0114soulman

Oxford City v Rochdale City's defending looked hopeless against Aldershot and I am more than happy to continue to oppose them. Rochdale did OK in the live game against Ebbsfleet and I don't think there was much between the two sides at all. I certainly saw enough to give me the confidence to back them at a shade of odds against to beat the team I think will finish bottom.   Bromley v Barnet Barnet have been really well backed for the live TV game, but I still think there is some juice in the price. They were good last week when taking a 3-0 lead against Hartlepool and it was only a lapse of concentration which gave Hartlepool some late hope to get it to 3-2. Bromley struggled at Halifax and I just get the sense they are a little short at the moment so I think the North London side can beat the South London side.   Havant v Chippenham Havant lost the plot in the 2nd half of last season and they were especially bad at home. They weren't great last week when losing to Weston and so I am happy to take a chance on Chippenham who got off to a solid start with a win on the opening day.   Chester v Kings Lynn Chester had a very surprising loss on the opening day at Bishops Stortford and I think they will lose this as well. This is actually a game between the teams who finished 3rd and 2nd last season and Chester have got 6 players missing going into this game. Not all the players have been named, but they don't have a huge squad so it is going to hurt them. Kings Lynn battered Hereford xG wise last Saturday although they only got a point in a 2-2 draw. Still it was a promising start and they are a decent price to beat Chester.   Rochdale 2.5pts @ 23/20 with Bet365 and Coral (take up to 10/11) Barnet 2pts @ 15/8 with Coral, William Hill and Betfred (365 are a huge 11/5 and take up to 6/4) Chippenham 1pt @ 3/1 with Skybet, BetVictor and Betfred (take up to 5/2) Kings Lynn 1pt @ 19/10 with Paddy Power, Betfair, BetVictor and Bet365 (take up to 6/4)   (Odds correct as of Friday 7pm)

Aldershot v Oxford City I am not surprised that the home side have been backed already for this and I imagine that will continue to happen throughout the week. To be fair these two teams could easily have switched positions as Aldershot probably ought to have gone down, but the late managerial change to bring Tommy Widdrington in just worked. Whilst losing Tyler Cordner to York isn't great, they did get a 6 figure sum for him and whilst I don't expect them to finish any higher than mid-table, I do think Widdrington has done a solid enough job in bringing in new players to improve a struggling squad. The main reason for this bet though is that I think Oxford City are going to really struggle this season and I think they will be this terms Maidstone. They don't have much money, don't have many fans and the squad looks pretty weak for this level. I'd be a bit surprised if Aldershot weren't good enough to get off to a winning start and I reckon they will be nearer 8/11-4/6 come kick off not the odds against they currently are.   Maidenhead v AFC Fylde Because of Alan Devonshire I always think Maidenhead will stay up because he has done an amazing job over the years, but for the first time I actually think they could end up in the bottom 4 this season. They were still capable of putting in very good performances at home to the big clubs and they pushed both Notts County and Wrexham close at home last season and I suspect that might happen again this time around. They still were very close to going down though and were pretty average for most of the season. I don't really see them improving this season and for me that means they could finally go down. AFC Fylde certainly have the better squad and after winning the title last season I think they have the potential to be in and around the play-offs. I think they should be favourites for this even though they are away from home and look good value.   Rochdale v Ebbsfleet The first live National League game on TNT (the new name for BT Sport) is this one and I hope that both Step 2 champions can get off to a winning start. Ebbsfleet played some great football to win the title with ease last term and this is a real tough game for a relegated Rochdale side who haven't been at this level before. I don't think Rochdale are going to do a great deal this season and they might get a shock here. It wouldn't actually surprise me if Ebbsfleet have a bigger budget than their hosts and manager Jimmy McNulty was talking in the paper today that even the likes of Altrincham and Gateshead have been outbidding them for players. Bet365 are out on their own at 7/2 but plenty are bigger than 3/1 and I think this is a game priced up on what leagues they were in last season rather on what both sides might be capable off now they are in the same division.   Solihull Moors v Eastleigh As I mentioned in the Ante-Post preview I think Solihull could well go down this season. Neil Ardley left in the summer and I think it was because the budget was going in the wrong direction. All the key players have left and they look a side way weaker than last season. We are also talking about a side who didn't actually do that well anyway. New manager Andy Whing did a good job at Banbury, but winning a title at Step 3 is very different from managing at this level and to me he strikes me as the cheap option. If they were still going for promotion I don't think he would have got the job. Eastleigh haven't signed as well as I thought they might when it was announced Stewart Donald was coming back as owner, but they will still be going for the play-offs and this does look a very good game for them to get their season off to a winning start. I should add as well that they have still signed well, but I thought they might have spent even more cash than they have. One slight concern is they were poor away from home last season, but hopefully that wont matter here.   Prices from Sunday evening   Aldershot 2.5pts @ 11/10 with Paddy Power, William Hill, Betfair, Betfred and Ladbrokes (6/5 with Bet365 and take up to 4/5) AFC Fylde 2pts @ 13/8 with Paddy Power, Betfair, Boylesports and Ladbrokes (9/5 with Bet365 and take up to 11/8) Ebbsfleet 1pt @ 16/5 with William Hill, Betfair, BetVictor, Betfred and Boylesports (Bet365 are 7/2 and take up to 5/2) Eastleigh 2pts @ 2/1 with Paddy Power, William Hill and Betfair (Bet365 are 11/5 and take up to 6/4)

