salmonman

Having struggled a little on the Nap front last season it was good to go 2/2 on that front with Eastbourne winning. It was also good to get the first big priced winner of the season thanks to Aldershot and Guiseley's thrashing of Bradford Park Avenue helped make it a profitable night. 3 of the Step 3 leagues get underway on Saturday to bring us up to 6 leagues and I have 8 bets across them.
Previews to follow
Bromley v Torquay
It was a rude awakening for Torquay fans on Tuesday night as they were hammered 3-0 by Solihull. Gary Johnson called the Torquay performance inept and the worst he has seen since he joined the club. To be fair to the players though they were playing the team who finished 2nd last season and should be a play-off side this and that is a massive step-up from a very poor National League South. This will be another very tough game for them and whilst they will have got a kick up the arse from Gary, this is a good Bromley side who might for me look stronger than Torquay. They had a very comfortable win on Tuesday against Ebbsfleet and whilst this is harder they should be shorter than 6/4 to claim another 3 points.
Notts County v Barnet
Notts County got their first point of the season on Tuesday when drawing with 1-1 with Stockport. It was more proof though that they are struggling to come to terms with football at this level and that a team who signed 6 players 48 hours before the season started are struggling to gel. I wasn't certain of taking them on with Eastleigh or Stockport but I think Barnet are well worth backing. Barnet have 4 points from their first 2 games and have played well in both although the concern is both their goals have come from penalties. They need to take their chances, but I think they will certainly be capable of creating a few here and for me they should be no bigger than 2/1 and probably a bit shorter than that. Barnet for me are a step-up from the two opponents County have faced so far.
Woking v Harrogate
Woking played well in the first half against Aldershot on Tuesday, but they weren't so good in the 2nd half and Aldershot were able to take the derby day victory. I think Woking will struggle this season and I can't understand why Harrogate aren't clear favs for this game. They were involved in a great 2-2 draw with Solihull on day 1 and then were comfortable 3-0 winners at Barrow on Tuesday. Barrow is a tough place to go and it wouldn't be a big surprise if that was their heaviest defeat at home this season. Those two performances suggest Harrogate will be up their again this season and despite Woking's win at Dagenham I still think they will be in a relegation battle. Hopefully Harrogate can make their superior quality pay.
Alfreton v Blyth Spartans
This is a value play for me because Alfreton have been hammered in the betting from the opening prices and Blyth have drifted out to way too big a price. Blyth lost to Gloucester on the opening day of the season and I certainly don't think they will be a play-off contender as they were last season, but then Alfreton don't look like they will be anything special either. They have flattered to deceive for the last two seasons and my initial feeling is they will be no higher than mid-table. This game is currently priced up as if it is against title contenders and relegation fodder which isn't how I have seen it at all. Blyth have also had a week off as their game against Spennymoor was called off and that means they have 90 minutes less in their legs and extra training to get things right ahead of this game.
Bradford Park Avenue v Kidderminster
Just before I started to write the preview for this game it was announced that BPA had sacked their manager. We usually see the odd casualty during August, but for someone to be sacked with less than a week gone of the season is highly unusual. As I wrote in the preview for their game on Tuesday they had to be really bad to lose 5-0 to Curzon and then they went and lost 5-0 again to Guiseley. It's hard to know if they have done the right thing to sack the manager or not. I guess you could give him time to turn it around, but it would seem he has recruited poorly and its going to be hard when the fixtures come so fast in August for someone else to come in and change things quickly. I'm certainly happy to back Kidderminster here. Now Kiddie haven't exactly looked great themselves and I'm not sure I would want to be backing them at 11/8 to win away at anyone else in the league, but this is the right time to be playing BPA. Kiddie have the players to hurt them even if they look a little bit short of play-off contenders at the moment and they look a good bet to win this.
Braintree v Wealdstone
I saw Wealdstone in action on Tuesday night when they lost 1-0 to Dulwich. They will probably consider themselves unlucky to lose as they were very much on top when Dulwich scored the only goal of the game and the continued to see plenty of the ball. The problem was they didn't really test the keeper too much during the game despite some good build up play, although Dulwich looked really solid in defence and that was a big part in them keeping a clean sheet. They both look teams capable of being play-off contenders and both look better teams than they were last season. As I mentioned in my ante-post preview I don't think Braintree will do a great deal this season and they have lost their first two games although to be fair they were tough ones against Bath and Billericay. They actually played well against Braintree going down 3-2, but that was a local derby against the team everyone in the league will want to beat. I think they will suffer a bit of a comedown in this and their squad is very inexperienced this season. They also looked weak in defence and Wealdstone should be able to take full advantage. They are a big price and I make them the Nap's of the day.
Weymouth v Chelmsford 
I was a bit surprised that Chelmsford lost to Concord on Tuesday, but it suggests that like last season they could have issues away from home. Weymouth have put in two really good performances in their first two games back at this level beating Maidstone and drawing at home to Bath. Those suggest they will be a force to be reckoned with in NLS this season and it is hard to understand why Marathon have got them bigger than 2/1. I would have them at around 5/4 myself and they have a real chance of winning this.
Merstham v Hornchurch
Just one bet at Step 3 for me this weekend and although I hope Hornchurch don't win the title I certainly can see them getting their campaign off to a winning start. Merstham lost their manager and most of their squad to Kingstonian over the summer and they really are a shadow of the side who made the play-offs last season. They look likely to be struggling at the wrong end of the table given the strength of their side and Hornchurch ought to be odds on really.
Bromley 1pt @ 31/20 with BetVictor
Barnet 1pt @ 33/10 with BetVictor
Harrogate 2pts @ 17/10 with BetVictor and Betway
Blyth Spartans 1pt @ 5/1 with Boylesports (19/4 with BetVictor, 9/2 with Betfred)
Kidderminster 2pts @ 11/8 with BetVictor
Wealdstone 2.5pts @ 17/10 with BetVictor
Weymouth 1pt @ 41/20 with Marathon
Hornchurch 2pts @ 11/8 with Marathon
 

