buga00

Barrow v Gateshead
For some reason the bookies continue to under-estimate Barrow. Last Saturday saw them extend their unbeaten run to 25 games as they got a point against Boreham Wood. A draw was probably the right result but Barrow’s equalizer did come from a very dodgy penalty. They have drawn more games on their travels though and it is at home where they really have excelled having won 8 and drawing 3. They have conceded just 7 times in those 11 home matches and given Gateshead have been very goal shy of late, just 4 in their last 6 league games, there is every chance Barrow will only need 1 goal to win this. Gateshead have also not won in 7 games so you would expect a home win to be odds on and the fact you can get 11/10 (Marathon) really surprises me.
 
Bromley v Sutton
Backing Sutton and home and opposing them away has been a very profitable system this season. Just to update you on their stats they have won 8 and lost 3 at home compared to 1 win (amazingly against Lincoln) and 7 defeats away from home. Add in the fact that only Lincoln are above Bromley in the last 8 matches form table and it is surprising that Sutton rank as favourites to claim the 3 points. If we look at Bromley’s home form then that is also strong at the moment with them only dropping points in a draw to Lincoln and a defeat to Dover in their last 6 home games. They looked solid in a pretty dull match on BT Sport against Macclesfield last Saturday, but it was good to see them score straight after the Macclesfield equalizer. Marathon’s price of 46/25 about a home win looks pretty tasty.
 
North Ferriby v York
As we know York just can’t win football matches at the moment and are now bottom of the National League table. Given I tipped up their hosts on Boxing Day to finish bottom I hope they swap positions come April, but I have to back North Ferriby for this. Whatever happens in the game the prices are just plain stupid. York are deservedly bottom, they haven’t won away for a very long time, they haven’t won in the league for 17 games and yet they are odds on to win this match! It just doesn’t make any sense. Now to be fair to them they had more than enough chances to beat Torquay last Saturday, but they have only scored 6 goals in their last 10 league games so it is a big problem even with the new players Gary Mills has brought in. Now granted North Ferriby has also had major issues of scoring goals this season having only managed 13 in the league, but they have won their last two matches and are unbeaten in their last 3 home games. I would probably make these two teams 6/4 to win the match so the 14/5 about a home win is massive value.
 
Margate v Welling
Jamie Day has worked wonders since taking over as Welling manager and they have won their last 4 games. Confidence will be high going into this game against crisis club Margate. They have no money, it seems the players are paying for free and it has even been questioned their ability to see out the season. Even if they do they might still fold in the summer. To be fair to the players they are putting in decent
shifts, but they aren’t bringing 3 points and the slight odds against (21/20 Marathon) looks a big price.
 
Boston v Gainsborough
Also at 21/20 are Boston who do finally seem to be showing some improvement for their new manager Adam Murray. They impressed in the first half against FCUM last Saturday in a 1-1 draw and then they beat an in form Curzon Ashton 3-1 on Tuesday night. I suspect we are going to continue to see an upturn in form and given Gainsborough only have one point from their last 5 games and have lost 8 of their 10 away league games this season, then a home win looks a good bet.
 
Mickleover Sports v Ilkeston
To be fair to Ilkeston they did perform with credit last Saturday, but they still lost and they only had 1 sub. Things might not be quite as desperate as that on Boxing Day, but even so they are likely to remain a young and inexperienced side for the rest of the season. Mickleover have had two really good wins in their last two matches against Ashton and top of the table Rushall so they should be more than capable of easily seeing off Ilkeston. I am happy to take them on the -1 handicap which is 17-10 if you can get on with BetVictor.

Eastleigh v Torquay

I still think there is more to come from this Eastleigh side which is worrying for their promotion rivals because since Ronnie Moore took over they have only lost once. They got a very good point against Lincoln at the weekend and they should get the three points here against a Torquay side that not only have won just one of their last six league games, but have only won once away all season. Now Eastleigh are obviously odds on for this match, but the bet looks to be Eastleigh to win to nil. Eastleigh have been pretty strong defensively since Moor took over and they have conceded just 8 at home this season. Add that to the fact that Torquay have found the net just 4 times on their travels and you would be fairly confident of Eastleigh keeping a clean sheet. Eastleigh to win to nil is 17/10 with Coral.


 
Wrexham v Barrow

I am going to oppose Wrexham again. Yes they finally managed to score a couple of goals, but Bromley pushed them close and Barrow should be a much different proposition. As I mention above they should have come away with the 3 points on Saturday and they weren’t even at their best. The point did continue their great run of form though and they have the much stronger squad in my view. I would have them as slight favourites for this and the price of 2/1 with Bet365 for an away win is surprisingly big.


 
Altrincham v Bradford Park Avenue

At first glance wanting to have a bet in a game between 3rd from bottom and bottom would seem a strange one. Altrincham have 7 points and BPA have 4 points with both sides already detached from the rest of the division. Altrincham have only won once in the league and BPA’s points have all come via draws. Altrincham’s win was two games ago against Stalybridge who just happen to be the team who separate these two sides. So as you can tell we are talking about two of the weakest teams in the division. Most of the time you would want to leave these games well alone from a betting point of view, but here the prices make it a must bet. How on earth can Altrincham be made odds on shots to win a team against any team in the division is beyond me. BPA are 7/2 shots with Coral which is way too big as I would make them around the 15/8 mark. Granted they have only scored 2 away goals all season, but they played away at Gloucester on Saturday and were very unfortunate to come away with no points. Indeed BPA probably should have won the game. Now it is a slight concern they failed to score again, but I think that is more than factored in to the price and I am happy to take a chance on them building on Saturday’s fine performance by gaining a first win of the season.

Wrexham v Bromley
Bromley blowing a 2 goal lead at Braintree last week was rather hard to take, but I am going to back them again here. As I pointed out last week their away form is strong and they will fancy their chances against a Wrexham side who seem to be going from bad to worse. I thought they were well worth taking on against Stamford last week and although we didn't get paid out, Stamford did eventually win the tie in extra time in the replay and even then Wrexham needed 2 late goals to take it to extra time. As I have highlighted at various points this season Wrexham's problems are scoring goals and losing to a Step 4 side is pretty poor. They need a new manager fast, but even then they are a side seriously lacking in investment at the moment. At 31/10 with Marathon I am happy to take a chance on an away win.

Woking v Barrow
Woking had threatened to start moving away from the relegation zone, but they have lost three out of their last four games and they still look a side who could well face the drop this season. Barrow meanwhile look the total opposite and their win in the FA Cup over Tranmere continued their superb run of form. Given Paul Cox's sides usually improve after Christmas, you have to think they are title contenders. I very nearly tipped them up pre-season, but I was put off by them losing Andy Cook. The great thing though is they can still be backed at around the same price they were pre-season at 18/1 with Skybet and I have had a small each-way play on them to add to my portfolio. I am surprised they are odds against to win this game and they look worth backing at a general 5/4.

Banbury v Frome Town
A couple of bets in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier this weekend the first of which is Banbury. Banbury are unbeaten in their last 7 games. They had another good win on Tuesday as they completed the double over Chippenham. Whilst that was going on Frome were having a shocker against Dorchester as they lost 3- 0 and their only win in their last 7 games was over bottom side Cinderford and even then it was only 3-2. At a shade of odds on (9/10) with Marathon Banbury do look a cracking bet to continue their strong run of form.