both won , good for me  ????

Yet again on Friday a David Maxwell horse was beaten into 2nd place by a horse ridden by Zac Baker which is what had happened earlier in the week at Huntingdon. I thought Jatilwih had come to win the race jumping the last, but he hung in and stuck his head up in the air and just didn't want to go through with his effort. Was that the jockey's fault? Was he hit on the head with Zac's whip? Did he just run out of stamina or has he just become quirky? I'm not really sure what to think although I thought the whip hadn't struck his face despite being very close to it. I would probably lean towards him not wanting to win as that was my initial thinking. Wishing And Hoping was certainly game though and he made all for a good win. Marcle Ridge bombed out big time and I can only think there was something wrong as this was miles below his best and I wouldn't want to blame the ground.
Southwell on Tuesday see another David Maxwell horse as an odds on favourite in the shape of Cat Tiger. As I wrote at the time I thought Cat Tiger was the best horse in the race at Aintree and would have won with a different jockey on. Based on that he ought to be winning this, but David really seems to be struggling tactically this season and this comes on the back of not being fit to start with. He's only managed to win on Bob And Co at Hexham and Punchestown and Dolphin Square in what ended up as a match at Kelso. He's been beaten on horses that should have been good enough to win races and that has to be a concern for anyone wanting to take short odds about him. You would also have a slight concern about the horse staying the trip in soft ground.
Therefore I am happy to take him on with Peacocks Secret and Tanit River as they look the only other two possible winners in the race. Through Tango De Juilley and Clondaw Westie, Peacocks Secret doesn't actually have all that much to find with Cat Tiger at these weights. He gets 4lbs and then Dale takes another 5lbs off. Realistically you can add a few more lbs to that as well as Dale is a better jockey. The soft ground won't bother him and neither will the trip. I thought he paid for trying to go with Marcle Ridge at Cheltenham which cost him 2nd place that night. Obviously he didn't boost the form on Friday, but as mentioned above that clearly wasn't his true running and I still think that was the strongest race of the night. I think he is over priced at 4/1.
Tanit River surprised me at Cheltenham because he put in his best jumping performance of the season. Yes he did jump to his right at some of his fences which won't be ideal round here either, but he didn't make any mistakes which he had done at Ascot and Fontwell in his other two runs this year. To be fair to him he ran well in both those races despite the errors. We clearly know the trip wont be an issue and neither will the ground. He also gets weight from the other two with it being 11lbs from the favourite. Again I think he is over priced at 11/2 and I am happy to take the pair of them to split stakes to beat Cat Tiger.
Peacocks Secret 1pt @ 4/1 with everyone
Tanit River 1pt @ 11/2 with Bet365

In the absence of a pts suggestion, I've just remortgaged and take a loan from the local mafia. Good luck.