Bit of a disappointing opening day of the season with only Dulwich winning although at least they were the Naps. Telford and Boston ought to have won as should the double, but that's the way it goes sometimes. There were some interesting results and I was kicking myself for not opposing Notts County who couldn't even muster a shot on target against Eastleigh. It seems to me they are a long way from having a side being competitive at the right end of the table and as much as I would love to oppose them on Tuesday night they host a Stockport side who looked pretty poor in the live game against Maidenhead so it's hard to want to back them after that even against Notts County. There are 7 teams I do like the look off though.
Solihull Moors v Torquay
As I wrote in my ante-post preview I thought that Torquay were, along with Notts County, the worst value to win the title. They won their first game back at this level when beating Boreham Wood 2-1 on Saturday, but they were up against 10 men for a lot of the game which would clearly made things easier for them. This game will be a much tougher test as they face last year's runners-up. Solihull got off to a solid start at the weekend drawing 2-2 with Harrogate in an exciting game which really should have been the live TV choice. They were really hard to beat at home last season and I fully expect it to be the same this time around. I think they should be closer to even money, to beat a team they should finish above come the end of the season, than they are so at 6/5 they look worth backing.
Woking v Aldershot
Both teams I tipped to go down won on Saturday although that still doesn't mean they won't be in a relegation scrap and I think the odds compliers have over reacted to Woking's win at Dagenham on Saturday. I just wonder if it was a good time to face Dagenham though who have had a big change in players and look like they might take a bit of time to gel. Granted Aldershot have had an even bigger turnover, but they also have a brand new manager which means it is a bit of a different story. They held their own against title favs Fylde on Saturday and that will give them a bit of confidence in this big local derby. I'd imagine both these sides will be in a relegation scrap and therefore the 3/1 on offer about the away side looks big as I wouldn't go any bigger than 2s myself.
Yeovil v Eastleigh
Eastleigh face the other relegated side after beating Notts County on Saturday. It doesn't sound like they played especially well and there is every chance they faced Notts County at the right time, but they could easily be facing Yeovil at the right time as well. Granted it as only a penalty that beat them on Saturday against Barnet. They did start off well, but manager Darren Sarll mentioned after the game that it was going to be a massive learning curve for a group of players who have been forced together late on. Eastleigh are a more settled side, albeit one who looks weaker on paper than last years, but their experience at this level could prove to be the deciding factor here as it did for them on Saturday. They look a big price at 12/5.
Eastbourne v Tonbridge
I think Eastbourne look the best bet of the night. They held out until injury time against Billericay and although disappointing to lose so late on I would imagine Lee Bradbury was happy enough with the performance. They should be more than capable of picking up the 3 points here as I am happy to continue to take on Tonbridge. Dulwich went down to 10 men early on, but were still able to take the lead and although Tonbridge ended up with their keeper being sent off and had an outfielder in goal, but Dulwich manager Gavin Rose decided to play it safe and just hold on for the 2-1 win rather than go for the 3rd goal. It worked nicely as although Tonbridge tried to find an equaliser Dulwich saw the game out. Eastbourne look capable of improving on their poor season last time around and look an a better side than Tonbridge who may well go straight back down. The home side look a fair price at 11/8.
Dorking v Hemel Hempstead
Hemel were very impressive on Saturday and arguably put in the most impressive performance in the division beating Hungerford 4-1. Sammy Moore has put together a decent side and although Dorking should go well this season they are missing some key players at the moment and that could prove key in a fixture against one of the leagues better sides. Dorking beat Slough thanks to a controversial injury time goal after the linesman put his flag up for offside only to put it down again and the Slough defence had stopped. Slough can consider themselves unfortunate to have lost that and Hemel will be even stronger opposition. Marathon are way overpriced on the away win for me at 93/50. 
Concord v Chelmsford
I got Concord wrong on Saturday as they ended up with a very comfortable 3-0 victory over Oxford City, but I am taking them on again here against a Chelmsford side who also had a 3 goal win beating Hampton 4-1. I think my problem with going with Oxford on Saturday was that I was keen to take on Concord and I didn't think Oxford were going to be as bad as they were, but I clearly overrated the Oxford side. Chelmsford are certainly much better than Oxford and I am prepared to back them here to hopefully back up my view that Concord will not do a great deal this season. I would certainly have Chelmsford as favs here and not as big as Marathon's 17/10.
Bradford Park Avenue v Guiseley
Just the one bet in the National League North on Tuesday. I was tempted to back Hereford to beat Gloucester as I think they will in a game where there are likely to be more away fans than home fans, but I think the price is about right so am leaving it (whilst obviously hoping Gloucester can somehow manage a win). Instead I will back Guislely at just under 6/4 to beat their Yorkshire rivals. As much as I didn't expect BPA to do much this season I certainly would not have thought they would have lost 5-0 to Curzon Ashton. Now granted their could be a positive response to that drubbing, but if you are losing 5-0 to Curzon that suggests you aren't very good. Now I would have had Guiseley as another bottom 6 side ahead of Saturday, but they were impressive in beating Kings Lynn 3-0 and with a performance like that behind them they will be full of confidence going into this. If BPA are every bit as bad as that opening day defeat suggests they are then the away side have to be backed.
Solihull 1pt @ 121/100 with Marathon
Aldershot 1pt @ 3/1 with BetVictor
Eastleigh 1pt @ 12/5 with BetVictor
Eastbourne 2pts @ 11/8 with BetVictor
Hemel Hempstead 1pt @ 93/50 with Marathon
Chelmsford 1pt @ 17/10 with Marathon
Guiseley 1pt @ 147/100 with Marathon