Cinderford v Chesham
If you have been following me all season you will know I wanted to oppose Cinderford due to the fact they looked like they would almost certainly finish bottom this season. I got a bit twitchy in opposing by the fact Hitchin and Basingstoke both had to come from behind (3 goals in the formers case!) and then they somehow beat Merthyr when I stuck them in bet. Since then though they have only managed to get a point in 9 games. Bar running Frome close, they have been easily beaten as well and the last twice against sides who were in very bad form. Manager Chris Burns resigned after the defeat to local rivals Cirencester and I just don't see how they can get anything from this game. With Chesham's games in hand they would probably be in the play-offs, but following on from last season's FA Cup exploits they have made the 1st Round again this season. In Cinderford's last 5 games only Frome would have failed to cover the -1 handicap so Stan James' 13/10 on Chesham doing just that looks well worth taking.

Braintree v Bromley
This is an all National League tie and the away side look a big price. I was surprised to see Jamie Day get the sack at Braintree because I don’t really see how they could expect to be doing much better than they currently. He had to rebuild the side and they just don’t have the money to spend to buy quality players. Hakan Hayrettin has come in as manager and he hasn’t exactly improved them with two defeats and a draw in his first three games. That point of course came against York last Saturday and it just emphasised how tough they are finding things this season. I backed both these sides to go down this season and although Bromley still might they are at least showing some sort of form, especially away from home. They have won three of their last five on their travels and the other two matches saw them get a point at Barrow and lost just 1-0 to league leaders Forest Green. Braintree have won just once at home all season and had lost their last 4 prior to the point against York. Marathon’s 9/4 about an away win is way too big a price.
 
Lincoln United v Spennymoor
Spennymoor were one of my winners last week and they look Nap material to make it through to the 1st Round. They only won 1-0 for us last week, but they followed that up with a 7-0 thrashing of Skelmersdale on Tuesday night. They travel to Lincoln United who are in the league below them. Due to their cup run they have only played 7 league games, but bar causing an upset when beating Nuneaton they have had to play teams from below them in the pyramid. That win at Nuneaton will have them believing they can cause another upset here, but Nuneaton weren’t in the best of form at the time and Spennymoor come into this game full of confidence. It is a great chance for them to get into the FA Cup 1st Round and are worth backing at Marathon’s 11/13.
 
Stamford v Wrexham
Just before I started writing this preview it was announced that Gary Mills had left his job as manager of Wrexham. Now it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise in the world if he went back to his former club York, but at the same time things weren’t really working out for him at Wrexham. They have little money to improve the side and it has been shown in plenty of matches this season that they are badly lacking a striker. They have only scored 11 goals in 15 league matches which emphasises the point. Now Stamford are in the same league as Lincoln United so it will clearly be a stiff ask for them, but at 19/2 (Marathon) they have to be worth a small play. They have beaten St Neots from the league above and Gresley, who are in the same division, in the FA Cup Qualifying Rounds so far. They clearly aren’t anything special, but with Wrexham struggling for goals this could well be a game where we see a huge upset, especially as the pressure will all be on Wrexham. The longer they go without scoring the worse it is going to get and it might just be a case of Stamford sneaking a goal to win the game.
 
FA Cup Treble
Just a treble for this round of the FA Cup which pays 9/4 with Bet365. Eastbourne aren’t in great form at the moment and have had two very easy ties to get to this stage and they have made heavy work of winning those matches as well. If we take out Aldershot’s 4-0 defeat to Forest Green then their home form has been superb and they should win this match. Brackley have a decent recent record in the FA Cup and they are having a pretty good season in the National League North. They look to have been given a great tie at Beaconsfield who have only won one league game in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central. Egham are also in that league and although they are doing slightly better, they face a very good St Albans side who should have too much for them.

Chester v Torquay

I put this bet up on Wednesday because Hills were going 6/5 and I knew the price wouldn’t last. I was right about that, but I still think they are value at a current best price of 13/15 with Marathon. Chester are top of the last 6 game form table and they have not conceded a goal in that period. Their home form has been very strong with 5 wins and 2 defeats from their 7 games. Now as I mentioned in mid-week I wouldn’t get too carried away by the fact they beat Dover 5-0 because Dover’s keeper was injured and it clearly had an effect on the final score line. Even so it was a continuation of their good form. In my view the bookmakers have over reacted to Torquay beating Dagenham on Tuesday night. Dagenham played most of the game with 10 men which obviously didn’t help them. Torquay have lost 5 of their 7 away matches beating just Braintree and getting a draw at Gateshead last Saturday, scoring just 4 in the process. That wasn’t a bad result on the face of it, but it was more down to the fact Gateshead are rather goal shy at the moment and they should have won really. Torquay have a lengthy list of injuries and suspensions and only had 14 available men, but they have signed a couple of players on Friday so they should be able to name a full set of subs. Even at the current odds I think Chester rate as one of the best bets of the season so far.


 
Bishop Stortford v Whitehawk

The away side have been well backed already, but I think Coral’s even money just about offers a bit of value. Despite losing to Hemel in their last league game Whitehawk do look a different side under Richard Hill and I expect them to bounce back here. The home side have lost all 6 home league games and have just scored 1 in the process. Whitehawk have got a top 5 squad in my view and they really should beat a poor Stortford side.


 
Coalville v Spennymoor

Spennymoor were one of my ante-post tips for the Evo-Stik Northern Premier and they have made a good start to their season. They have also made the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup after a superb win over National League North side Chorley last Saturday. They travel to a Coalville side who had lost 5 games on the bounce prior to a 3-2 over Mickleover Sports. That was just their 2nd win of the season though and these two sides should be at very different ends of the table come April. Marathon’s even money looks big to me.


 
Skelmersdale v Warrington

Another side promoted last season look like a bet at BetVictor’s 11/10. Warrington are in good form having won 5 of their last 8 league games and losing just twice in that time. Their hosts on Saturday have won just one game all season and it would be surprising if they were to add to that tally here against a decent Warrington side.

Depends on their mental state after getting hammered by Ebbsfleet on Saturday especially as they played most of the game with 10 men. Burgess Hill meanwhile had a very easy time of things in their FA Cup win.

Aldershot v Forest Green Rovers
Aldershot were one of our winners at the weekend and I think there is just enough in the 7/4 price to get involved here. Strangely enough I am reading a book about Aldershot’s recent history at the moment and have just got to the season where Gary Waddock took them into the Football League. That was in my view the best ever team I have seen at this level and it also reminded me that Waddock basically set up his team to score goals rather than keep them out. I mention that because this time around he seems to be focusing on the defensive side of things as they have only conceded once at home and that was against Tranmere. They have won 5 and drawn 1 of their home matches and I think they have it in them to beat Forest Green. Barrow more than held their own against FGR on Saturday and it could just be that Aldershot just need the one given their home defensive record. I would make them slight favourites for this which makes the 7/4 just big enough.
 
Bromley v Woking
I have been quite scathing about Woking this season which has been very fair. However they are starting to turn things around with two wins, a loss to Tranmere and a 3-3 draw with Eastleigh on Saturday. That game saw Matt Tubbs play his first game for the club after joining on loan. It is fair to say he has gone down the pecking order at FGR and was awful at Eastleigh last season. However he got the MOM award in the Non-League Paper on Sunday after scoring a goal and Woking could be the right side for him to get his career back on track. They travel to a Bromley side who have been struggling at home this season having won just the once and it does seem they are performing much better away from home. Granted Woking have yet to win away, but since their improved form they have only gone to Tranmere and they played well. At just over 2/1 with Marathon Woking are certainly worth a punt.
 
Dover v Sutton
Backing a team who lost 5-0 against a team who won on Saturday would seem a strange punting strategy, but I think Dover are worth backing here. Dover could have been in front at half time against Chester and keeper Steven Arnold injured himself in the first half as well. With no sub keeper on the bench they decided to stick with him, but it is fair to say it certainly played a part in them losing so heavily. Sutton are still struggling to score goals and had to rely on an own goal to beat Guiseley on Saturday. Their away form isn’t great either and at a shade of odds on with Marathon I think Dover are a fair bet for the three points.
 
