Gidds

A great start to the month on Tuesday with both tips winning. Hopefully we can get some more Cheltenham money in the bank on Saturday where I have 2 singles and a treble.
Bromley v Barnet
Not surprisingly Tim Flowers has done a runner from Barnet and he is probably wishing he never even bothered taking the job in the first place. The club is in a right mess and they are so poor at the back whilst they struggle to score goals. Bromley have the top scorer in the league  in Michael Cheek and he is surely going to get chances to add to his tally here. The -1 handicap is available at 11/10 which looks appealing again.
Halifax v Solihull
It wouldn't be a big surprise if Flowers ends up back at his former club as they have also lost their manager this week after a 5-0 drubbing against Stockport. It is 1 win in 10 league games for the away side and the home side were good against Notts County on Tuesday and that continued their good form. As I think I mentioned in Tuesday's preview it is staggering they lost to Barnet the other week. They look a cracking price to pick up another 3 points here and I reckon they go off odds on.
Treble
Bromley go in the bet as they really should heap more misery on Barnet. I like Hartlepool's chances of increasing their winning run at home against an Eastleigh side who have lost their last two. Finally Chesterfield can carry on with their impressive form under my favourite man in football James Rowe. They travel to a Maidenhead side who seem to have gone off the boil. The treble pays 4.7/1 with William Hill.
Bromley 2pts -1 @ 11/10 with Bet365
Halifax 3pts @ 7/5 with William Hill
Bromley/Hartlepool/Chesterfield 1pt treble @ 4.7/1 with William Hill

With just the one league to bet in at the moment it does mean that sometimes there will be no bets to be had as has happened the last couple of matchdays. There are a couple of bets I like though in tonight's matches.
Barnet v Wrexham
After watching Hartlepool batter Barnet and only score one goal against them and so fail to land the handicap bet it was then annoying to see Yeovil cover it with ease last Tuesday. They didn't play on Saturday, but they continue to look a very poor side. Wrexham had a trip to South London on Saturday in the live BT game against Sutton and both sides basically cancelled each other out in what was a tough watch because of that. Wrexham have had an issue about scoring goals for a few seasons now, but they did put 4 past Wealdstone and although in their other 3 games in their last 4 they have failed to score two of those games were against Sutton and Hartlepool. Barnet are worse than Wealdstone so I reckon they could cover the handicap here and at 11/5 it looks well a bet.
Notts County v Halifax
Having watched County against Kings Lynn and Chesterfield in recent weeks they really don't look anything special and the fact they couldn't even beat a weakened Kings Lynn last Tuesday night said plenty about where they are at right now. It's amazing to think they could still win the league because they don't look a team who should be good enough to at the moment. I think it is worth back Halifax here as after losing to Maidenhead and Barnet they have bounced back well to beat Torquay, get a point against Hartlepool and then beat Wealdstone on Saturday. They were much more dominant than their 2-1 victory suggests and at 3/1 I am happy to play.
Wrexham -1 2pts @ 11/5 with Betfair
Halifax 1pt @ 3/1 with Bet365
 

It has been a tough month although there have only been 20 bets so far and profit has been guaranteed for another month which not all Non-League tipsters can claim (including 1 who charges £600 a season). Saturday sees the FA Trophy quarter-finals and I have one bet there as well as a couple in the league.
Notts County v Oxford City
I thought I was unlucky not to get County beat in the last round against Havant, but the fact they changed their side so much was proof as to where the Trophy sits on their priority list this season. Oxford's season would end here if they lose and as I have mentioned plenty of times over the season Oxford have a very good side this term. They will clearly be up for this to try and keep their season going and I think they look a fair bet here especially if County rest players again.
Stockport v Chesterfield
As much as it pains me to keep backing Chesterfield, I am going to keep backing Chesterfield. They keep winning and whereas when Rowe was Gloucester's manager we couldn't keep a clean sheet, Chesterfield have actually got a very strong defensive record. They also have threats up front as well and Stockport just continue to under perform. I don't think there is much between these two sides at all and that makes Chesterfield's price good value. If we didn't have so much doubt about what teams are going to actually complete the season and how that would effect the league then I might have been tempted to back them for the title.
Hartlepool v Barnet
This game is on BT Sport on Saturday teatime and it should be an easy win for the home side. I thought Barnet were showing signs of improvement based on their win over Halifax last week so much so I backed them against Woking last Saturday. They lost to them and then were even worse against Kings Lynn on Tuesday night when losing 5-1. Liam Daly who left Gloucester to go to Barnet Tweeted to a fan after the game and the suggestion is that Flowers is not getting much backing and that he can't see anything improving whilst the current team is there. They now travel to a Hartlepool side who have won 7 on the bounce at home and in 5 of those games they would have covered the -1 handicap. With there seemingly not being any relegation then I can't see Barnet putting on much of a performance and Hartlepool should have plenty in hand as they try and stake a claim for the title. Odds against about them covering the -1 is a cracking bet for me.
Oxford City 1pt @ 4/1 with Bet365
Chesterfield 1pt @ 23/10 with William Hill
Hartlepool -1 2.5pts @ 6/5 with Betfred