The first weekend of the season can be tricky for punters and it is wise to take things fairly carefully. On the other hand you are testing your view of how teams will get on throughout the season and their can be prices about teams that you think will do well that wouldn't exist later in the season. I have 6 bets on the opening day and although none of them are as lumpy as some of the prices I landed on the final day of last season it would be nice if it was just as successful! 
Hartlepool v Sutton
Just the one bet in the National League on the first weekend. I was tempted by AFC Fylde away at Aldershot as it is the type of game they need to win if they are to be champions. The problem is it was just the type of game they failed to win last season and I would rather wait to see how they perform away from home before taking this sort of price about them. Wouldn't put anyone off backing Barnet at home to Yeovil, but they looked about the right price to me. I was desperate to oppose Notts County who look woefully under prepared going into the start of the season. The problem is I don't rate this Eastleigh squad much so I am going to sit it out. Halifax are the same as Notts County, but Ebbsfleet has be priced accordingly and I don't think there is any juice in the price. That leaves me with this match and if you have read my ante-post preview its probably no surprise that I am putting Hartlepool up to making a winning start at 11/8. They look capable of mounting a serious challenge for promotion this season having improved once Craig Hignett took over as manager last season. Now Paul Doswell has left Sutton it looks like they are in a period of transition and it might take a bit of time for them to get up and running and even then they only look capable of mid-table.
Boston v Chester
I think Chester are poor 2nd favs for the league. They might reach the play-offs, but I can't see them winning the league as their squad doesn't look strong enough. I know I don't pay a great deal of attention to pre-season friendlies and there is a chance that the players were taking it easy, but Chester were well beaten by FCUM on Tuesday night. One of their joint-managers had a right go at the performance after the game in an interview with the press and suggested that a win over Trafford on Saturday had papered over the cracks. It was a pretty scathing view of the team just a few days before the start of the season. It could be that the players respond to that and go and put in a performance in the first league game, but it might just be that the managers have recruited poorly. Also in 11 seasons in management they have only won their opening day fixture once and that was in 2010, they couldn't even manage it whilst they were at Salford. There has to be something in that and Boston, who look stronger than last season, could well be primed to take full advantage. It looks a pretty tough opening game and Boston will look a big price at 143/100.
Kettering v AFC Telford
Kettering have had a very messy summer. Their manager left in slightly mysterious circumstances and players left some claiming they hadn't been paid all the money they were promised. I think they look possible relegation candidates at this stage and they especially look worth taking on in the early part of the season. Telford's away form let them down last season and that is a slight concern, but they look to have a decent side again and they should be capable of picking up 3 points here. 
Oxford City v Concord
Concord had a great season last time around and finished in the play-offs, but for some reason their chairman couldn't be bothered to get the ground up to National League standard so they couldn't compete in them. Like Kettering their manager Sammy Moore then left in mysterious circumstances and when he joined Hemel quite a few players left with him. They look nowhere near the side they were last season and I think they could be in for a relegation battle. City have lost their star striker to Boreham Wood and that will hurt them, but on paper they look a better side than Concord and I am happy to back them at 13/10.
Tonbridge v Dulwich
Dulwich look the best bet on the opening weekend. They have already been nibbled in the betting before I put them up and that doesn't surprise me at all. As I mentioned in my AP preview Gavin Rose looks to have built a good side this time around and one that can score goals which was a problem at times last season. Now their off the field issues have been sorted it looks like they are able to spend some cash which you would expect a club who can attract 3000 fans to have. Tonbridge came up through the play-offs, but it wouldn't be a big surprise if they went straight back down and I certainly think these two sides will be at opposite ends of the table come April. 13/8 looks a big price on an away win.
Bath City v Braintree and Havant & Waterlooville v Welling
Bath would have been a single if they had stayed odds against, but they have gone a shade of odds on so I am putting them in a double with Havant who also look a pretty solid home win. As I wrote in my AP preview Braintree look really weak going into the new season. Their budget has been slashed and they are relaying on players making the step up from leagues below. I think they won't be too far away from the relegation zone. Bath had a good season last time around and they look like being a play-off contender yet again. It's no surprise they are now odds on because they should be. Havant are one of my tips for the title and they really ought to get their season underway with 3 points. Welling look much worse than last season after finishing 3rd. Steve King has gone and after already cutting costs during last season they have done again. I think they will be lucky to finish in the top half this time around. With the double paying 2.3/1 with Marathon that looks a decent price
Hartlepool 1pt @ 11/8 with BetVictor
Boston 2pts @ 143/100 with Marathon
AFC Telford 1pt @ 77/50 with Marathon
Oxford City 1pt @ 13/10 with Betway and BetVictor
Dulwich 3pts @ 13/8 with BetVictor
Bath City/Havant & Waterlooville 2pts double @ 2.3/1 with Marathon

It seems to come around quicker every year, but it is again that time where I try and predict the winners of 7 leagues from the National League at Step 1 to the 4 leagues now sponsored by BetVictor at Step 3. Last season was just under 20pts profit following on from the previous two seasons which were over 20pts. Only one season in the 11 seasons I have done online has seen me make a loss on the ante-post bets. I feel it right to put a disclaimer at the start. Those of you who follow me on Twitter will probably have seen it hasn't exactly been a great summer wise for me after complications with my new-born son and for obvious reasons I haven't felt quite on top of things as I would be in an ideal summer. Therefore I have to thank former member of this forum Shipsupstreets or Paul as he is also known for providing me with his intensive notes so I could get up to speed. I obviously did have some teams in mind, but certainly Step 3 was one I really needed more research on and he has saved me a lot of time. With that out of the way lets move on to the preview itself.
 