Guiseley v York
I know Guiseley haven’t won yet this season, but they haven’t been all that far away from getting that crucial win. As I mention above they should really have left Sutton with a point on Saturday and given York’s terrible away record this could just be the game that sees Guiseley pick up those three points. York haven’t won in 28 away games and that is surely playing on the player’s minds. Amazingly Jackie McNamara is still in the job, but it would surely be curtains if he lost this game. I think it is worth taking a punt on them at just over 2/1 with Marathon.
 
Torquay v Dagenham & Redbridge
Dagenham’s young side does worry me a little as they have thrown in a couple of stinkers this season. The reasoning being that the young side will be inconsistent as they highlighted when beating Wrexham impressively on BT Sport 3-0 to then lose their next game to Sutton. That has stopped me backing them a couple of times when I probably should have done. Since losing to Boreham Wood 2-0 a month ago they have been really impressive and were again on BT Sport against Tranmere on Saturday. Tranmere were really good as well and it looked like two sides who were going to be going for the title this season. Torquay have one win in six which was at home to York and had goal shy Gateshead to thank for a point on Saturday. Dagenham should really be odds on for this so odds against has to be taken.
 
Wrexham v Lincoln
Boreham Wood were disappointing against Wrexham on Saturday and although Wrexham deserved the win they still only scored one goal and goals will continue to be a problem for them. Granted they have still only conceded once at home, but Lincoln pose more attacking threats than most sides and it is hard to fathom why they are as big a price as they are here. Gary Mills continues to be under great pressure at the moment and if Lincoln can frustrate their hosts then the fans will surely turn against their team.
 
Worthing v Merstham
The one bet in the Ryaman Premier and I make Merstham the Nap of the evening. I put them up as one of my bets for title in August at a big price. That looked a poor tip for most of the season so far as they struggled. However things have turned around and they have won their last three league games by the following score lines 6-1, 5-0 and 5-3. That later win was against 3rd in the table Tonbridge. They also won 5-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday. Worthing’s season has almost been a total opposite having started well, but they have lost their last five matches. They also lost heavily, albeit to St Albans, in the FA Cup on Saturday. Merstham look a big price at 6/5 with Marathon to continue their fine recent form.

Wrexham v Chester

Let us start with the live BT Sport game on Saturday lunchtime and a game that is a massive derby. I don’t usually like betting in derby games because I do think form goes out of the window a bit, but there is definite value in backing Chester. If I was able to I would be backing Gary Mills to be the next National League manager to lose his job, because Wrexham look a long way from being a team who will be in play-off contention this season. To be fair they are unbeaten at home and have only conceded one at the Racecourse Ground, but they haven’t been playing well and were fortunate to beat Sutton in their last home game. Last Saturday they were embarrassingly beaten by Woking and I think if they lose this match then Mills will be looking for a new job. A couple of weeks ago I put up Aldershot to beat Chester partly based on the fact Chester’s away form had been shocking. They got a good point though that afternoon and they have won both home games since. Chester go into this game with the pressure off and their players will certainly be up for it. If they can frustrate Wrexham then their fans will get on the players backs and they will be under huge pressure. I don’t think there is a great deal between these two sides either so the fact Chester are 3/1 (various) makes them a value bet.

Barrow v York

That Aldershot bet I mentioned above was the obvious bet that weekend and not surprisingly other non-league tipsters did put them up. I am fully expecting Barrow to be popular with the other non-league tipsters this weekend and at odds against they do look a fantastic bet. Even looking at the basic facts it is hard to understand how Barrow aren’t odds on here. Barrow are unbeaten in five home games having won three of them, whilst York have only picked up a point in five away games scoring four and conceding 13. That point also came on the first day of the season at Maidstone. Although their home form has been better, the fans were calling for Jackie McNamara to be sacked after losing 1-0 at home to Dover last weekend. They are probably being a little harsh as I don’t think he has the best side to work with, however they haven’t scored in three games and that has to be a worry. Barrow are quietly putting themselves into play-off contenders and they are now 6 games unbeaten. Drawing to Boreham Wood and Bromley in their last two home games weren’t the best results in the world, but with York being so low on confidence, especially up front, one goal could be enough. They also come into this match on the back of a fantastic win at Lincoln last Saturday. Barrow are 3 points off the top and York are just two points away from the relegation zone and I think the 9 point gap between the two sides is a genuine reflection of where these two sides are at right now. I make Barrow 4/6 chances to win this so make them Nap’s at 11/10 with Paddy Power and Marathon.

Eastleigh v Sutton

Eastleigh remain unbeaten since Ronnie Moore took over as boss a run of 7 games. They had defensive issues last season and they are looking a lot more solid at the back this time around. It was a bit disappointing that they only drew with Southport in their last home game, but Southport made it hard for them in what was Steve Burr’s first game in charge of them. Since then they got a very good point at Forest Green Rovers and then beat Macclesfield away last Saturday. I’m not even sure they are playing at their best as well and they should continue to improve under Moore. Sutton got a vital 3 points against Tranmere after 3 defeats. Their problem has been scoring goals and there winner was mainly down to a defensive mistake last week. Tranmere weren’t great either which helped Sutton and I think the result said more about lacklustre Tranmere than the home side. I think Eastleigh should be odds on for this so Paddy Power’s 6/5 is worth a bet.

Alfreton v Kidderminster

 A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how many goals there had been in Alfreton games of late only for them to win 1-0! In their last league game they lost to Boston by the odd goal in 5 though to revert to type. Somehow they kept a clean sheet in the FA Cup to beat Fylde last Saturday, but Fylde had numerous chances and just couldn’t score. Alfreton have also lost their best player Dan Bradley to Fylde this week. Kidderminster are in good form and have won four of their last five league games. They beat Tamworth 6-0 in their last league game and then put another 4 past them without reply in the FA Cup on Saturday. They look like they could be capable of bouncing straight back up to the National League and they look value at Marathon’s 21/20.

AFC Telford v Chorley

Kidderminster’s only defeat in their last five came surprisingly against Telford, I say surprisingly because Telford have lost their other three of their last four league games. They lost in a replay in the FA Cup to Worcester on Tuesday and to be fair it shouldn’t have even been a replay as Worcester were dominate in the first game. Chorley have started the season really strongly and have only lost once so far this term. They had a comfortable victory in the FA Cup last weekend as well and they look worth backing at 11/8 (Coral) to continue their strong run of form.

Dover v Forest Green Rovers

Quite why BT Sport thought it was a good idea trying to compete with the Glasgow and Manchester Derbies I don’t know, but this game is live on BT at 12.15pm. I’m really interested to see how Forest Green get on and I think they are worth backing. As I said last week they really have hit their stride now and even though they weren’t impressive in their first three wins, they have looked impressive in their last 3. Granted they only beat Chester 2-1 last weekend, but they were very comfortable and they should have won by more. Dover have shown glimpses of last season’s form when they got to the play-offs (losing to FGR in the semi-finals), but they have also struggled at times, with the 4-1 loss to Boreham Wood being the pick of those. They look just the sort of side who could give any team in the division a strong test at their best, but will end the season in mid-table as they lack consistency. Forest Green should be favourites for this and I was surprised to see 2/1 (Bet 365 and Marathon) available. It certainly isn’t a gimmie for the away side, but that price is just too big not to take advantage of.