Profit on Saturday thanks to Eastleigh and Chesterfield and those two teams feature among the tips for Tuesday night.
Chesterfield v Altrincham
Think Chesterfield can carry on with their winning ways after Saturday's win and they host a side who have lost their last 3 games on the bounce.
Solihull v Torquay
Torquay are currently miles away from the side who started the season so strongly. It is just 1 league win in 7 now and they weren't great against Halifax on Saturday. Solihull's home form is very strong and they just look too big a price based on how Torquay are playing at the moment.
Wealdstone v Eastleigh
Really keen on Eastleigh to continue their current hot form. Although Wealdstone didn't say which players they have furloughed the fact they have had to do it at all is not good news for them. They did manage a 1-1 draw against Torquay, but they have only won 1 league game in their last 10. I watched them against Darlington in the FA Trophy recently and they looked very poor. They still don't have a new manager and with relegation seemingly off the table Eastleigh are the only team with something to play for in this game and odds against is a big price for me.
Chesterfield 2pts @ 6/5 with William Hill
Solihull 1pt @ 21/10 with William Hill
Eastleigh 3pts @ 5/4 with William Hill

Peterborough vs AFC Wimbledon
The game I want to preview in League One this weekend is a bit of a low-risk affair. It's Peterborough versus AFC Wimbledon in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday afternoon. It's a clash between a home side that boast the best record on home turf in the division taking on a travelling team who have really struggled to pick up the wins on the road so far this season.
Peterborough come into this game full of confidence having taken an impressive 32 points from 13 home league games this season. Darren Ferguson's men are in 3rd with two games in hand on 2nd placed Hull. Could this be the season they make a much-anticipated return to the Championship? Just 1 defeat in their last 11 league games including winning their last 3 league matches in a row has spurred on this rise up the table. The Posh are still scoring goals but have shown defensive solidity with their 25 goals conceded in 27 games only bettered by Lincoln, Hull, and Sunderland.
AFC Wimbledon are still a lot of people's favourite second (or maybe third!) team nowadays. Mark Robinson replaced Glyn Hodges as manager a few days ago but the club hasn't played a league game since 6th February due to postponed fixtures. It's not ideal, especially after they had won that fixture by a 3-2 score away to Wigan. The Dons haven't been able to build on it. The team is down in 20th place but are outside the relegation zone on goal difference with two games in hand on 21st placed Northampton who are directly behind them. That win to Wigan ended a run of 11 league games without victory so can the team make it two wins in a row?
OK, so this might seem like a banker but the break that AFC Wimbledon have had after that long-awaited league win is a complete wildcard. Peterborough remain the best team at home in this division though and I have to go with that fact. The ELO ratings are backing a home win so it makes total sense to support that. The only kicker is whether both teams will score or not. I think we could see a 4th Peterborough clean sheet in 6 home league games.
Peterborough to Win to Nil @ 2.80 with Betfair
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 1.87 with SBK