National League
Two things to note when it comes to the National League is that favourites have a pretty rotten record and that teams coming down from League 2 really struggle to go back up at the first time of asking. Cheltenham won the title and Bristol Rovers went up via the play-offs, but that is it. Notts County have to defy both those stats although I just don't understand why they are market leaders. They are a team who have had well documented off the field issues and are lucky to not have been wound up, but fortunately for fans new buyers have been found. The club have been unable to sign any players due to a transfer embargo although they have had players playing in friendlies in the hope of signing when things are sorted out. The problem is though how on earth can any wage budget been set so how does Neil Ardley know what he has got to play with so who knows how many he will be able to sign. On the pitch they have done pretty well in pre-season friendlies which did surprise me I must admit, but I stopped using them as a pointer to the season ahead long ago. They look really poor favourites for me and I just can't see them winning the title as I write this. After that it is hard to be confident about how they will go with so many unknowns, but it would be a hell of an achievement for them to win the title and they help make the market.
 
To be fair Notts County aren't favourites with every bookie (9/1 with Betway and BetVictor who have them as 3rd in the betting) with Chesterfield and AFC Fylde heading some bookies lists although both are also as big as 9/1. Starting with Chesterfield and I can certainly see them going much closer to getting back to the Football League than they did last season. You may remember they became the draw specialists under Marten Allen which became an easy way to make money for a good few weeks. They did improve under John Sheridan and they look to have a solid squad ahead of the season. What you have to ask yourself though is they are basically attempting to do what Leyton Orient did last season and are they actually as good as them? In my view they have a lesser manager and not as strong a squad and for that reason they look play-off hopefuls rather than possible title winners.
 
AFC Fylde were one of my bets for the title last season, but they were really frustrating. They hardly lost a game, but they continually drew games away from home that they needed to win if they were going to win the title. Dave Challinor needs to change that this season. What he also needs to change is the reliance on Danny Rowe. They have been very lucky that he hasn't had a mid-long term injury as without his goals they would struggle. They play-off final and FA Trophy Final highlighted that perfectly for me. To be fair to Challinor he has certainly tried to address that issue so it might not be as big an issue as it has been the last two seasons. The other big issue is how play-off final losers always seem to suffer from a hangover. I thought Tranmere would get away with it two seasons ago and it was their slow start which stopped them from winning the title as they were the best team in the league by a mile that season (something highlighted by the fact they went up again last season whereas Macclesfield were nearly relegated). The interesting thing with Fylde though is that winning the FA Trophy might just help them get over that hangover, because they ended the season winning a trophy rather than losing a play-off final. I will be kicking myself a bit if they did win the title, but in what is a wide open league this year I want to be backing teams at double figures and as much as I think they will be in the play-offs at least I think the juice has gone from the price.
 
Having said I want to be backing a team at a double figure price Wrexham just creep into being 10/1 and they are my idea of the champions this season. I don't need to be telling Wrexham fans that they have been in this division for way too long and they really have had a rollercoaster of emotions trying to get out of the league including bumping in Fleetwood when they probably had their best ever season at this level. What they have really lacked in the last two seasons is goals and to a lesser fact having a manager poached from them during the season. Hopefully this season they will score plenty of goals and Bryan Hughes won't be tempted away from the Racecourse Ground. The fact their leading scorer had six last season tells a story, but Hughes has gone all out to rectify that and I really think he has. What they have been very good at is keeping the goals out at the other end of pitch and their defence has basically stayed intact which is very good news. They clearly haven't been far away from title winners the last two seasons and they now look to have the potential to be champions with the squad they have and they are my main bet.
 
Torquay are next in the betting and I just don't get it. I know Paul has them as possible play-off contenders and they might be capable of sneaking into 7th especially as they have a superb manager in Gary Johnson who got a Cheltenham team who weren't the best squad in the league to win the title 3 years ago. Maybe he is the reason why they are so short, but I would be amazed if they won the title. Given my own side have been in the National League South the last two seasons I have watched a lot of it and the standard has been shocking especially last season. Havant and Braintree went up two seasons ago and both came straight back down last season which tells you all you need to know. Now I certainly don't think Torquay will be going down and they were certainly the best team in the division over the last two years. For Johnson to take them from where they were when he took over to winning the league in a canter was impressive stuff, but the fact the league was so bad really helped with that. Johnson hasn't added too much to that squad, but for me they are top half/outside play-off hopefuls and no more than that.
 
Harrogate are next in and they had a surprisingly good first ever season at this level reaching the play-offs. They do actually look stronger than last time around and I do think they will be in and around the play-offs again, but they really faded in the 2nd half of the season and I have always had my doubts about Simon Weaver as a manager which for me will stop them from being possible title winners.
 
We then come to Barnet. I was confident of them having a good season last year with them getting 
John Still in as manager and him then building a really promising squad. Still left at Christmas as things hadn't quite gone to plan and Darren Currie took over. What was especially frustrating was their FA Cup run showed they had serious potential in that squad last season and they were superb against Brentford in one of the best games I have seen in a long time. They also went on a decent run towards the back end of the season again showing what might have been. If Currie can get them to be consistent then they could be in for a very good season and I am tempted to go in again, but ultimately I just wonder if they might need another season before being true title candidates so I am passing at this stage. 
 
Can Solihull go one better than last season? In a word no. Fair play to Tim Flowers as although I certainly thought they shouldn't have been relegations favourites, I didn't think they would be capable of finishing 2nd. When they signed Paul McCallum from Eastleigh I thought it was a real sign of intent, but then nothing else really happened as far as really strong signings went so to me they look weaker than last season. Possible play-off contenders again, but hard to see them making that step up to winning the title.
 