Aldershot v Chester

I suspect every tipster going will be tipping up Aldershot this week because they are the obvious bet of the week. Aldershot are 4/4 at home having scored 8 and conceded just once with that goal being scored by Tranmere last week. Tranmere were probably a little unlucky not to get something from the game, but to be fair it was still an impressive performance from Aldershot. They now need to follow that up by beating a Chester side who have only managed one point in four away games so far and that came thanks to a wonder goal at Boreham Wood. Indeed apart from Chester’s two big wins at home they have looked pretty poor so far this season. Obvious bets don’t always win and I don’t always like tipping them up, but at the end of the day the 5/6 (Ladbrokes and Bet Victor) looks a massive price and I would have them in the 8/13 area so I have to get involved.

Eastleigh v Southport

Eastleigh weren’t at their best last weekend against North Ferriby, but then they didn’t really need to be and they covered the -1 handicap for us by winning 2-0. I am putting up the same bet again this weekend as they host a mangerless Southport side who have conceded 15 and scored just twice in losing all 4 away games so far. Southport are now looking for their 9th manager in 3 years and they really need to get the appointment right if they are to survive in this division. In the short term though it is hard to see them getting anything out of this and Eastleigh should cover the -1 handicap again. Paddy Power go 11/10 about them doing so.

Alfreton v Harrogate

They have been a staggering 40 goals in Alrefton’s last 6 matches which averages out at nearly 7 goals a game! On those stats I certainly wouldn’t put anyone off betting on goals again in this one, but the bet I am putting up is Harrogate to win at a huge 31/20. Alfreton have lost 4 of those 6 games and they are struggling to fill the bench. They had just two subs last Saturday and only three in their 5-3 defeat at Worcester on Tuesday night. Harrogate are still unbeaten and bar a 94 minute penalty from Curzon last Saturday, they would have won their last 6 games. They have got a very good side this season and look sure to be in the promotion hunt in what is a very tough National League North this season. I make them odds on shots to win this so at the price they look the best bet of the weekend. There will probably be plenty of goals, but I will take a 1-0 away win!

North Ferriby v Barrow I tipped North Ferriby to finish bottom this season and although they have managed to remain unbeaten at home, I still think they have been fairly fortunate to pick up those 7 points. Granted Barrow have yet to win away from home yet, but they were superb in the 2nd half against Braintree on Saturday and if they carry that form into this game then they shouldn't have too many problems here and are worth backing at 6/5 with Marathon.   Sutton v Dagenham & Redbridge I was really impressed with Dagenham on Saturday when they beat Wrexham 3-0 on BT Sport. Some of the passing was top notch and the ball that helped set up the opening goal was one of the best assists I have seen at this level. If anything Sutton's 3G pitch should encourage Dagenham's passing football and given the fact Dagenham have one all bar one game this season it is hard to understand why they are over 2/1 (Marathon) to win this game. Sutton will be looking to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat to Chester on Saturday, but Dagenham look promotion contenders so far and that price is silly.   Woking v Chester Speaking of Chester they have the perfect chance to build on that 4-0 win against Woking. Chester have been pretty inconsistent given their other win was Dagenham's only defeat of the campaign. Woking however have been terrible so far and I don't know how Gary Hill is going to get them out of their current situation. They have one of the lowest budgets in the division and have just one point to their name. Losing 4-1 to York on Saturday after going a goal up was a pretty shocking effort and if Chester do build on that 4-0 win then Bet 365's 2/1 is going to look massive come 4.50pm. Chester should be favourites.   Wrexham v York York haven't exactly convinced so far this season and even though they beat Woking easily as I mention above I don't think that exactly accounts to an awful lot. However I do think a couple of things are important. First of all they were 4-1 up after 25 minutes so the game was basically over from that point, which meant they didn't have a tough 90 minutes ahead of this game just 48 hours later. The 2nd point is that scoring 4 goals should give them a fair bit of confidence. Wrexham looked poor against Dagenham on Saturday and although they have yet to lose or concede a goal at home, they have scored just once. This is obviously a tougher game for York than Woking, but I suspect these two sides are at a pretty similar level right now so that makes the 13/5 worth taking.   Welling v Chelmsford Chelmsford have been a little disappointing so far given I thought they had a promotion chance, but they are still within touching distance after a comfortable 2-0 win over Oxford City on Saturday. Welling have been shocking so far this season after relegation having failed to win a game and they have lost all 3 at home. A long journey to Truro on Saturday won't have helped in regards to this game either. Quite why Marathon have got the away side at 19/10 I don't know as Chelmsford should have the class edge here.   Weston-Super-Mare v St Albans I am a little annoyed I didn't have a little bet on St Albans at the start of the season as Ian Allison really turned their season around last season and they looked like potential improvers. That has been confirmed so far as they currently sit in 3rd place in the table having lost just one of their opening six games. Weston have started fairly well themselves, but were well beaten by Margate on Saturday and I think St Albans are the better team. I am surprised Marathon have them at just over 2/1.   Gloucester v Boston Boston were very lucky to get a point on Saturday against Kidderminster and their away form reads played 3 lost 3 for 1 against 8. They have looked a shadow of the side who did so well last season. Gloucester have got of to a pretty good start with their only defeat coming to Darlington so far. They had a very comfortable 3-1 success against Stalybridge on Saturday and I thought they would be shorter favourites than 17/11 (Marathon) to give Boston their 4th away defeat of the season.   Slough v Hayes & Yeading Slough are beginning to look like they could be potential promotion challengers on the Evo-Stik Southern Premier and they are 2nd after the first 6 games. Monday sees them play at their new home ground for the first time and they will be keen to get 3 more points in front of a sell out crowd. Strangely enough Hayes have also just moved into a new ground, but their first game in their new ground has been their only win so far this season. I make Slough stronger favourites then Marathon's 13/10.   Maidenhead v Truro and Cinderford v Merthyr Town When I saw Maidenhead were 10/11 I could not believe my eyes. They have started the season very strongly having won 5 of their 6 games and currently top the National League South table. Indeed I wouldn't be surprised if they were still there come April. They host a Truro side who have only won once so far and don't look anything special. Sadly other people agreed with me and the price has collapsed. I still think they are worth backing however, but I will add Merthyr Town to make a double which pays around 7/4. For the 2nd time opposing Cinderford proved heart stopping, but ultimately profitable as Basingstoke eventually beat them 3-2. Merthyr have looked pretty good so far this season and also have the benefit of having their game on Saturday called off so they don't even have 90 minutes of football in their legs. It would be surprising if they didn't win this and hopefully more comfortably than Basingtoke or Hitchin did.  

Braintree v Aldershot
I stuck Aldershot up as a bet on Tuesday and at 2-0 up I thought it was bet won given Bromley had yet to score this season. Frustratingly Bromley found two goals to peg them back and hold them to a draw. Even so it has been a cracking start to the season by Gary Waddock’s men and they could be in for their best season since they were relegated. Braintree are set to have their worse since joining this league and they are yet to win in their first four matches. I make Aldershot favourites to win this and the 9/4 with Marathon looks a big price to me.

Bromley v Gateshead
Gateshead are one of the teams who have been backed, but 5/4 is still available with Coral and I think there is just enough in that price to get involved. I put them up last week against Forest Green and they were unfortunate to lose to what was a fluky goal. They then stunned York on Tuesday when beating them 6-1! That made it 3 wins from 4 games and if they carry that form into this game then I think they will be hard to beat. Bromley will take some confidence in the fact they got a point against Aldershot, but Gateshead have looked strong in defence so far this season and it might just be a case of getting at least one goal to win the game.