Salford City vs Carlisle
One game that stands out for me in League Two this weekend is the fixture between Salford City and Carlisle in a 3pm GMT kick-off on Saturday afternoon. The home side are starting to pick up a bit of form and they take on an away team that had been topping the table not too long ago but a number of postponed matches has seen their league position and form slide away.
Salford City seem more determined than ever to get out of this division this season. The Class of '92 owners dispensed with Graham Alexander earlier in the season and replaced him with former team mate Richie Wellens. It's hard to say if Wellens has actually improved the Ammies or not but the club are in 4th place and just 3 points off the pace of the automatic promotion spots. Just 1 loss in their last 6 league games including back-to-back victories against Cambridge United and Barrow has given their fans belief that this could be their year.
Carlisle were killing it in the run-up to Christmas with the team emerging as the team to beat. Unfortunately, a mixture of covid-19 outbreaks and bad weather has led to matches being postponed. The Cumbrians are now down in 9th place and 1 point outside the play-offs had 10 of their last 14 league games postponed. Playing so inconsistently has clearly hit the team's form with the club losing their last two league games against Forest Green Rovers and Harrogate Town. As someone who has managed a team that has had fixtures postponed frequently, I can tell you it's a nightmare. No chance for momentum or maintaining match sharpness.
My feeling for this game is that it's a cracking opportunity for Salford City to build on their run of wins against a team that haven't played much competitive action this calendar year. I think it's just the 4 league games played in 2021 for Carlisle compared to the 8 league games that Salford City have played. The hosts are in better form, they'll be sharper, and I would be surprised if they don't make it 3 league wins in a row here. My only concern is that Carlisle remain a quality side so I'll bottle job it slightly by backing draw no bet.
Salford City Draw No Bet : 1.81 with SBK
BTTS @ 1.94 with SBK

So we are down to just the one league for the rest of the season and even that might see clubs dropping out. I can also see clubs playing weakened sides to cut down on costs. I will obviously keep an eye on that regarding bets but as it stands I have 4 for Saturday.
Barnet v Woking
It seems both teams will be safe from relegation unless the vote can be overturned so I was initially concerned with what team Barnet might put out, but it seems for now it will be the first team and given the improved performance in the win against Halifax and the fact Woking aren’t usually great away I was more than happy to take the big price about a home win.
Bromley v Maidenhead
Not sure why Maidenhead are such a big price here given Bromley’s home form and I’m not sure there is an awful lot between these two sides so the value certainly lies with Maidenhead.
Notts County v Chesterfield
Granted Chesterfield have had another Covid break but the team full of Gloucester rejects have a good chance of beating County. I think County have been over achieving points wise of late. I watched their game against Kings Lynn on Tuesday night and whilst I was obviously happy they won I thought they were lucky to have done so with the home side having the better chances in a good performance. A better team would have punished them and Chesterfield are a better team so I’m more than happy to back them.
Eastleigh v Stockport
Eastleigh’s form continues to improve and they got a good win over Hartlepool on Tuesday night. They look a big price to beat a Stockport side who aren’t really convincing at the moment as they continue to drop points. On paper they are the better side but they’ve been struggling to show it on the pitch so I’m happy to take my chances on a home win.
Barnet 1pt @ 9/4 with William Hill
Maidenhead 1pt @ 11/4 with BetVictor
Chesterfield 1pt @ 13/5 with Bet365
Eastleigh 1pt @ 29/10 with William Hill

With the weather warming up hopefully we won't lose any games tomorrow. No prices at Step 2 yet given the doubt about what games will go ahead, but I will add anything from there if something appeals.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Bromley
Kings Lynn v Notts County
Bromley 2.5pts @ 7/4 with Bet365
Notts County 4pts @ 19/20 with Bet365

A rare Saturday where I wont be putting any bets up. Only 4 games at Step 2 have prices and none make any appeal and there are only 6 games left at Step 1. A couple were tempting, but I don't want to force anything so will be taking the day off.

Have nominated Punters Lounge and your good self, Darran.

Rotherham vs Cardiff
The midweek throws up a few miscellaneous games that were postponements from over the festive period in the Championship. One of those is Rotherham versus Cardiff at the New York Stadium in a 7pm GMT kick-off on Tuesday night. Both of these teams have started picking up results again after what has generally been a dour season so will either side take the 3 points here?
Rotherham were a side tipped to struggle this season and that certainly seemed destined to happen with the club only winning 1 of their opening 7 league games. Paul Warne has turned things around in recent weeks though with just 1 loss from their last 6 league matches moving them up to 20th in the table and 1 point outside the relegation zone with two games in hand on the majority of their rivals. Home form is still a questionable thing though with the Millers already losing 6 of their 13 home league games so far. They have also only won 1 of their last 5 home games against Cardiff.
Cardiff come into this game with a renewed sense of optimism and determination. It's only been a few weeks since Mick McCarthy's appointment and already the Bluebirds are unbeaten and have moved up to 14th in the table. The 2-0 win away to Bristol City in the Severnside Derby was comfortable and was arguably the team's best performance in months. The long overdue decision to start Harry Wilson as an AMC behind Kieffer Moore worked wonders and it allowed Ralls and Vaulks to focus on covering the defensive side of the field. It's 3 games undefeated in the league under McCarthy and with Cardiff having only lost 1 of their last 10 encounters with Rotherham it feels like this is a game they'll believe they can win.
This is one of those games where both teams have their valid reasons for being confidence heading into the fixture. Rotherham have picked up some decent wins lately and their last match on this ground was an easy 3-0 win over relegation rivals Derby. Still, this is a Cardiff team that are growing in self belief under McCarthy and I am starting to reach that level where I feel we'll get at least a draw here but are worth backing for the win. The players are showing signs of fulfilling their potential and we're a dangerous side for anyone when that happens. It will be tough and Rotherham are no mugs but we should have enough to get the victory.
Cardiff Draw No Bet @ 1.82 with Unibet
Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.74 with SBK