Peter Taylor's Dagenham & Redbridge are next in the betting and they certainly look a more promising prospect than at this stage last season when they had no money and looked real relegation candidates. A takeover meant money could be spent and they did enough to comfortably survive. I had them as a possible team to back at the end of last season given money was to be spent, but it then looks like they haven't actually got that much too spend as I am a bit underwhelmed by the signings. I am also doubtful about Peter Taylor being the right man for the job so I am happy to look elsewhere.
 
Stockport finally got themselves out of the National League last season after getting the better of Chorley in a case of the slow starters (they went out to at least 25/1 for the title having been favs) beating the fast starters. They still aren't fully full time and that is always going to be a hindrance in this league. Top half maybe but hard to see anymore than that. Yeovil are also back at this level for the first time in even longer although of course coming in the other direction. Like Notts County they weren't in great shape, but their takeover happened in mid-June which has helped them. I always like a manager to have non-league experience and Darren Sarll doesn't have that. They look solid enough but I think it will be a year of mid-table obscurity for them.
 
That's every team at 20/1 or shorter mentioned and I have two at bigger prices worth backing. First up is Hartlepool who look a massive price at 33/1. They have suffered badly with picking the wrong manager in their first two seasons at this level, but Craig Hignett looks the right man for the job and he certainly improved them when he took over last term. Based on that and the squad he has I think they should be around half that price and I expect them to have a much better season than their last two. I am also having a small investment in Bromley. One of the smaller teams in the league tend to be surprise promotion candidates and it could well be Bromley this year. They just missed out on the play-offs two years ago when a FA Trophy run got in the way a bit and then they went backwards last season finishing 14 points off the play-offs. I have however been really impressed with their signings over the summer and they look a club on the up having just opened up their brand new stand. They look to be building for life as a possible Football League club and it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if they were that in a years time. They certainly make more appeal at 25/1 than a few teams shorter than them in the betting.
 
Some people might fancy Dover, but I think Hessenthaler needs another season to completely change them around although they maybe sniffing around the play-offs. McCallum choosing Solihull over Eastleigh spoke volumes for me and I find it hard to see them reaching the play-offs again. Gary Hill did  a wonder job when he took over at Ebbsfleet last season given the off the pitch issues. They won't be getting promotion, but they should go better than their outsider tags. I can also see Boreham Wood having a better season. They really struggled last term after losing the play-off final to Tranmere last May and they look stronger this time around.
 
Bet365 have a handicap market and I think Hartlepool getting 18 points and Bromley getting 15 points are worth a small bet e/w at 18/1.
 
I love getting involved with the relegation market and there looks come cracking value again this year. Aldershot are odds on after being reprieved thanks to Gateshead and they will more than likely be in for another season of struggle, but make no appeal at the price. Alan Devonshire continues to defy the odds at Maidenhead and I wouldn't want to back against him doing the same again this season. I mention above that Boreham Wood should improve and I'm surprised to see Dover so short as well. Chorley could struggle, but I think they are capable of getting the right side of the line. We have the bizarre scenario of Notts County not being listed with Paddy's and Betfair and only 5/2 with BetVictor. In my view they will either go bust or be capable of surviving so I certainly wont be backing them. Another team with issues Ebbsfleet are the same price, but like Maidenhead the manager is more than capable of keeping them up.
 
The two teams I like are Woking and Halifax. As I mention above the National League South was very low on quality last season and the bet on Braintree to come straight back down always looked like being a winner last term. Woking could well do exactly the same as them having been relegated and then winning the play-offs at the first time of asking. Granted they finished 2nd to Braintree's 7th, but I don't think there was a great deal of difference between the teams in the play-offs last season. They didn't really push Torquay close as they were only as close for so long because of Torquay's poor start before Johnson came in as manager. They don't look to have a strong side and I will be shocked if they don't struggle. They should be much shorter than 5/2 to go down. The other team I am backing is Halifax at 2/1. Jamie Fullarton resigned as manager a couple of weeks ago in very mysterious circumstances. That suggests something might not be right at the club and it is hardly ideal for your manager to leave so close to the season starting. With August being such a busy month the new manager Pete Wild who is not only going to have missed out on a pre-season, but is going to have little time in between matches to work on things and get new players in. Granted that will still give them plenty of times to sort things around, but they have a weak squad and things might not be right at the club. Also Pete Wild's knowledge of Non-League football is unlikely to be strong and he is very inexperienced. This is going to be a very tough first full time managerial job
 
Finally I usually leave the top goalscorer market alone as it is always tricky and has seen some surprise winners, but if Danny Rowe stays fit it is almost impossible to not see him in the top 4 at the end of the season. If he was ever going to leave Fylde it would have been over the summer and given he hasn't (they don't exactly need the money) he will be there until April. Fylde will be up there and he will be scoring 20+ goals if he stays fit. Not only are BetVictor top price at 6/1, but they are also going 4 places which looks an e/w steal to me. Bet365's 11/2 first 3 is also more than acceptable.
 
NB Notts County take over confirmed on Friday 26th July.
 
National League South
I am writing this on Thursday evening and it is probably a good thing I am as otherwise I would have had to rewrite the preview as big news came out which has changed my view point on the league a bit. I have been very keen on Havant & Waterlooville all summer. Paul Doswell was a good appointment as manager back in May and it is clear from the signings he has made that the club want to be back in the National League at the first time of asking. Given Torquay and Woking managed that last season it is very easy to see them following suit as their squad looks a cut above all bar one team in the division. Doswell has taking some Sutton players with him and I would say they look a stronger side than they did last season. I still think there is some juice in the price at 9/2.
 