Sutton United v Macclesfield
Macclesfield also have a record of 3 wins from their first 4 games and it is rather annoying that the only time I have put them up was their loss too York. Even so they played well that night and they have followed it up with putting three goals past Braintree and Southport. Granted they are likely to be down near the bottom this season, but they were still impressive efforts. Sutton have been one of those teams who have been well backed and that means Macclesfield have drifted to a massive 13/4 with Marathon. To be fair to Sutton they have coped fairly well since gaining promotion and beat Lincoln and Torquay in the last week. Lincoln did go down to ten men though and Torquay arrived at Sutton’s ground in taxis after their coach broke down which is hardly an ideal preparation. They did get a point against Forest Green, but they probably played them at the right time as they are still struggling to get used to Mark Cooper’s system. The price makes no sense to me and they could easily be the other way round and it wouldn’t have surprised me. I make them Nap’s because of that.

Woking v Dagenham & Redbridge
Like the above two tips, the only time I have backed Dagenham this season was when they lost to Chester 3-0. That is looking like a blip for both teams as Chester have lost their other three games and Dagenham have won their other three. Woking look like they are going to be in for a long hard season. Manager Gary Hill stated that they have the smallest budget in the league and whilst I am not sure it would be lower than North Ferriby’s, the squad has clearly suffered because of the low budget. Hill is a good manager, but he will have to work very hard to keep them up this season. They are a young squad and inexperience seems to be costing them. Bar that Chester game Dagenham have looked pretty good so far and the 11/8 with Coral is just on the right side of value.

Nuneaton v Salford
Just the one bet outside of the National League this weekend and it is Salford. Nuneaton have been pretty disappointing so far with just a draw against Bradford. Granted they have played two of the stronger sides in Halifax and Kidderminster, but worryingly they haven’t been playing all that well. Salford on the other hand could easily be 3 from 3. They outplayed Gloucester when getting a draw on the first day of the season before putting 4 past Stalybridge and then beating local rivals FCUM in midweek. They look like a team who could play a part in the promotion race this season and on form shown so far I would have them shorter than Marathon’s 13/8.

Forest Green Rovers v Gateshead
It hasn’t been a good start for the National League ante-post favourites and not surprisingly they have drifted out after only picking up one point in their first two games. They were pretty poor in their opener at Boreham Wood and it seems they weren’t much better against Sutton on Tuesday. It seems the formation that Mark Cooper is using isn’t working at the moment and his players are struggling to get used to it. Cooper seems under pressure already as he snapped at a local journalist after Tuesday’s night game. There is still a long way to go to turn things around, but backers must be concerned by the start. It could get worse as well as they host a Gateshead side who have made a superb start to the season. Granted Chester and Southport are unlikely to be finishing the season in the top half of the table, but to beat both 3-0 is a decent effort. On paper this should be a tougher game, but on the basis of the first two matches Gateshead shouldn’t be 31/10 (Marathon) shots and they will fancy their chances of making it 3 from 3. They have to be backed at that price.

Guiseley v Dagenham & Redbridge
As I mention above for Dagenham to go from an impressive 3-0 victory on Saturday to losing 3-0 to Chester on Tuesday was rather surprising. Obviously we have limited evidence, but I just wonder if a young Dagenham side might perform better at home than away this season. I think they are probably just about the right favourites here, but I think Guiseley are value at 12/5 (Marathon). Guiseley are yet to pick up a point, but they have had two tough games to start with and have performed with credit in defeats to Eastleigh and Wrexham who scored a very late winner. They look to have a better side than last season and they have a fair chance of surviving. If they continue to put in the performances they have in their first couple of games then they will be winning sooner rather than later and it is worth betting they do it on Saturday.

York City v Boreham Wood
Not only did Boreham Wood beat Forest Green in their opening game of the season, but they then went to Dover and beat them 4-1 on Tuesday night. Granted Dover went down to ten men when they were still 1 up, but even so that is still an impressive effort from Boreham Wood. I opposed York on Tuesday and they did manage to beat Macclesfield 1-0 in the end. The goal was rather fortunate though and I am still unconvinced they are going to be much of a force in this division this season. Whatever way you look at it though a price of 29/10 (Marathon) on an away win looks too big on the basis of Wood’s first two performances.

Alfreton v Curzon Ashton
Four of my bets are priced over 2/1 this weekend, but the Naps will be Alfreton who are 5/6 with Betway. Curzon have conceded 10 goals in their opening two games which is rather worrying. First up Kidderminster put 6 past them on the opening day of the season and then on Wednesday night they drew 4-4 with Bradford Park Avenue. Clearly they have defensive issues at the moment and given Alfreton have scored 7 goals in their first two matches, it looks ripe for them to add to that tally on Saturday. Now they did lose 4-3 to Stockport on Saturday, but they beat Gainsborough 4-0 on Tuesday night. Given the way these two teams have started you would expect Alfreton to add to their 7 goals and that should be enough to win the match.

Bradford Park Avenue v Nuneaton
Bradford have started their season with two draws and as mentioned above they shared 8 goals with Curzon on Wednesday night. That might have taken a bit out of them and it could be crucial that Nuneaton didn’t have a game in mid-week. They lost their first match 3-2 to Halifax and it was a bit worrying that they gifted Halifax a couple of goals, but Halifax are the favourites to win the league and Bradford will be lucky to get into the top half. Nuneaton should be capable of being in the play-off hunt again and I am surprised Marathon have gone 11/5 for them to win this. Given the next biggest price is 15/8, they are also out on a limb. I would still be tempted by 15/8 so the 11/5 has to be worth a punt

Dartford are my main bet this weekend. They are in decent enough form themselves and Whitehawk were out on their feet on Wednesday night at the end of the game. It was on a heavy pitch and after 120 minutes on that it is surely going to have an effect less than 72 hours later. They also were forced to use all their subs up by early on in the 2nd half which wasn't ideal either. Sometimes the tired teams can still manage to nick a result so it's not a lump on job, but the value certainly is with Dartford.
I have also backed Halifax this weekend against Tranmere. The away side are ona very poor run of form at the moment and they look a side low on confidence and Gray Brabin is under a huge amount of pressure. Halifax obviously aren't the best side in the division, but the improvement has been there under Jim Harvey and they are a bigger price than they should be this weekend.
The final bet is Concord at Havant. Yes Havant won for me last weekend, but FGR hardly went to win the game and Havant's league form has been dreadful. Until Concord lost to Sutton last time they were on a fantastic run of form and I fancy them to bounce back here.

Barrow v Boreham Wood Even though Barrow's manager got sacked and Paul Cox has taken over, their home form has been very strong. They have only lost twice at home and they beat Woking last week in Cox's first game in charge. They host a Boreham Wood side who have got a couple of very good draws against Tranmere and Lincoln, but their problem is scoring goals and they are averaging less than a goal a game. Barrow should continue their strong home form on Saturday and look a fair price at BetVictor's 29/20.   Halifax v Guiseley I didn't think there was ever going to be apoint this season where I would want to back Halifax, but they look a very different side since Darren Kelly was sacked and Jim Harvey took over. Under Kelly they couldn't defend to save their lives and although they have still let in 3 goals in their two games under Harvey, that is a massive improvement. They put four past Gateshead when having ten men for over half of the match and put the same amount past Dover last week. In that sort of form they should fancy their chances about beating a Guiseley side who have only won once away all season. Marathon's 8/5 looks a fair price.   Kettering v Cambridge City Into the Southern League for the final and best bet of the weekend. Kettering have strengthened in recent weeks and their team looks very strong now. They are unbeaten in three and they beat league leaders Poole last weekend and deserved the three points. They look capable of going on a little run now and will fancy their chances of beating a Cambridge side who have lost four of their last six. To be fair to them the two wins did come against two sides in the top 5 in the table, but improved Kettering should have too much for them and Boyelsports go 20/21 about a home win.