The Smart Betting Club are currently voting for their annual awards and although this site and the tipsters aren’t nominated you can vote for us for you so wish as there is a box where you can add someone who isn’t nominated. Would be great to get some recognition for the site especially after the tough year it has had and on a personal level I am having my best ever football season at the moment.
 
https://smartbettingclub.com/2021awards/

At this stage I don't have any bets, but if that changes they will go up here. I can update the totals for the season so far. Last month I staked 38pts and won 20pts and overall I have staked 245pts for a profit off 177pts.

It was nice to get a profit on Saturday to end what was a tough month, but any month in profit is a good one so like I said on Saturday the amount of winners was low, but that doesn't matter as long as there is profit at the end of it. Maidenhead had drifted out to over 3/1 as well so some of you may have got a bigger price on them. Just the tips for Tuesday for now and the previews will follow.
Eastleigh v Wrexham
There clearly aren't many positives about the current situation we are in, but one of them is the fact we have streaming of games which means I can watch a lot more whole games of teams. Having watched Eastleigh last week I was quite impressed in their win over Dagenham. Granted 2 of their 3 goals were pens, but it built on their previous performance as well. I was hoping to back them on Saturday, but didn't think they could beat Boreham Wood, but they did manage to do just although they were probably didn't deserve it on that occasion. I am happy to back them here though as I think they are a big price to beat Wrexham. Opposing Wrexham on Saturday didn't pay off, but Kings Lynn were woeful in the 1st half. 2nd half they were much better and Wrexham's keeper played really well. This will be a tougher game for the Welsh side and I would have Eastleigh as favourites.
Notts County v Bromley
County are really struggling in front of goal this season. Even their goal on Saturday was a lucky one against Weymouth and with Bromley performing much better away from home this term I think they are a value play in this game. Bromley have in Michael Cheek the current top scorer in the division and he will always give them a chance of scoring in a game. County did score 2 at home to Solihull last week, but they hadn't created a great deal until late on and we know Solihull are not great on the road. So all in all we could well see an away win here.
Wealdstone v Maidenhead
I hadn't see Maidenhead for a few months and that was when they were in a poor run of form and they managed to beat Wrexham 1-0. That match kick started their season and watching them on Saturday at Halifax you really could see why they are doing so well. They played some good football and on balance just deserved to edge it although Halifax looked decent as well, although they were lacking a bit up front. Quite why bookies made Maidenhead outsiders here I don't know. Granted Wealdstone are fairly strong at home, but they do concede plenty of goals and I think Maidenhead can exploit that which is why I make them the best bet of the evening.
Double
Aldershot ought to have won on Saturday at Bromley, but at times they were lacking in the final 3rd. They should get the perfect chance to get 3 points against Barnet. By all accounts Barnet did show some improvement against Torquay on Saturday, but we do sometimes see lower ranked sides perform better than usual against the top sides. Aldershot are the better team and they ought to win. Asante ought to have a field day against Kings Lynn's defence and I'd be surprised if he didn't score let alone any other member of the Chesterfield team and they should get back to winning ways.
Aldershot to beat Barnet and Chesterfield to beat Kings Lynn
Eastleigh 2pts @ 15/8 with Bet365
Bromley 1pt @ 13/5 with William Hill
Maidenhead 2.5pts @ 2/1 with Bet365
Aldershot/Chesterfield 2pts double @ 9/4 with William Hill