They were going to be one of my biggest ante-post bets and Billericay were just going to be savers, but all that changed when Matt Rhead was announced on Thursday evening. That is a huge signing at this level and although he isn't a prolific scorer, they have Jake Robinson for that, he will help create plenty of goals and he will be able to boss so many defences in this league. He isn't the only good signing either with the likes of Ronnie Henry also joining. Now I obviously have to mention the owner and as he calls himself joint-manager Glenn Tamplin. I really wish he wasn't anywhere near the dugout as I think he is a hindrance there having witnessed it for myself last season. That was in October before the bizarre actions off the pitch. The Non-League Paper ran a story saying they money had run out and they were up for sale and Jake Robinson left amongst others. I never really believed the story though as they still had a good squad although in the end they couldn't recover from a bad spell and even getting Robinson back wasn't enough to see them in the play-offs. I put them up as my strongest bet last season as I couldn't see them out of the 3 and obviously there is a concern that Tamplin could mess things up again, but they have the best squad in the division in what is still a weak league, Havant aside and I honestly can't see anyone else other than the above two teams winning it so I am having the same amount on both teams.
 
Maidstone are next in the betting, but they don't excite me and I am not sure John Still is the right man for the job. No doubt Chelmsford will be up there again as they nearly always are. One year they will gain promotion, but they are going to have to attempt it via the play-offs for me. Sammy Moore left Concord in mysterious circumstances, but ended up at Hemel and has taken Concords best players with him. Concord finished 7th last season and Hemel should be play-off contenders. Bath look solid enough again and should be in and around the play-offs. Welling lost out in the play-off final, but Steve King has left and the budget cut so I can't see them finishing anywhere near the 3rd place King got them to last season. Braintree have got no chance and quotes of 12-14/1 is ludicrous. They have slashed the wage budget and signed a load of young players from leagues below. They will be nearer the relegation zone than the play-offs. Dartford blew a play-off place with a woeful end to the season, but they will be going for one again this term. I can see Eastbourne going better than their big odds suggest as they seem to be giving new manager Lee Bradbury money to invest.
 
I am going to throw in a 3rd small e/w bet to the Havant and Billericay bets and that is my local team Dulwich Hamlet. I actually think Dulwich would have pipped Billericay to the Ryman Premier title two seasons ago had Dulwich not had to move grounds during the season. They were allowed back home half way through the season and were regularly getting crowds in the high 2000's on their return. I went to one game in January and didn't get into the ground until 30 minutes in because of the queues to get in. I am fully expecting them to be the best supported team in the division and with the off the field issues looking better they clearly have money to spend based on the players they have been signing. Gavin Rose is a superb manager and he got his eye in last season and has said he is wanting a play-off place this time around. He has signed well and although on paper they aren't as strong as Havant or Billericay I think they will be capable of pushing them close and at 20/1 they offer each/way value. 
 
National League North
I have made a right mess of this division the last couple of seasons. Choosing York over Salford two years ago and then getting nowhere near with my 3 picks last season. Hopefully I can do better this time around and having initially thought York were poor favourites I am now tipping them to win the title at 5/1. Steve Watson came in during last season and steadied the ship, but he has made some impressive signings and Steve McNulty is a huge one in defence. I don't think the league looks quite as strong as it has in the last couple of seasons and they look more than capable of making that step-up from their first two disappointing seasons at this level.
 
The main dangers for me are Spennymoor and they look a very fair price at 10/1 to go along side York in the portfolio. They would have been in the play-offs two seasons ago, but for having to play a huge number of games in the last couple of months. Then last season they lost in the play-off final to Chorley in a penalty shoot-out. The squad looks strong again and they really ought to be challenging for the title.
 
Chester are 2nd in the betting, but I am just not sure about them this season. Johnson and Morley had an OK first season in charge, but they seem to be talking down their chances a bit and I'm not sure the squad is strong enough to be going for the title. It could be that the managers need another season to get things right.
 
Altrincham look pretty solid again and they should be in the play-off mix. Brackley might drop back a bit as they look weaker than their last couple of seasons. Hereford have strengthened well and Marc Richards will be hoping they will be in the play-off hunt otherwise he will be out a job. Kidderminster had a poor season last time around and I don't really see it getting much better for them this time either.
 
I backed both Boston and Southport last season and I was tempted by both again as Boston look to be better and Southport showed glimpses of how good they could be last season. They are still full time and I think with another summer behind him Liam Watson has strengthened again. I think at 20/1 they are worth a small e/w bet. Darlington also were half tempting as Alun Armstrong did a superb job at Blyth and I think he will get Darlington in the play-off hunt this time around.
 
BetVictor Northern Premier League
The only step 3 league I didn't get the winner off last season as South Shields' dreadful early away form stopped them from beating Farsley for the title and then they failed in the play-offs. They are the team to beat for sure and the signing of Jason Gilchrest was very eye-catching. The problem is with BetVictor being first up and also heavily promoting (understandably) their prices it has meant some of their big prices have long gone and it has meant that the other two bookies, Hills and 365, who have priced up the Step 3 leagues have had their card marked. South Shields are priced up at 7/4 and as much as I think they will win it I can't put them up as a single bet at that price. I do suggest sticking them in any multiple bets you do which is what I will be doing. 
 
Instead I will be putting up 3 e/w against them looking to get at least some e/w money back. Warrington have been strong the last 2 seasons in this division making the play-offs both times and Paul Carden again looks like he has built a squad that look set to challenge for the top spot. 12/1 is a big price about them.  Ashton look like they have an increased budget this season and have attracted some good players from the league above and at 12/1 they look worth backing as well. The final team is Gainsborough. I thought they disappointed a bit last season, but they look to have built a decent squad and at 16/1 they look overpriced.
 