Never for one second did I think BOG would be needed to get a bigger price on Fumet D'oudairies, indeed I thought he would go off odds on. So for him to return 5/2 was staggering. It was a really impressive performance and although the bare form isn't strong, the time was good and you could see him as a possible Cheltenham contender next season as there should be more to come. I'm Wiser Now was 2nd again and I will keep saying that he will always find something to beat him no matter what the opposition. There were two big surprises in the race. The first was Barrack Hill finishing 3rd. Hard to know if we should take it on face value or not, but not sure I would be in a rush to back him. The 2nd surprise was the massive gamble on The Triple Pillar which never looked like landing. It was a strange gamble and to be fair he did well to finish 4th as he was really struggling a one stage. Captain McGinley got tired after helping make the running and the Wincanton race continues to work out poorly. Rebel Dawn Rising finished last after also being at the front and he will need to come on a lot for the run.
I put in the preview that Cat Tiger would need another run to qualify for Aintree, but it seems his last win in France will actually count towards qualification and he put in a really good performance here. His owner will be back aboard at Aintree, but he looks an uncomplicated ride and Maxwell will have a strong chance of completing a Cheltenham/Aintree double as an owner. Fair play to Venetia Williams for the training performance to get Tango De Juilley to put in the performance he did and I suspect he would have won at Kelso had he not unseated at the 1st based on this effort. He will need another run to qualify for Aintree. Killaro Boy stumbled very badly after 5 out and that didn't help him although hard to think he still wouldn't have finished 3rd. Dr Des was really well backed and he well as well as could have been expected given the 3 ahead of him in the betting all ran up to form. It was another boost to the Warwick form though and he will find easier races than this. He will continue to be on my radar.
3 hunter chases today with two at Musselburgh and one at Wincanton. The 3.35 at Musselburgh looks a 2 horse race between Alcala and Looking Well. It is hard to see Federici closing the gap on Alcala so I don't fancy him. Alcala was outstayed by Salvatore in the Scottish Foxhunter, but he was given a very attacking ride that day and I suspect Cobden won't be quite so bold on him. He was also beaten by a progressive horse who has been entered at Cheltenham so it wasn't a bad performance by any means.
There are no stamina doubts about Looking Well although jumping isn't always foot perfect. His last win was 2 years ago off 133 at Doncaster. He ran in the Grimthorpe after that although he fell at the last when in 2nd. He wasn't seen until last November when running a sound enough race at Kelso over hurdles. He then ran in a race at Market Rasen which he had no chance in.
I think on balance the prices are right and I do think Alcala is the most likely winner of the race. I think he is the better horse and whilst he isn't the strongest of stayers the ground is better here and I don't think it will be as big a stamina test as the race last month was.
I think the 4.35 is all about if Captain Buck's shows he's form or not. He clearly has his quirks, but he looked good when winning at Larkhill over 2m4f a year ago and I put him up when he went back into handicap company for Paul Nicholls at Stratford in July. He won there and I thought Harry Cobden gave him a good ride. He then finished a close 3rd to Seddon at Cartmel before not going a yard at Newton Abbot. He went back pointing again in December when 3rd to Miss Seagreen at Larkhill when ridden by an inexperienced rider and he was never really put in the race until it was too late. He certainly sets the standard.
Six A Side has stuck to pointing since he was 3rd at Cheltenham in May 2017 and he won his only other hunter chase at Kelso the year before. Both runs saw him make mistakes and he isn't exactly foot perfect in points either. He has won his last 4, but he's 13 now and hasn't run for a year. The form of those wins isn't as strong as the favourites and it is hard to see how he beats an on form Captain Buck's.
Absainte is a likeable mare at the right level and she ran well enough to finish 2nd to Wishing And Hoping a year ago at Catterick. I think this sort of trip will suit her better especially as she likes to be handy. She usually runs her race and should do again, but I'm not sure she can beat the favourite.