At the very least we look set to get two more set of National League fixtures with a vote due next week on what to do regarding the rest of the season. Amazingly I will be in profit for January whatever happens on Saturday which given my strike-rate has been pretty poor is a good thing. Obviously Chorley help in that regards, but even without them I would be just about in profit going into Saturday's games. I have 3 singles plus a double for the weekend's action.
Bromley v Aldershot
I wasn't expecting Bromley v Woking to end 2-2 on Saturday given the lack of goals Woking were scoring and that Bromley have been so poor at home, but I think it says it all about the home side that they blew a 2 goal lead against a side who had been finding scoring goals very hard. Aldershot didn't have much go their way when losing to Weymouth on Tuesday night and I think they can bounce straight back from that defeat. I watched them against Solihull recently and I thought they played some good football and look more than good enough to beat a team who just struggle so badly at home. 12/5 looks a massive price for an away win. This game is the live BT Sport game at 5.20.
Halifax v Maidenhead
I was impressed with Maidenhead's victory over Yeovil on Wednesday night given Yeovil had been hitting form before their break. Halifax couldn't get over the line for us on Tuesday night when drawing 0-0 at Wrexham and they will be tough opponents, but I do think the away side are over priced here at 14/5 as I would have the teams closer together in the market. For me they should be no bigger than 2/1.
Kings Lynn v Wrexham
I am still not convinced by Wrexham at all as their performances have not been strong. They still look to be lacking up front which has been their issues for a few seasons now and as much as I would have them as favourites for this I do think there is value in backing the home side. They did blow a 2 goal lead to lose at Dagenham last week, but their last 3 performances in the league were good and on their day they can beat an under performing Wrexham side. 9/4 looks too big for me about a home win.
Double
I have to oppose both Dover and Barnet on Saturday. I know I put Dover up to beat Barnet on Tuesday, but I was shocked they put 3 past them which just shows how bad Barnet are. It would be a huge upset if they go from that to getting anything from top of the table Torquay, who will be very happy with their points against title rivals Notts County and Sutton in their last 2 games. As I mention Yeovil did lose on Wednesday night, but with that game under their belts they ought to beat a poor Dover side. Dover have lost all 5 away games in the league and have only scored 2 goals in the process which doesn't surprise me after watching their game against Solihull last week. The double pays 1.59/1 with William Hill.
Aldershot 2pts @ 12/5 with Bet365
Maidenhead 1pt @ 14/5 with Bet365
Kings Lynn 1pt @ 9/4 with Bet365
Torquay/Yeovil 2pts @ 1.59/1 with William Hill

So the league continues for now and actually at this stage no club in the National League is suffering from Covid. That gives us a full fixture list to go at although the weather may get in the way of course. I have 4 bets for tonight.
Bromley v Woking
Bromley were awful at home again on Saturday and maybe now I am taking them on they might perform well, but Woking drew 1-1 in this same fixture in the FA Trophy a week ago and clearly 5/2 about an away win is too big. The concern is Woking's lack of goals and there was little goalmouth action in their game at Maidenhead on Saturday, but clearly for whatever reason Bromley are usually way below par at home. I would make Woking around 7/4 myself.
Dover v Barnet
I watched the Dover game against Solihull on Saturday and it was easy to see why they were bottom. Two mistakes for both goals and they didn't really threaten at the other end of the pitch either. Having said that I am going to back them again. Barnet were woeful themselves on Saturday against Altrincham and clearly Tim Flowers has got a massive task on his hands. Dover did at least have a fair bit of the ball they just needed a bit more quality in the final 3rd. I would make Dover slight favourites for this so at 9/5 I do think they offer value in what will probably be a game low on quality.
Eastleigh v Dagenham & Redbridge
The home side are on a shocking run of form at the moment and although they were doing well enough until going down to 10 men on Saturday, they did then end up losing 3-0 to Sutton. Dagenham came back from 2 down against Kings Lynn to win 3-2 and they created plenty of chances. They have now lost just 3 of their last 10 and Eastleigh haven't won in 7. The 19/10 about an away win looks on the high side to me.
Wrexham v Halifax
Wrexham aren't really performing that well at the moment. They didn't create much on Saturday against Chesterfield and have only managed to beat Dover and Weymouth in their last 7 league games. Halifax meanwhile have won 6 of their last 9 games and did well to come from a goal at Bromley on Saturday even if Bromley aren't great at home. 21/10 about an away win looks a good price.
Woking 1pt @ 5/2 with Bet365
Dover 1pt @ 9/5 with Bet365
Dagenham & Redbridge 1pt @ 19/10 with BetVictor
Halifax 1pt @ 21/10 with William Hill
 

