are desperately looking for their first win since October after an astonishing run of 22 winless matches. They are 2/1 to halt that desperate slide with a victory over the Silkmen. John Still’s first home game as Luton Town boss sees them priced as the 4/5 favourites to beat Hereford United. Successive clean-sheets since he officially took over at Kenilworth Road reflect well on the former Dagenham and Redbridge boss. He has warned against the Hatters’ faithful getting carried away though and says any progress may be slow at first. On that basis and with the play-offs looking a forlorn hope it’s probably not worth relying on them to justify an odds-on quote at this stage of his tenure. Hereford are 14/5 with the draw looking the best bet at 5/2.

Elsewhere Woking are 7/4 to win at Cambridge United. Both sides lost in midweek but the U’s have had an extra day of rest having travelled to Southport on Tuesday. That could be significant but Richard Money’s side aren’t the kind we can trust at prices like 5/4. Again a draw looks best at 12/5. Lincoln City have won just one of their last 14 matches in the league, they also take on a team who have had an extra day of rest. Southport are in great form with just one defeat in seven and look one of the best bets of the weekend at 2/1 to win at Sincil Bank. Braintree Town racked up a hat-trick of wins last Saturday with a victory over Gateshead. Alan Devonshire’s team are 5/6 to beat Nuneaton at Cressing Road. The visitors arriving off the back of just one defeat in five matches which has improved their survival hopes. Tamworth are 23/20 favourites to return to winning ways at home to Alfreton Town after successive defeats. Alfreton can leapfrog their opponents in the table with a win at 15/8 having secured an excellent draw at Wrexham last week. Gateshead host Hyde at Blyth’s ground and can build on their great midweek win over Kidderminster by putting some distance between themselves and the relegation zone with a win at Evens. Scott McNiven’s visitors sinking to 20th place after five straight league defeats.

Alan’s Best Bets for Dartford v Wrexham:
UNDER 2.5 GOALS – Total Goals Under/Over
WREXHAM TO WIN 1-0 – Correct Score
KEVIN THORNTON TO SCORE FIRST – First Goalscorer

Alan’s Best Weekend Treble:
BRAINTREE TOWN to beat Nuneaton Town
SOUTHPORT to win at Lincoln City
GATESHEAD to beat Hyde

Dartford v Wrexham is live on Premier Sports TV – Friday 8th March at 7.15pm (7.45pm kick-off) – visit www.premiersports.tv for subscription details.
You can play your part in the commentary for this game! Contact commentators Steve Bower and Ian Snodin during the action to give your thoughts – email: steveandsnods@premiersports.tv OR Twitter: @steveandsnodsps.

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