Bletchley Castle also likes to be at the front end in his races and he should have his ideal conditions here. He was running well at Warwick when he was last seen and back in a hunter chase I can also see him going well.
Dark Mahler is the other one of note and he should be better on this better ground than he has been able to show in his two hunter chases so far this season. Even so on a line through Miss Seagreen he has got a fair bit of ground to make up on the favourite. 
If Captain Buck's runs his race then he wins as on form he is the best horse in the race. I do think we have the wrong 2nd favourite though so there is some value a bit further down the market and I can see Absainte enjoying this test and could be the one to finish 2nd to him.
So how to play the two races. I am going to double up the two favourites to start with. I think Absainte is worth an e/w saver and I will also have a small bet on the forecast as well.
Alcala/Captain Buck's 2pts double @ 6/4 with BetVictor
Abasinte 0.5pts e/w @ 15/2 with Bet365
Captain Buck's to beat Absainte f/c 0.5pts
In between the 2 Musselburgh races we have the 3.45 at Wincanton which looks a good contest. Regular followers will know I am a big fan of Caid Du Berlais having put him up in the last two Foxhunters (pulled up both times) as well as putting him up for both his superb victories at Punchestown. Both wins in Ireland were ultra impressive and I would imagine a hat-trick bid will be the target this season. He is 12 now, but he has run well fresh in points in the past so there is no reason to think he won't perform. The slight question mark would be the drop in trip, but he has plenty of speed so it might not be an issue.
Dashing Perk is an interesting hunter chase newcomer as he ran well in a couple of Aintree handicaps in November and December. Both those efforts would see him have a good chance here. He was pulled up last time at Doncaster, but he finished lame and that run can be easily overlooked for me. This trip is his best one as well.
Capitaine probably didn't see 3m out at Larkhill in his first point in December and it was also his first run for 13 months. He was running OK over hurdles when last seen under rules, but he's never really found a great deal under pressure and I would be a bit surprised if he bit the current front two in the betting.
The horse with the highest handicap rating in the race is Conrad Hastings who has a mark of 140. He won a Kilbeggan handicap off that mark 3 starts ago over this trip although that was in June 2019 and his last run was August that year. First run with new connections and whilst I wouldn't rule him out he will have to be at the top of his game to win this.
I know it doesn't take much money to shorten one up the night before at big prices, but even so the move on Golden Tobouggan was pretty big and surprising. His best runs were his 3 2nds in the 2019 season as he finished 2nd to Virak, Haymount and Caryto Des Brosses all 3 good horses. He missed last season and then won in October at Maisemore beating Silent Man by 1/2L. Now that won has won 2 handicaps since, but both from lowly marks so he is going to have to improve massively on that to play a part here. 33s was possibly too big, but unless someone knows something I don't then he makes little appeal at his current price.
Conrad Hastings is the unknown and it wouldn't surprise if he did win. I am fully expecting Dashing Perk to put his Doncaster effort behind him and he will surely make a bold bid from the front, but I have to stick with Caid Du Berlais here. This looks a good starting place for him and he can have the class to peg back Dashing Perk to give his trainer the first part of a possible across the card double.
Caid Du Berlais 1pt @ 5/4 with Bet365
Finally on a busy day I have to have something on Apple's Queen in the 1.00 at Wincanton. She is potentially very well handicapped on her pointing form. She had lost her way a bit last season, but bounced back in style at Larkhill in December where she clocked a faster winning time than Miss Seagreen carrying 21lbs more than she did. She would have a chance in an average hunter chase and for the first time today she gets her ground under rules. Her two hunter chase runs were both on soft ground and then at Exeter last time in her first handicap she ran well enough on heavy ground. On much quicker ground this afternoon she has to be backed at a double figure price in what is a pretty weak contest.
Apple's Queen @ 22/1 with Bet365