This could well be the last preview of the season given the situation in the National League at the moment. With the North and South off for at least 2 weeks that leaves just the National League to bet in and I have 3 bets.
Bromley v Halifax
I know Bromley haven't been great at home this season, but Halifax were poor against Southport on Tuesday night and they have just taken Tahvon Campbell on loan from Cheltenham. He was on loan at Gloucester and I was glad to see the back of him as he wasn't great. I see the Halifax manager thinks he is in form, but 3 of his 5 goals came against Maldon and one of the others was a goalkeeper error. Bromley have the better side and hopefully they can put in a good home performance as they should be a bit shorter.
Dover v Solihull Moors
I know Dover aren't great, but apart from a couple of drubbings by Woking and Aldershot they haven't done that badly at home. They got a good draw in their last home league game as well against Boreham Wood. As I mentioned in midweek Solihull aren't great on their travels and at 9/2 I think Dover are worth an investment as I would probably make them around 5/2.
Woking v Maidenhead
In the last 10 games form table Maidenhead are joint top with Torquay averaging 2 points a game. Granted they have only won 2 of their last 6, but they only lost 2 of them and one of those was to Torquay. They have done well on their travels as well and although Woking are quite hard to beat at home they look too big a price. Woking have only won 1 league game in their last 6 as well so the away win is certainly value.
Bromley 1pt @ 7/5 with Bet365
Dover 1pt @ 9/2 with BetVictor
Maidenhead 1pt @ 12/5 with William Hill
 

At this stage I have just 3 bets for Saturday although given no one has priced up the 2 National League games and only Bet365 have priced up the FA Trophy matches, and not even all of them, so there could be more to follow.
Chorley v Farsley Celtic
Given I can't see the Chorley groundsman sleeping on the pitch in a tent to make sure the pitch is playable this week, there is every chance that this game could be off given the forecast. If it is on though I like the away side. Chorley will clearly have one eye on the FA Cup and I think it showed on Tuesday night when losing to Leamington. Farsley are having a similar season to last time in that they are performing with great credit without looking quite good enough for the play-offs. They played their first game since December 28th on Tuesday night and beat Darlington 1-0 and they look over priced for this.
Hampton & Richmond v Ebbsfleet
As I wrote last week I have been impressed by Hampton of late despite the fact their home form on paper looks poor. I think it is only a matter of time before they pick up 3 points at home and that could come against Ebbsfleet. I think Hampton are the better of the two teams and although I wouldn't want to go that much shorter I would make them clear favourites so the 6/4 is worth taking.
Slough v Braintree
Now I do worry a bit about Braintree's away form and they did lose on December 28th when I put them up to beat Billericay, but they have done really well in their last two home games, beating Dartford and performing well against a good Oxford City side when losing 2-1 on Tuesday. They continue to improve the squad as well and this does look a good opportunity to get 3 points on their travels. Slough have not played since losing to Dartford on penalties in the FA Trophy a month ago. That is a huge amount of time to have had off and they were hardly in great form prior to the break having only won 2 games all season. Maybe they will come back refreshed and ready to kick start their season, but I am more than happy to back Braintree at a huge 18/5. I would have them around the 7/4-2/1 mark myself.
Farsley 1pt @ 9/4 with William Hill
Hampton & Richmond 1pt @ 6/4 Bet365
Braintree 2pts @ 18/5 with Betfair/BetVictor

Nottingham Forest vs Cardiff
The FA Cup has always been a favourite competition of mine. After seeing Cardiff involved in so many giant-killings down the years and to personally experience us playing in an FA Cup Final was incredible. Unfortunately, we play fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest in a 12pm GMT kick-off at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon and I'm fairly sure we're going out in the 3rd Round.
Nottingham Forest are starting to show signs of improvement under Chris Hughton. The Tricky Trees are now unbeaten in their last 5 league games and have kept three clean sheets during those matches. It's a run that has moved the club up to 19th in the table and outside the relegation places by 3 points. Jack Colback and Luke Freeman will remain sidelined for this game with Anthony Knockaert also unavailable having returned to parent club Fulham. Centre back Scott McKenna could be in line for a return though. The history books show some bad reading for Forest fans with the club having lost 7 of their last 9 FA Cup matches.
Cardiff are quite simply screwed. Neil Harris has been hit by a mixture of injuries, covid-19 issues, and loan recalls. Captain Sean Morrison remains out injured. He is joined in the physio room by back-up centre backs Sol Bamba and Aden Flint. Jordan Osei-Tutu is self-isolating as per covid-19 regulations. Filip Benkovic has returned to Leicester after his loan deal came to an unceremonious end. What a farce that deal was. So we basically have left back Joe Bennett, centre back Curtis Nelson, and Leandro Bacuna at right back (and he's not even a natural full back!) available. There are suggestions Greg Cunningham might fill in but he's also been heavily linked with a move away so who knows if that'll be completed before kick-off or not. It's a sorry state of affairs with the club down in 15th place in the Championship and with just 1 win from their last 5 league games.
There is good news for Cardiff fans though. Their recent record away to Nottingham Forest is very decent having won their last 6 away games at the City Ground. Harris has also navigated his way past 4 of his last 5 FA Cup 3rd Round matches as a manager. Sadly, I think our miserable season will continue here with a threadbare Cardiff side getting handed a bit of a lesson by an improving Forest side.
Nottingham Forest to Win @ 2.66 with SBK
Total Goals Scored Over 2.5 @ 2.48 with Unibet