Bromley v Boreham Wood
It is max bet time tonight as the home side look a massive price at 11/10. I checked on Sunday night to see what the odds were and was thinking 5/6 was worth a max bet and amazingly they have drifted out. It seems the Asian markets are backing Boreham Wood and they really isn't any reason why they should be. I tipped Bromley up when these two played the reverse fixture and Bromley won 3-2 and they have continued their upward rise up the table, currently sitting in 4th place. They have been scoring goals for fun and have only lost to Cheltenham and Tranmere in their last eight games, indeed they have the 2nd best record in the division in that time (behind Dover). They got a cracking win last time out when beating Lincoln away and they have had a nice 10 days off since that fixture as they were already out of the FA Cup. On the otherhand Boreham Wood struggled to a 1-1 draw at Northwich a team three leagues below them on Saturday and the part-timers have little recovery time ahead of this very tough fixture. The one thing you can say is they are unbeaten in their last four away games drawing three and winning one. However they beat what was at the time a dreadful Torquay side, whilst drawing with two other teams around them in the table Kidderminster and Guiseley. The other draw doesn't look too bad at Macclesfield, but Macclesfield were all over them that afternoon and did everything but score. What I can't understand is Bromley are a shorter price to beat Altrincham on Saturday a team four points ahead of Boreham Wood. Wood look to be lacking at this level whereas Bromley have really kicked on since they were both promoted from the National League South. Hopefully come 9.30pm we will be celebrating one of the best looking bets this season.
Woking v Braintree
One other bet for me is Braintree. I got them badly wrong by saying they would go down this season and they have proven very hard to beat. Now the concern is they had a very tough game on Sunday and not surprisingly Woking haven't wanted to move the game to Wednesday, but Woking are in such bad form at the moment that at the price of 23/10 I am happy to take the punt. Given the start to the season they had it is amazing how bad they have become and being the first team to lose to Kidderminster last time was a rather bad effort and sums up their form in the last few weeks. Braintree have only lost twice in their last eight games and have got some great results in that time as well. Take the fact they had a tough game on Sunday and Woking have had ten days off out of things and my confidence behind Braintree wouldn't be far behind that of Bromley. However I have to take that in mind and whilst I am still happy to have the bet it can't be as strongly as I would have liked.

Boreham Wood v AFC HornchurchThis game is the one which might well see the biggest shock of the weekend as step 4 side Hornchurch travel to step 1 side Boreham Wood. The home side have been struggling in the league for a while now although they were probably slightly unlucky not to win at Guiseley last Saturday. There main problem has been scoring goals and the pressure will be on them on Saturday as for the first time this season they are playing a game they are heavy favourites to win and they might well choke. Hornchurch are having a great season and they should be playing Ryman Premier football again next season. Confidence will be high and I always like it when an in form team plays an out of form team even at different levels. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if there is only one league between these two sides next season so at BetVictor's 8/1 the away side are a sporting bet. Harrogate Town v Grimsby TownI have always been very uncomplimentary about Harrogate's manager, but to be fair this season he seems to have finally got his expensive squad playing really well and they are bang in promotion contention. Now obviously Grimsby are doing well in the league above and have only lost twice this season. Away from home though they have only managed to win twice and I just wonder how seriously they will take the FA Cup this season. Given how close they have gone in the last few seasons promotion to the Football League is all that matters this season and I don't think Paul Hurst will mind too much if they get knocked out here. Obviously Grimsby are rightly favourites, but 9/2 about a home win is higher than it should be. Maidenhead v WokingWoking have really struggled since being the first team to beat Forest Green Rovers. They have only managed to win once since then and that was against a dreadful Halifax side. Backing Maidenhead at 80/1 to win National League South has proven to be a decent move given they are currently in 5th place and not surprisingly Alan Devonshire has turned the clubs fortunes around. They have only conceded five at home and lost just once, so I think they have a fair chance of beating an out of form Woking. Marathon are biggest at 36/17. Salford City v SouthportGiven Salford have won just once at home, but are eight from eight away from home in a funny way I would have fancied them more if this game was at Salford, but given the nature of this game I do expect Salford to bring a much improved showing at home. These two teams could well be in the same league next season as Southport have looked a pretty poor side this term. They did beat Kidderminster last weekend, but it was a poor game which they didn't really deserve to win. This game looks ripe for an upset in my view and Marathon are 26/11 about a home win. Wealdstone v Bognor RegisAgain another two teams who might end up playing in the same league next season either by Wealdstone going down or Bognor going up and you couldn't rule out them swapping places. Granted Wealdstone are unbeaten in six, but they haven't had the hardest set of fixtures and at Marathon's 41/13, which is miles bigger than any other bookie, Bognor are worth a small play as they look a good side in the Ryman Premier this season. 

National League sides enter the last qualfying round of the FA Cup and there are a handful of National League North/South games as well as Step 3. Margate v Forest Green is live on BT Sport on Saturday lunchtime.

Cheltenham v Eastleigh
I still can't believe Eastleigh are as big as 18/1 to win the title. They were my picks from the start and although they had a dodgy spell which led to Richard Hill resigning they have bounced back to win three of their last four games. Chris Todd was in charge for those games and he was confirmed as the new boss in the week which he deserves after the results on the pitch. Not only am I backing them to win on Saturday, but I am also going in again for them to win the title as I still think they will be in the top 3 at the very least come the end of April. Win this and they will be just three points behind their hosts who are around 6/1 for the title. They deserved their win on Tuesday night against current leaders FGR and I am hopeful they can beat the other Gloucestershire side on Saturday. They will be full of confidence and although it is hardly a lump on job Marathon's 39/10 is bigger than it should be.
Guiseley v Boreham Wood
I think there is enough in the price to back the home side here. The concern is they played so well against Wrexham on Wednesday night to get a point that they might be feeling the effects of that effort, but although Boreham Wood beat my Naps last weekend I still don't think they are playing that well. I opposed them on Tuesday and Aldershot didn't have to be at their best to beat them and I think away from home they may struggle against a Guiseley side who have been performing fairly well on the whole part recently. A point at Wrexham is more than likely deemed a bonus point, but this would surely be a game where getting a victory would be important to avoid going down. I am surprised they are as big as 28/17 with Marathon to gain the three points.
Gosport v Ebbsfleet
Ebbsfleet lost their first league game two weeks ago, but I think they can bounce back here. Because they had already lost in the FA Cup they had a blank weekend, whereas Gosport ended up playing a replay against Whitehawk on Tuesday night which they lost. I think that gives the away team a pretty big edge here and Gosport are having a dip in form after a strong start to the season. They have only won once in their last five league games and although they might make it hard for Ebbsfleet I suspect that the class edge will tell late on especially with fresher legs. I think Bet 365's 13/10 is a good price.
Needham Market v Hampton & Richmond
Hampton are in great form at the moment with their only defeat in the last six games coming against league leaders Leiston. They scored five against Hendon last Saturday and then put six past Merstham in mid-week. Their hosts are struggling after promotion and their win against Lewes two games ago was their first this season. They only have eight points and with the form the away side are in at the moment Hampton should be picking up another three points. 19/20 looks a fair price and I make them the best bet this weekend.
Ramsbottom v Mickleover Sports
Call me mad but I think the home side are worth a bet here. They have yet to win this season and only have three points to their name, but I think they maybe about to improve. Amazingly in their last game they got a draw against league leaders Blyth and they have had a couple of weeks off since that game. They have got some new players in and it is worth a punt that that result is a sign they are going to get a first victory. Mickleover are in poor form having lost their last three games and they have played twice since Ramsbottom played. Again not exactly a lump on job, but it could just turn out that Marathon's 77/29 turns out to be a decent bet.