Couldn’t believe when she came down as she looked booked for 2nd still another good day.

One day the Asian punters might realise they shouldn't oppose Hungerford! Crazy prize on them and just proves yet again they are often clueless.

Shame about Taunton who were the better side at the time they conceded and then they went down to 10 men when it was just 2-0. Still when you have 5 winners at the prices I put them up at it is always going to be a very good day. I say it every year, but I love punting on the FA Cup because it gives you a chance to land some lumpy numbers. 

I've taken a few bets for this weekend.
Dorking to beat Braintree @ 2.05 5/5 units
Dorking will be fighting for promotion and Braintree look very weak this season.
Havant to beat Billericay @ 2.50 2/5 units
Dartford to beat Bath @ 2.00 2/5 units
Maidstone to beat Hemel @ 1.95 2/5 units
Weston Super Mare to beat Wimborne @ 1.90 2/5 units
Wingate & Finchley to beat Merstham @ 3.90 2/5units
 
Gloucester look a good bet aswell, did an acca with all these matches @ 242.85
Dorking is a maxbet @ 5/5 units and is my bet best for the weekend. GL everybody and cheers Darran for an excellent preview as always

It isn't always going to be as easy as that, but that was a very comfortable afternoon.

It has been a good couple of weeks with plenty of big price winners landed. Hopefully that can continue on Saturday as I have 7 bets across the divisions.
Chesterfield v Woking
The home side went ahead via a penalty on Tuesday night, but Hartlepool got 2 goals back to give us a winning selection and I am going to oppose Chesterfield again here. Woking have made a really good start to the season winning both games and they are making a similar start to the one they made last season. They deservedly beat Solihull and then put in the perfect away performance when beating Weymouth on Tuesday 1-0. That came from a set piece and they were dangerous from those all night. I can see them causing Chesterfield issues here and they look over priced at 12/5 to make it 3/3.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Wealdstone
This is the live game on BT Sport and I think the away side are a big price at 16/5. Dagenham have to be disappointed with their efforts so far. They weren't great at Halifax last week when losing 2-0 and then they lost 2-1 to Barnet having taken the lead. Granted they were down to 10 men, but given Barnet had been stuffed by Eastleigh on the opening day of the season that was not good. They should be capable of better, but clearly there are gelling issues at the moment. Wealdstone's opening day game was called off, but on Tuesday they got a very good point at Yeovil in a 2-2 draw. I think they will fancy their chances here given Dagenham have been misfiring.
Maidenhead v Hartlepool
Kings Lynn left it late to beat Maidenhead as they came from behind twice and then added the winner in injury time, but Maidenhead's two goals came from penalties and it was a deserved win for the away side in the end. Hartlepool are already shortening for this game and it is no real surprise and I think they should be odds on to make it 3/3 against a Maidenhead side who look set to struggle this season.
Solihull Moors v Kings Lynn
Happy to stick with Kings Lynn again here. They have now scored 5 goals in their 2 games and although Solihull beat Wrexham on Tuesday night, they didn't perform great and as mentioned above they were poor against Woking. Kings Lynn are full of goals and I think they have a much better chance than the odds of 15/4 suggest.
Blyth Spartans v AFC Telford
Blyth would have gone down if the season had ended and even after 1 game it already looks like they could be in trouble this time around. They were easily beaten 4-0 at Guiseley on Tuesday night and with Telford impressing in a 3-0 win over Brackley this ought to be an away win. Telford do seem to have strengthened well over the break and they could be outside candidates for the play-offs.
Enfield Town v Leatherhead (Pitching In Isthmian Premier)
Not sue why Leatherhead are such a big price here. Take out the 7-0 horror show against Bowers & Pitsea and they are having a good season so far and it was a superb effort to edge out Worthing in a 7 goal thriller on Tuesday night. Enfield had two easy games to start the season, but their weakness are showing in their last two games losing 4-1 and 5-2. 21/10 looks a big price for an away win.
Hednesford v Stratford
Just a handful of games into a 3 year contract and Hednesford decide to to sack Andy Morrell. That's a surprise, but they have had a shocking start to the season. They have 1 point, scored just once and conceded 9 goals in 4 league games. That is not good and Stratford have won 3 of their 4 league games having scored 9 goals in the process. Their one defeat came to current top of the table Needham Market and I am happy to take the 7/5 about them beating a Hednesford needing a manager.
Woking 1pt @ 12/5 with Bet365
Wealdstone 1pt @ 16/5 with William Hill
Hartlepool 2.5pts @ 6/5 with BetVictor
Kings Lynn 1pt @ 15/4 with William Hill
AFC Telford 2.5pts @ 11/8 with Betfred
Leatherhead 1pt @ 21/10 with Betfred
Stratford 2pts @ 7/5 with Bet365

Cheers guys. A cracking night to end the shortened first month of the season. Shame Grantham cost us again

More like it this week with Warrington, Bromsgrove and Brightlingsea all winning. Nice to land a lumpy price about the latter as well.

Bing Bong hope you were on?

5/6 on the play offs so far and we have Dartford and Notts county in the finals next week.

Was looking awful at 2 down and Folkestone getting a penalty. Luckily they missed that and Maldon went on to score 4 in about 20 minutes. Not counting my chickens yet though given the 1st half

i think southampton is going to pull off 2-1 victory

Mmmmmmm .. Im thinking the clue might be in the name ???

Sounds like someone bet more money than they could afford...

Top tipping yet again, won quite a bit today thank you?