Bromley v Chesterfield
If you had said to me a few months ago that I will have a bit of a hatred for Chesterfield I would have called you crazy, but they then preceded to take our manager who then preceded to take 3 of our players with him despite agreeing to only take the one. I genuinely hope they lose every game as Rowe has done his upmost to disrupt Gloucester's season. All that said I am backing Chesterfield again here and when it comes to punting I always say you can't let your heart rule your head. I watched the game against Solihull and although Solihull dominated possession, Chesterfield had the better chances and really ought to have won. They conceded two poor goals as well (something Gloucester used to do under Rowe) which obviously didn't help matters. Bromley are a good side, but they have had a Covid break as well as being poor at home. They were shocking against Yeovil last month and have only won twice all season at home. Chesterfield should be sharper and Asante looked unplayable at times on Tuesday night. 2/1 is too big about an away win.
AFC Telford v AFC Fylde
I opposed Fylde last week, but they were really impressive against an in form Chorley. Granted Chorley may have had an eye on the Derby match, but even so it was a big statement after some ropey results. Telford have only picked up 1 point in their last 4 and were well beaten by Chester last weekend.
Farsley Celtic v Guiseley
I am keen on the home side here. Granted they lost 4-0 to Boston in their last game, but that was their first defeat in 7. These two drew 2-2 on Boxing Day in the reverse fixture, but Farsley should have won and at home I think they can gain 3 points. Guiseley have only won 2 of their last ten and have been struggling on the whole this season.
Gloucester City v Kidderminster
Obviously I hope we win, but Kidderminster are over priced at 2/1. From the start of the season it looks like we will have lost 5 of our 10 outfield players. At least 2 others are injured and even if Liam Daly doesn't join Barnet he is suspended for this game anyway. McClure missed the Leamington game due to injury as well although he could be back for this. We were poor against Leamington and are squad is nowhere near the level it was at the start of the season. Kidderminster were struggling a little and have only won 1 in 5, but they were improved against York on Tuesday night in a 2-2 draw. I honestly would make Kidderminster slight favourites for this especially if McClure is missing again.
Concord Rangers v Hampton & Richmond
Hampton stream their games for free so having opposed them in their last two games I have had them on a 2nd screen whilst watching the Gloucester games and I have been impressed by them. As I pointed out their home form has not been good, but they can consider themselves unlucky to only have picked up 1 point from the Dulwich and Dorking games. Away from home they have won 6 of their 7 games and their only defeat was on the opening day of season at St Albans who are 2 points off top spot having played 3 games less than the two teams above them. Concord are basically a mid table side and Hampton look a much better side.
Hungerford v Maidstone
Hungerford might drift again as the Asian punters seemingly love to take them on, but they are a good side this season. They lost to Havant last weekend 4-2, but they played their part in a good game and played well. Maidstone's last league game was on December 1st and their last game was in the FA Trophy the Saturday before Christmas. There has surely got to be some rustiness in the side after their Covid enforced break and Hungerford are good enough to take full advantage.
Chesterfield 1pt @ 21/10 with William Hill
AFC Fylde 1pt @ 11/8 with William Hill and Betfred
Farsley Celtic 2pts @ 5/4 with Betfair and Betfred
Kidderminster 1pt @ 2/1 with Bet365
Hampton & Richmond 2.5pts @ 11/10 with Bet365
Hungerford 1pt @ 13/8 with Bet365