Boreham Wood v Aldershot
The home side finally got another win on Saturday when they beat a below par Welling 2-0, but I still am not sure they have turned the corner and they were dealt a big blow on Monday when Ian Allinson resigned as he found the move to day time training to difficult. Aldershot were well beaten by Forest Green on the TV last week and were outclassed for most of the game. There were however signs of a side who will continue to improve during the season given the young age of quite a few of the players. They had an easy 2-0 victory themselves over Altrincham on Saturday and I get the feeling they are a side more than capable of seeing off the lesser sides in the division. They have been better away from home as well this season so at 19/10 with Skybet I think they are worth backing.
Bromley v Cheltenham
There is a slight worry that after losing 4-0 to Tranmere last week that Bromley may struggle against the better sides in the league, but they are into 4th position now after a superb 5-0 win against Barrow on Saturday and you have to take notice of the goals they are scoring. They have scored a huge 36 in 16 games and they are scoring some crackers as well. They have only conceded 6 at home and have won 6 out of eight. Cheltenham could have their work cut out trying to keep out a rampant Bromley front line and given they are only one point behind them in the league it seems a bit daft you can back them at 11/5 (Bet 365) to win this. It could also help that Bromley have back to back home games whereas Cheltenham had a long journey to Gateshead and then a tough game up there which they drew 1-1.
Macclesfield v Gateshead
I keep backing Gateshead, but then they keep being value and although they only picked up 1 point in their last three games they were against Dover, Grimsby and Cheltenham which are three very tough games. I think they will start picking up wins again sooner rather than later after a tough run of fixtures and it might well be on Tuesday evening. Macclesfield had a very easy time of things in the first half against Kidderminster on Saturday, but they eased off in the 2nd half and weren't as good. They are having a solid season, but I think Gateshead are better and their away form has been pretty strong this season. Marathon are way out of line by going just over 4/1 when the next biggest price is 11/4 and that is way too big a price.
Bradford Park Avenue v Salford City
This FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round replay takes place on Wednesday night and I think we might see an upset. For some reason Salford's away form has been miles better than their home form this season, so to get a draw at home on Saturday against a higher ranked team was a good effort. BPA have only won two games in the league all season and Salford will fancy their chances of getting into the next round as they certainly have a squad who are capable of being in the National League North next season. BetVictor are best at 2/1 for an away win.
No nap as such as just having small level stake bets on all 4.

Tuesday night was a case of so close yet so far as Tranmere were leading until late on and Gateshead had taken a lead at Grimsby. At least Dover get a late winner to give us some money back. I like some big prices in the National League this weekend and the FA Cup continues. It is also Non League Day and although I can’t make a game myself I do encourage anyone who can to go and catch a match tomorrow.
 
Boreham Wood v Welling
The home side are really struggling for form at the moment and they have only one win against Torquay to their name in their last ten matches. Getting a point at Macclesfield doesn’t look too bad on the face of it, but they barely managed a shot and Macclesfield should have hammered them. They could only get a point against Kidderminster on Tuesday and after an initial good start they are finding life at this level tough. Welling meanwhile are in good form and although they lost to Bromley on Tuesday night they had won their previous four games including decent wins against Gateshead and Chester. It is hard to understand why Welling are as big as 23/10 with BetVictor because they will fancy their chances against a side who have forgotten how to win football matches.
 
Braintree v Grimsby
Fair to say I go Braintree badly wrong. I tipped them to go down as I wasn’t sure they would be able to cope with the departure of Alan Devonshire, but they have been superb so far this season. Funnily enough their away form has been stronger than their home form, but they still look over priced here. Granted Grimsby have only lost twice this season, but as I pointed out on Tuesday they are still be priced up way shorter than they should be. It was a good win on Tuesday against Gateshead, but Braintree put in a superb effort to get a point at Cheltenham themselves. 100/30 about a home win is too big and is very much a sporting play at those odds.
 
Gateshead v Cheltenham
Dover, Halifax and Southport were all on my shortlist this week, but the final bet in the National League is Gateshead. One win in five doesn’t look great, but as I said in my preview for Tuesday’s matches they have been playing well on the whole and are still a very competitive side. Again Cheltenham have only lost two all season, but it makes no sense how they can be a shorter price to win at Gateshead than the one they were to win at Halifax last Saturday. That is mad given how bad Halifax are in comparison to Gateshead. Again at the odds of 29/10 it is a value play.
 
Chesham v North Leigh
In to the FA Cup now and I think North Leigh are worth backing to cause a minor upset. They have been superb in the league this season having won eight from nine whilst scoring 21 and conceding just seven. They will be hoping to play in the same league as Chesham next season and their hosts haven’t been in the best of form. Granted they had a nice 3-0 win on Tuesday against Redditch, but prior to that they had only picked up one point in their last four games. At 21/10 with BetVictor North Leigh look a fair bet.
 
FA Cup Acca
I landed a 6 fold in the previous round and this time I like a four fold which pays just under 4/1 with BetVictor. Harrogate are having their best season for a while and they host a Burscough team who are mid-table two levels below them. Brackley are in the relegation zone in the National League North, but they should still beat a Rugby side who are 3 from bottom two leagues below them. Stalybridge are in good form and they face a Chasetown side that are only just above Rugby in the table. Finally AFC Fylde should have a fairly comfortable win over Coleshill.
 I make Welling the Naps although nothing really strong this weekend

Altrincham v Halifax
As I write this Halifax are being backed, but it is hard to understand who on earth is backing them. Obviously I thought they would lose on Saturday, but even I wasn't expecting a 7-1 drubbing. Obviously Cheltenham were good, but having seen the highlights Halifax looked more clueless than ever. As I said at the weekend I thought the managerial decision looked a strange one and if it carries on like Saturday he will be doing well to last as long as he did at Oldham! Altrincham were a successful tip on Saturday and although they were probably a little fortunate their home form continues to be strong. They aren't the most prolific in front of goal so I certainly don't expect them to get near Cheltenham's seven, but I thought the home side would be odds on so at Marathon's 25/19 they look a solid bet. Worth adding as well that Halifax have lost all their away games so far this season. Grimsby v GatesheadGrimsby are unbeaten in seven games, but they have drawn four of those and the only teams they have managed to beat are Boreham Wood, Aldershot and Southport. Obviously they are a good side and are still bang in contention for the title race, but they need to start turning those draws into wins. Given they are playing a Gateshead side who have looked pretty good so far this season I just can't understand how on earth Grimsby can be priced up as short as 2/5. The game has been priced up as if Grimsby were playing a team near the bottom of the table not one who sits in fourth after 14 games. It makes no sense at all and regardless of the result in the game anyone who backs Grimsby is probably having one of the worse value bets you will see this season. Now Gateshead were poor in the 2nd half against Dover on Saturday, but they won at Forest Green the week before so they proved they are capable again. I think the play has to be the draw here at BetVictor's 17/5 given how many games Grimsby draw. I can't resist though having a saver on the away side at 6/1 as that price is simply too big. Torquay v DoverI was tempted to back Aldershot at the weekend, but just wondered if new manager Kevin Nicholson might be able to get his new side going even short term as he was a former player at the club. That didn't really happen though and again like at Halifax I am sure Kevin now knows he is going to have a really tough job. I read that he wants his team to be attacking, but that could be dangerous witha team who are lacking in confidence especially when they are playing a team in red hot form. Since losing to Barrow on the first day of the season only Cheltenham have beaten them and even then that was down to the fact they had gone down to ten men after being two up. They hadn't won away until their last two games when beat Eastleigh and as stated above they beat Gateshead on Saturday. The slight concern is two long trips in such a short space of time, but although it was a rushed journey they did actually fly up to Gateshead on Saturday and were still in London at 12.45 and yet were there in time for kick off, thus I am hoping that won't be too much of a problem. They are a shade of odds on at 19/20 with Paddy Power and that is a fair price. Wrexham v TranmereTranmere haven't lost in eight now and although some of those results were poor draws, they have won their last three and were very impressive against Bromley at the weekend. The results suggest they are improving whereas Wrexham's form is going the other way. In their last eight games they have only managed to beat Altrincham and Boreham Wood and they were massively outplayed against Chester on Saturday. Given Tranmere are now above them in the table it makes little sense why Wrexham are odds on in places and Tranmere as big as 11/4 with Betway. The defeat to Eastleigh was Wrexham's first at home, but in their first five home games they beat Torquay, Alderhshot, Welling, Halifax and Altrincham which let's be fair are five games they ought to be winning. They then drew against Grimsby before the loss to Eastleigh. There is every chance that Wrexham have been flattered a bit by their easy home fixtures to date and although the draw has to be considered given Tranmere have drawn four away, I do think as they are improving that they have to be backed to win as I wouldn't want to be going any bigger than 13/8 for them to win this. Alty are just the Naps although Dover and Tranmere just behind them.