Superb day on Monday with only 5/6 winners at some decent prices as well. If only Spennymoor could have won we would have been looking at another hefty payout. Just to remind people that I always suggest they do singles, but I always cover the acca and the one below for 0.5pts every match day and the five fold on Monday has pretty much paid for a whole season of those bets. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster though this month so hopefully we can end August on a high on Saturday where I have 7 bets across 5 leagues.
Torquay v Hartlepool
Hartlepool were one of my ante-post bets for the league and I was beginning to think I had got them wrong, but they got a really good win on Monday when beating Wrexham 4-2. Torquay blew a 2 goal lead at Barnet on Monday and that came on the back of beating Aldershot on BT Sport on Saturday. Torquay did well enough and deserved the win, but I didn't think they had to work all that hard for it. I don't think there is a great deal between these two teams at the moment and the win on Monday should have given Hartlepool a nice confidence boost ahead of this. The 100/30 about an away win looks over priced for me.
Yeovil v Notts County
County continue to improve and although they didn't have to do much to beat Chorley on Monday they did score some very impressive goals. I think they can come out on top in this battle between the two relegated sides. I haven't really been taken by Yeovil so far and they lost their last 3 games after results wise a good start. They have only managed to beat Eastleigh and Ebbsfleet so far though and I think at the time they were two of the poorest teams in the division so it doesn't say much. I would have County as clear favourites and they are certainly looking stronger than they were earlier in the month.
Gloucester City v York City
York are already looking like they could be hard to beat in the National League North and they are unbeaten after 7 games. Away from home they are 3/3 and I think they can make it 4/4 at Evesham on Saturday. Gloucester had a good win last Saturday, but those efforts told when being well beaten by Brackley on Monday. As I have written in the past Gloucester's form at Evesham hasn't been great although they can make it hard for teams to break them down and they drew plenty in the final few months of the season as they tried to stay at this level. I think York have more than enough to break them down though and I thought York would be odds on so odds against is well worth taking.
Hyde v Stafford
It has been a good start to the season for Hyde as after losing to Basford on the opening day of the season they have won their other 3 games including beating South Shields last Saturday. That is clearly strong form and they host a Stafford side who have only picked up 1 point from their first 3 games so Hyde look a decent bet to make it 4 wins on the bounce.
Bognor v Carshalton
Take Bognor's 5-0 win over Worthing out and they have had a shocking start to the season and they lost 3-0 to Worthing last Saturday and they had lost their previous game 6-0! Carshalton lost their first two games, but they have won their next 3 games and should be capable of mounting a play-off challenge this season whereas Bognor might just struggle to get involved. It doesn't really make much sense why the away side are 100/30 and the prices should be much closer together.
Hednesford v Needham Market
The home side are looking like they will be title contenders this season and have won 4 of their first 5 games with the only defeat coming against unbeaten Coalville. On Monday they beat title favourites Tamworth and I think they should have too much in hand over a Needham Market side who have only managed to beat bottom side Leiston so far this term.
St Ives v Coalville
Speaking of Coalville they travel to St Ives side who have only managed to pick up one point on the opening day of the season. As mentioned above Coalville are unbeaten so far and they came out on top in an 8 goal thriller against Nuneaton on Saturday. These two teams should be battling it out at opposite ends of the table come April and Coalville look a big price to pick up 3 more points.
Hartlepool 1pt @ 100/30 with Bet365
Notts County 2pts @ 6/4 with Marathon and Bet365
York 2.5pts @ 11/10 with BetVictor
Hyde 1pt @ 7/5 with BetVictor
Carshalton 1pt @ 100/30 with Marathon
Hednesford 2pts @ 26/25 with Marathon
Coalville 2pts @ 131/100 with Marathon