The poor run continued on Saturday with just Aldershot winning although 3 games ended up finishing 1-1 and easily could have gone either way such are the fine margins in football betting. Given the run I had from September until mid December it is no real surprise that things are starting to level out a bit, but there hasn't been too much damage done in the grand scheme of things. It is fairly quiet on Tuesday, but a couple of singles and a double make appeal
Solihull v Chesterfield
I'm hardly his biggest fan, but Rowe has turned Chesterfield's form around and although the fixture list has been fairly kind so far they certainly look a better side. They beat them 1-0 on Saturday and held on in the snow with 10 men and I think they look a little over priced at 2/1 to pick up 3 points again here.
Weymouth v Yeovil
I am chancing Weymouth again here as I did on Saturday. I know Yeovil did well to beat Torquay, but I just wonder if there was an element of wanting to make amends for the Boxing Day defeat which was a shocker. They could well build on that here, but I just wonder if as Aldershot did when playing them, it might be a case of having put everything into a big local derby. Weymouth will be bang up for this and as much as Yeovil are the right favourites I think 3/1 (and they could drift) is too big and worth taking a chance on.
Double
I think Stockport will have too much for Eastleigh despite the fact they are stuttering a bit at the moment and Dartford play a Tonbridge side who haven't played for a while and again ought to be too strong. The double is 1.67/1.
Chesterfield 1pt @ 2/1 with Bet365
Weymouth 1pt @ 3/1 with William Hill
Stockport/Dartford 1pt double @ 1.67/1 with Bet365

Stockport game is off so either cash out on the double or don’t bother doing it if you haven’t done it yet 

@StevieDay1983
That was the worst performance in a long time, not one player gets pass marks from me. Right from the start it was clear none of them were on it, poor first touch, passes going astray, second to every ball, slow, no energy or drive, just an awful performance. Whatever it was it needs to be fixed quickly.

Not been a great Festive period, but hopefully we can start the new year off to a winning start with these 6.
Weymouth v Eastleigh
Eastleigh have stopped scoring goals and although they had some good chances on Boxing Day in the reverse fixture they couldn't break the deadlock. Their game against Woking on the box wasn't overly exciting and again ended 0-0. Weymouth came out the wrong side of a 7 goal thriller on Monday against Torquay, but it was certainly a big step in the right direction following from the Eastleigh draw and a win in the FA Trophy against Maidenhead. 5/2 is too big a price for me on a home win.
Woking v Aldershot
I am going to go with Aldershot again. I did wonder if after winning the big derby game on Boxing Day might have an effect against Yeovil and it clearly did. Back to playing Woking again and I am expecting a better performance and the 5/2 should be around 7/4 for me.
Yeovil v Torquay
Yeovil were shocking in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day especially in defence and obviously they have won since as mentioned above. Torquay though will fancy their chances and even though they had to work hard to beat Weymouth they are a better team than Yeovil. I think they should be odds on so am happy to take odds against.
Hampton & Richmond v Dorking
I must admit I thought I got a bit lucky with Dulwich on Monday as Hampton going down to 10 really helped them. Hampton gave it their all in the 2nd half as well and missed a penalty. They deserved a point, but it did continue their poor home form and Dorking did everything but score against them on Boxing Day. I'm surprised Dorking aren't favourites as I think they will get revenge for the Boxing Day defeat.
AFC Fylde v Chorley
The home side are not in good form going into this. They have only one once in 6 league games and lost 3-1 in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day which Chorley deservedly won. Chorley obviously have a big FA Cup tie to look forward to and when I put them up to beat Peterborough I mentioned they were in a false position which they have been proving in the league. They haven't lost in 9 league games and have won 4 of their last 5. They look value to win this.
Kidderminster v Hereford
Granted Hereford were helped by a sending off on Boxing Day, but they still came from a goal down and Herford have only lost once in their last 6 league games now. They also beat Fylde in their previous league game. Kiddie are top of the last 10 form table, but they have lost 2 of their last 3 in the league and Hereford look over priced at 3/1.
Weymouth 1pt @ 5/2 with Bet365
Aldershot 1pt @ 5/2 with Bet365
Torquay 2pts @ 23/20 with BetVictor
Dorking 2pts @ 17/10 with Betfred
Chorley 1pt @ 2/1 with William Hill
Hereford 1pt @ 3/1 with Bet365

December was very much a month of 2 halves. From the start until the 12th I had 12/18 winners. From the 15th until the end I have had just 4/21 winners. Still most of the losers have just been 1pt selections so there was little damage done to the great profits from the first half and I was still 36pts up on the month from 61.5 staked.
The yearly total stands at 197pts staked and 155pts profit.