I actually considered backing Dover to win and over 2.5 goals, but I can't help thinking that you would be relying on Dover getting 3. They did score 5 against Eastleigh but you have to bare in mind Eastleigh had a man sent off so that helped. To me you would be better off backing Dover as I suggest above. 

Altrincham v Barrow
Given Barrow cost me a lot of money last week my initial thought was to stay clear of this game. I then saw the price the home side were though and I had to have a bet on them. The danger is that Barrow are getting their away form together as they have won and drawn one having lost their first four on the road. Even so there is no way they should be such strong favourites for this game and arguably Altrincham should probably just about be market leaders. Granted the were poor in their last home game to Braintree, but you take that out and their home form has been strong. They even managed to finally win away from home last weekend albeit against a struggling Boreham Wood side. 23/10 (BetVictor) about a home win is simply too big and has to be backed.
Halifax v Cheltenham
I knew it would come eventually and this weekend sees me back Cheltenham for the first time. Halifax announced their new manager on Thursday and I must admit I Darren Kelly wasn't someone I was aware off. I looked him up and found he had lasted 9 games in charge of Oldham and was sacked a couple of weeks ago having had a 2 year contract. Now that doesn't strike me as someone I would want to be managing my club even if it is a drop of a couple of leagues. To be fair he will have Jim Harvey to help him, but they have a massive task of trying to keep the side in this division. I am not sure we see much of an improvement in results and it couldn't be much tougher than facing the team third in the table. Granted I am not sure Cheltenham have been performing as well as their position in the table suggests, but they should have enough to see of Halifax and I would make them odds on to win this so the 11/10 with Hills has to be taken.
Tranmere v Bromley
Tranmere got a last minute winner against Cheltenham last weekend in what by all accounts was a dire game. They host a red hot Bromley side and a red hot striker in Moses Emmanuel. Now most of Bromley's wins have come against the lesser sides in the division, but they have beaten 2nd place Gateshead and the ease of their victories is impressive. I had a high view of Bromley going into the start of the season and full expected them to go well. Tranmere have been very hit and miss so far and I think they are still adjusting to life in this division. I am surprised Bromley are 7/2 with Betway and that has to be a sporting play.
AFC Fylde v AFC Telford
Rob Smith was angry at his Telford players yet again last weekend as they went out of the FA Cup against Kettering from the league below. He didn't hold back and said that the players weren't good enough to play National League football. He must be regretting moving their now as Steve Kittrick has clearly left the club in a right mess. This weekend they travel to second place Fylde and they are in good form at the moment. They should be able to take full advantage of a poor Telford side and I think they are worth backing at 11/10 (Paddy Power) on the -1 handicap.
Grays v Kingstonian
I was impressed with Grays when I saw them earlier in the season and thought they looked potential title challengers. They are going through a little blip at the moment though as they haven't won in three and they have lost two of those. They lost to a struggling Leatherhead 3-0 on Wednesday night and they had some crucial players missing as well. Quite why they are playing again so soon I am not sure, but as Kingstonian played on Monday that has to be a pretty big edge. The other thing to note is that if you take out the loss in the FA Cup last Saturday they are actually in really good form at the moment. They have won 4 of their last 5 and bounced backed from that defeat in the Cup to beat Hendon 1-0 on Monday night. They look overpriced at a general 5/2.
Treble
After nailing the six fold in the FA Cup last week I am looking to land a treble which pays just under 2/1 with Bet365. AFC Fylde obviously go in. Margate continued their upturn in form in the FA Cup last week and should be too strong for Weston-Super-Mare. Finally Dulwich should have little trouble in beating a VCD Athletic side who are yet to win this season.
 

Nothing big during the action this mid-week but just having a small acca for a bit of fun given the last couple of sessions have been profitable. Bognor go to Farnborough tonight and they have yet to win since they beat Lewes on what was their first game of the season. Bognor look pretty strong this season. Lewes are another team who are struggling and are now mangerless. They host a strong Tonbridge side. VCD are another poor side in the Ryman Premier and Billericay look another away team who should win. In the Northern Prem Nantwich should have too much for a very poor Ramsbottom. It pays 8.75/1 with BetVictor and looks worth doing to small stakes.  

Barrow v Kidderminster and Lincoln v Torquay
Barrow are around the same price as Bromley were on Tuesday night and the temptation was to go steaming in again as Barrow’s home form has been strong bar the loss to Aldershot last Saturday. They also won on Tuesday at Macclesfield which was a good effort given they had put four past FGR three days before. Kidderminster clearly aren’t too far away from getting a positive result, but it a long trip north to Barrow seems an unlikely place for it come. Lincoln let the treble down on by only drawing against Altrincham, but I think they are worth sticking in a double with Barrow. They host Torquay and like Kidderminster it is hard to see them getting anything out of what is a long trip against a team yet to be defeated at home. Apparently over 120 applied for the Torquay job, but given Paul Cox left because he felt he was unlikely to be paid at any time during the season, you have to wonder who is going to want to take it. They face a very stiff task to try and avoid relegation. The double pays 2.4/1 with Bet 365.

Wrexham v Eastleigh
I was rather surprised when I saw Richard Hill had resigned as Eastleigh manager as I still felt he could turn things around. Granted Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Dover wasn’t ideal given their current run of form, but having their keeper sent off at 2-2 was what cost them. I backed them for the league again in the week at a massive 25/1 as I still think they are going to go very close to winning the league. Every team goes through a bad spell and I fully expect them to start winning again sooner rather than later. Chris Todd takes charge for this game and I am sure he will get a good performance out of their players. Wrexham have certainly had a good start to the season and look likely title contenders so it is certainly a tough game for the away side, but they are a crazy price (21/5 BetVictor) for this game given the strength Eastleigh have.

FA Cup
The National League South and North sides enter the competition this weekend and as usual there are plenty of what appear to be mis-matches. I can’t see any obvious bets to be had upset wise and I am always wary of getting to heavily involved at this stage of the competition. So I have found six teams who are all odds on and look to have very winnable games. Solihull should be way too strong for Oadby, Grays and Staines got a 1-1 draw on Wednesday in the league and they should be Hullbridge Sports and Stanway Rovers respectively. Margate have finally got going in the league and they should beat Potters Bar now their form has turned. Nuneaton should really be shorter to beat Halesown and finally Hednesford should be capable of beating a struggling Bedworth. The six fold pays around 9.8/1 with Bet365.