Been a disappointing couple of sessions on the back of a couple of good ones which is annoying as well as the fact the last two Nap's have both been beaten after going 3/3 on that front. It's going to be a busy Bank Holiday weekend with games on Saturday and Monday but hopefully it will be a profitable. I have 8 bets on Saturday.
Previews to follow
Chorley v Hartlepool
Chorley got off to a solid start back at this level, but things have really gone wrong in their last two games conceding 10 goals. It seems that the high of promotion has warn off and the reality has set in. It seems they played well enough against Maidenhead, but to do that and still concede 4 goals is not good. Hartlepool being one of the teams I put up ante-post have done OK so far although their only win came at Maidenhead. They played their part in their 3-2 defeat against Bromley last time and I certainly think they are improving after their first two defeats. If Chorley continue in the same vein they have then they are going to get chances to score and although Hartlepool have been a bit too leaky at the back I am not sure Chorley are going to be up too matching them going forward. I would make Hartlepool slight favourites for this so 19/10 is a nice price.
Eastleigh v Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham were a team I struggled to get right last season and after they beat Harrogate last week I just hope it isn't going to be the same this time around. I wasn't exactly complimentary about them last week and it may surprise to see that I am tipping them up this week, but that was a good performance to put 4 past Harrogate especially as they came from 1 down and 2-1 down. Eastleigh are unbeaten in their two home games so far beating Notts County on day 1 and then drawing with Sutton, but I don't think either of those performances showed they were up too much at the moment and they have lost their 3 away games. I thought they would struggle to reach the play-offs like they did last season, but you have to wonder if they might end up being in a relegation scrap based on performances so far. For me Dagenham look stronger at the moment and at 61/25 they look over priced to me.
Ebbsfleet v Notts County
It's probably surprising as well to see I am so strong on Notts County this weekend, but it is clear that performances have improved having beaten Harrogate and drawing with Wrexham on Sunday. With a 6 day gap between games that should give the management team time to work with the players that would have been tricky with the Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday/Sunday schedule they have been faced with prior to this week. They looked a million miles away in the game against Barnet, but it seems they are making good progress now and they face and Ebbsfleet side who come into this having lost all 5 games so far. To be fair to them they were close at Fylde and Solihull to getting at least a point so they are capable, but their two home performances have been really bad so far and as much as I think Gary Hill will sort things out eventually Notts County should have too much for them here.
Harrogate v Stockport
Having put Harrogate up in their last three games and for them to let me down no doubt they will go and win this now I am opposing them, but Stockport are just too big a price for me. Harrogate might end up suffering from 2nd season syndrome and losing their last 3 is not good. Stockport looked clueless on the opening day against Maidenhead, but they have gone unbeaten since and certainly looked to have improved since then. Granted they have had a fairly kind fixture list, but they shouldn't fear playing Harrogate at the moment and at bigger than 5/2 they look a value play.
Yeovil v Maidenhead
I've tried opposing Yeovil a couple of times without success, but then I did do it with Ebbsfleet and Eastleigh so that was perhaps my mistake. They were really bad against Barrow in a dire game last week and that backed up my view that they aren't anything special. Alan Devonshire continues to work miracles at Maidenhead and they have had a cracking start to the season winning 3 and only losing as mentioned above to Hartlepool. For me Maidenhead will be the sort of team that Yeovil will struggle with this season and like Stockport at bigger than 5/2 they look worth a bet.
Chelmsford v Welling
Chelmsford have scored 4 goals in both their home games so far and it looks like they are going to be very strong at home again this season as they were last term. Away from home it hasn't gone so well although they manage to keep Havant out last week. They have already been well backed, but there is just enough in the price for me to want to get involved. I must admit Welling have done better than I thought they would so far, but Chelmsford at home ought to be too strong for them.
Eastbourne v Dulwich Hamlet
I might have got slightly lucky Napping Eastbourne the other week because that win over Tonbridge is their only one so far and I think they are worth opposing against a Dulwich side who are looking strong this season. They have only lost one game so far at a strong Hemel side and they are the only team to have taken points against Wealdstone so far having beaten them. They did well to come back from 2 down against a Concord side who have started the season strongly last week and they have a good chance of getting back to winning ways against a Eastbourne side struggling to win at the moment.
Wimborne v Taunton Town
I opposed Taunton last week and they finally managed to get a win after two very surprising defeats. That 3-2 win over Chesham was a good effort and that should be them up and running now. Wimborne are fair from the strongest side in the division and Taunton should have too much for them.
Hartlepool 1pt @ 19/10 with BetVictor
Dagenham & Redbridge 1pt @ 61/25 with Marathon
Notts County 3pts @ 177/100 with Marathon
Stockport 1pt 133/50 with Marathon
Maidenhead 1pt @ 139/50 with Marathon
Chelmsford 2.5pts @ 51/50 with Marathon
Dulwich Hamlet 1pt @ 9/5 with BetVictor
Taunton 2pts @ 121/100 with Marathon