BetVictor Southern Premier League Central
BetVictor made a massive rick when putting Tamworth in at 16/1 and no I wasn't in a position to take advantage at the time. Still I think they are just about value at 4/1 with Hills and Bet365. They did pretty well in the 2nd half of last season and they have made some really impressive signings over the summer and look to have the best squad in the division. With Kettering and Kings Lynn gone this league looks weak and Tamworth look by far the most likely winners.
 
Nuneaton nearly went bust last season, but have had investment and have signed well. They should be play-off contenders, but last season was so bad I just wonder if winning the title is beyond them and they look a bit short in the betting. Stourbridge have a new manager this season in the first time in a long time. They tried to keep with Kettering last year, but were always going to come up short. They should go well again though. Royston and Peterborough Sports warrant mentions as being possible play-off clubs as well.
 
I am going to back a couple of others though. Now this is one bet that really has been led by Paul as I wouldn't be putting them up without him, but he fancies Bromsgrove Sporting and he has sold me on them as well. They were promoted last season and look capable of going up again this term. 16/1 is on the big side. The other team is Rushall Olympic. I put them up last year and they were a bit disappointing, but were much improved in the 2nd half of the season. I like Liam McDonald as a manger and they have a 3G pitch this term and Liam has built his side around that fact. They could pick up plenty of points at home and at 20/1 they are worth a small bet e/w.
 
BetVictor Southern Premier League South
I think this could be the most competitive section with some strong looking teams going for the title. The main bet for me are Weston-Super-Mare who are looking to bounce straight back up. They were woeful last season and deserved to go down, but they have got Scott Bartlett in as manager which I think is a good move and he has signed really impressively. I actually think they have a stronger squad than last year and would be capable of doing OK in the National League South. 10/1 looks a big price to me.
 
Taunton nearly pipped Weymouth to the title and it is no surprise they are in single figures. They should be a play-off team again, but they don't really look like they have progressed as a squad and they might pay for that. Gosport were woeful last year, but suddenly some money seems to have been found as they have signed pretty well. They look rather short to me in the betting though. Hayes & Yeading walked to the title last season and although they have lost some players, they still look strong and should go well as should Poole.
 
I haven't mentioned the favourites Salisbury yet and they are the 2nd team I am going to back at 5/1. They had a good first season back at this level and they look capable of progressing past Taunton who have finished above them the last two seasons. The other bet has been that Paul has pointed me in the direction off and that is Chesham. Had a season very much of two halves last time around, but the 2nd half was good. I know I say I don't pay too much attention to pre-season friendlies, but something about one of their games caught my eye. They thrashed Hampton & Richmond a couple of weeks ago and the Hampton Twitter feed mentioned Chesham were playing the game at the sort of intensity you would expect from a league game. That bodes well for the season ahead and at BetVictor's 16/1 they are worth a small e/w bet.
 
BetVictor Isthmian Premier Division
The scene of the biggest ante-post winner I have ever had as Dorking won in a canter at 33/1. I also put up Margate, Kingstonian and Enfield and they are the same 3 teams I am going to put up again this year.
 
Margate were very average until Jay Saunders came in as manager and they improved massively. They went straight to the top of my teams to back for the following season until he then left. A few weeks later however he was back and that is huge. He has already won this league and really should still be Maidstone manager and don't forget last summer Macclesfield tried to get him. He has signed well and I would have them as favourites so 10/1 is a big price.
 
Kingstonian had a bizarre season last time around. They were terrible, then really good climbing to 2nd and then only got 4 points in 2019 just missing out on being relegated. They have got Merstham manager Hayden Bird in and after he got them to a play-off place last season he has taking 10 of the team with him. That should be to their advantage and they look to have a squad capable of pushing for the title.
 
Enfield also threatened to play a part in the play-offs at least, but disappointed in the end to finish mid-table. Andy Leese has kept the best of the squad though and looks to have added well to it. They really ought to be capable of being in the play-offs at the very least.
 
Hornchurch (they have dropped the AFC now) have been backed into market leaders. They were favourites going into last season as well and looked poor ones at that. It proved to be the case as they were miles off the pace from the start. Mark Stimson came in and improved things a bit to be fair. They seem to have a bit of cash and made some decent signings, but quite why they are as short as 7/2 baffles me as I would have them in double figures myself. Outside of that Bognor, Folkestone, Carshalton and Lewes should be capable of being in the play-off hunt.
 
 
Wrexham 1.5pts e/w @ 10/1 with Bet365
Hartlepool 0.75pts e/w @ 33/1 with Bet365
Bromley 0.5pts e/w @ 25/1 with Bet365, William Hill, Marathon and Betway
Hartlepool 0.5pts e/w on the handicap @ 18/1with Bet365
Bromley 0.5pts e/w on the handicap @ 18/1 with Bet365
Woking to go down 2pts @ 5/2 with BetVictor, Paddy Power and Betfair
Halifax to go down 1pt @ 2/1 with BetVictor
Danny Rowe 1.5pts e/w to be top goalscorer @ 6/1 with BetVictor (4 places)
 
Havant & Waterlooville 2.5pts @ 9/2 with Bet365
Billericay 2.5pts @ 5/1 with Bet365
Dulwich Hamlet 0.5pts e/w @ 20/1 with Bet365
 
York 2pts @ 5/1 with Bet365
Spennymoor 1pt e/w @ 10/1 with Bet365
Southport 0.5pts e/w @ 20/1 with Bet 365
 
Warrington 1pt e/w @ 12/1 with Bet365
Ashton 0.75pts e/w @ 12/1 with Bet365, William Hill and BetVictor
Gainsborough 0.5pts e/w @ 16/1 with Bet365 and William Hill
 
Tamworth 2pts @ 4/1 with Bet365 and William Hill
Bromsgrove 0.5pts e/w @ 16/1 with BetVictor
Rushall Olympic 0.5pts e/w @ 20/1 with Bet365 and BetVictor
 
Weston-Super-Mare 1pt e/w @ 10/1 with Bet365
Salisbury 1pt @ 5/1 with Bet365
Chesham 0.5pts e/w @ 16/1 with BetVictor
 
Margate 1pts e/w @ 10/1 with Bet365
Kingstonian 0.5pts e/w @ 12/1 with BetVictor
Enfield 0.5pts e/w @ 20/1 with Bet365
 
Total points - 41
 
NB price on Rowe now gone with BetVictor but still 11/2 with Bet365

You know, the best thing about what you do Darran, is that you don't come at it with the big " I am ". You win, you lose, but you don't over celebrate the former, or over horse-whip yourself over the latter.