Tuesday night was a big disappointment with most of the teams I put up putting in poor performances. Thankfully my own team stopped it from being a total wipeout as Gloucester came from 2 down to beat Kidderminster 3-2. It was also satisfying because all the Asian money was for the home side and it is always nice to get one over them. Onto this weekend I have 6 bets across the weekend.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Harrogate
Hopefully this will be 3rd time lucky with Harrogate. It is slightly concerning that they haven't scored in either game I have tipped them up in especially as they created enough chances to have done so and they missed a penalty at 0-0 against Notts County on Tuesday night. They did then go down to 10 men as County converted their own penalty. They did though score 5 goals in their first two games so they do have goals in them and hopefully they can score some here. Peter Taylor was not happy after their 3-0 defeat to Boreham Wood on Tuesday and he was almost admitting that maybe he hasn't recruited as well as he could have done. As I touched on in my ante-post preview it seemed like they would have some money to spend over the summer, but although they had more than the summer before it also didn't look like that had a huge amount. That for me has left them lacking and they have pretty young squad. They have lost 3 of their first 4 games and Taylor would be my favourite for the first manager to be sacked in the league. I would have Harrogate as favourites here so Marathon's 15/8 makes plenty of appeal.
Notts County v Wrexham
I considered Dover at home to Torquay, but thought the price was probably about right in the end. Barnet were on the shortlist as well but again they look about the right price to beat Chesterfield, a team who have had a very poor start. In the end the only other bet I am having in the National League takes place on Sunday and yet again I am opposing Notts County. As mentioned above they had a bit of fortune on their side to get their first win at this level on Tuesday and they are far from the finished article. Wrexham looked much better on Tuesday crucially keeping a clean sheet and scoring the winner whilst being down to 10 men. I think Wrexham are just the sort of side County will struggle to beat this season especially at this stage of the campaign and the 21/10 about an away win is too big.
Blyth Spartans v Hereford
I wasn't expecting Hereford to sack their manager when I tipped up AFC Telford to beat them on Tuesday, but it certainly led to a much improved performance as they beat them 1-0. They are going up to Blyth on Saturday who have looked seriously lacking so far in their 3 games. I did put them up at Alfreton last week as they looked over priced, but they were well beaten by Alfreton in the end and not surprisingly struggled against York on Tuesday. If Hereford build on Tuesday night's performance then they ought to be winning this and 6/4 with Marathon looks acceptable.
Chester v Gloucester City
I am putting my own club up again to win on Saturday. As I mentioned in Tuesday's preview Gloucester's away form has been vastly superior to their home form since they have been playing in Evesham. This record has improved even more since Mike Cook took over as manager as the club have won 9 out of 10 away games since he started his reign with the only defeat at Dartford. That's some stat and as mentioned above they did really well to come back from 2 down on Tuesday. Chester have yet to lose, but they have drawn 3 of their opening 4 games and were very lucky to get a point at Kettering on Tuesday where they under-performed again. The managers weren't happy after the game and as I have mentioned before I don't think they are as strong as their ante-post price suggested they were. I think at 7/2 with BetVictor the away side are a sporting play once again to make it 10 out of 11 away wins under Cook.
Curzon Ashton v Kidderminster
I have to take Kiddy on again on Saturday. You shouldn't really be letting 2 goal leads slip and their defending left a lot to be desired especially for City's 2nd goal. As I mentioned in Tuesday's preview the win at Bradford Park Avenue was not likely to be a sign of better things to come and they have conceded 7 goals in their other 3 games. Curzon have made a very good start to the season and although they benefitted from playing BPA first day of the season they got solid draws at Southport and Leamington before a really good win at home to Darlington on Tuesday. They clearly have goals in them and given Kiddy's defence they will more than fancy themselves to get on the scoresheet and that might well be enough. I would certainly have them no bigger than 5/4 to win this so 159/100 looks a good price.
Taunton Town v Chesham United
I'm shocked by Taunton's start to the season. Having pushed Weymouth all the way last term they were fancied to do well again this term and that might still be the case, but it's been a really poor start to their season. Losing 3-0 to well fancied Gosport probably wasn't a total disaster, but losing 4-0 on Wednesday night to a Yate side who had lost 4-1 at home on the opening day certainly was. I'm sure they are going to bounce back at some point, but this is a going to be a really tough test for them. Chesham were one of my ante-post bets for the league and they have had a very good start to the season. They beat ante-post favourites Salisbury 2-0 on Saturday (who beat Gosport themselves on Tuesday night) and then won 3-1 on Tuesday against Beaconsfield. I'm not surprised they hit the ground running and they are worth backing to make it 3/3 against a Taunton side who seem to have a hangover from last season's efforts at the moment.
Harrogate 2pts @ 15/8 with Marathon
Wrexham 1pt @ 21/10 with Marathon
Hereford 1pt @ 6/4 with Marathon
Gloucester 1pt @ 7/2 with BetVictor
Curzon Ashton 1pt @ 159/100 with Marathon
Chesham 1pt @ 161/100 with Marathon

You tease!