A great day all round.  I hope you personally profit(t)?ed well yourself, but more than that, what a nice guy to share your knowledge on a very niche aspect of football betting ( non-league ).

Please continue to do what you do. We all like a punt, but a well-informed punt is particularly what we all like to invest in. We know we can't win every time. Thank you for your altruistic approach of sharing. It would be easy to just keep it to yourself, but thankfully your motivations lie elsewhere.

Happy punting and sharing Darran. I didn't follow your ante-post tips, but it sounds as though they're going very well.

Respect and much thanks to the best tipper online. .  Have a great  ( close season ) summer and just a small voice to let you know how many people appreciate what you do.
 

Thank you very much. It's always nice to read messages from people who follow my stuff either on here or on Twitter. I am very lucky that in all the years I have been tipping now that I have very rarely had nasty comments even when things are going tough. I think that says a lot about how realistic people are who follow my stuff and I really appreciate the fact that people are like that. It is bad enough when you are losing your own money, but when you know that there are others who are putting their hard earned cash on selections you are putting up it can be very tough mentally when things aren't going well. It is also very easy in this day and age for people to start slagging you off when things aren't going well, but its great that people who follow me are in it for the long term and don't jump to rash conclusions on the back of a poor spell. At the end of the day if I wasn't confident in my ability to make people money then I wouldn't even bother. I have to fit all this around work and my home life and sometimes I am up writing previews at 2am because that is the only chance I have to stick something up. Days like this make it worthwhile to put the time and effort in to write the previews.
It isn't quite all done yet as I will be putting up bets for the play-offs and something should be up on Monday once betting is up.

Thanks everyone always great to read about people making money from my tips and hopefully everyone enjoys spending their winnings. 
I have never had a day like this and it is one of those rare times where everything pretty much fell into place. A few games where bookies haven't paid close enough attention to what teams in the play-offs needed to do and in the case of Concord just a stupid price in the first place. I know Concord and Gloucester were both bigger today than what I put them up at which was crazy really.
It was some way to end the season proper especially as the final winning goal was scored at Woking by the team I support whilst I was there. If Boreham Wood had of won I think I would have been on the pitch celebrating!

So we finally reach the last day of the regular season. It was nice to get a profit on Monday with Weston, Dover and Dorking all landing at big odds. This season has been very up and down although still be a decent enough season. The ante-post stuff will show a nice profit and we are basically waiting on who wins the Evo-Stik Southern Premier as Weymouth and Taunton were both covered. I really need it to be Weymouth to help land a lumpy mid-season acca I put on (although Farsley aren't home and hosed yet either), but at least I have Taunton covered. Hopefully it can be a profitable end of the season on the match betting front where I have some big prices again.
AFC Fylde v Halifax
It doesn't really matter if Fylde come 4th or 5th and I reckon they might rest a few players in this match with the play-off matches coming thick and fast next week. They are guaranteed a home tie in the first round of matches and will be away in the next tie if they get through anyway so with that in mind Halifax are worth a bet here at 11/2. They beat Wrexham 2-1 on Easter Monday who are the team in 5th at the moment so there is no reason why they can't repeat the same sort of performance here.
Boreham Wood v Eastleigh
The home side gave it a good go at Chesterfield for us on Monday, but ended up going down 3-2 after having a man sent off. Eastleigh made sure of their play-off spot by beating Maidenhead and like Fylde it doesn't really matter if they finish 6th or 7th because they will be away in both the possible games anyway and I can imagine that they will rest key players. This gives Wood a chance especially as they have performed well in recent weeks so are worth backing at just over 2/1.
Bromley v Ebbsfleet
God knows what is happening behind the scenes at Ebbsfleet, but the players still haven't been paid and it is hard to see how they are going to be overly motivated to put in a performance here for a club that is in a right mess off the pitch. The loss to Dover on Monday meant they can no longer finish in the play-offs so there really is nothing to play for and they were poor in that game as it was. Bromley have drawn 3 of their last 4 so still seem to be trying and they beat Leyton Orient 5 games ago. They should be favs for this and 7/4 looks a huge price.
Hartlepool v Salford
Taking a bit of a chance here, but I am backing the home side. I just wonder if Salford will decide to concentrate on the play-offs given they are highly unlikely to catch Leyton Orient. If Orient go in front early on then Salford will know their number is really up and they wont want to be risking injuries ahead of the play-offs. Hartlepool aren't exactly ending the season in great form but they did beat Halifax on Good Friday. Team news could be key, but it might just pay to be ahead of the game here and have a small investment at a big price in the hope Salford have one eye on the play-offs.
Curzon Ashton v Spennymoor
Not that long ago Spennymoor were in poor form, but they have won 4 of their last 5 games and are setting themselves up nicely for the play-offs. They got a huge win against at the time league leaders Chorley on Easter Monday and they will be trying here as if they can overtake Brackley then they will have one less game in the play-offs. As I have mentioned a few times of late Curzon have stopped for the season based on their performances and odds against on the away side picking up another win is a big price.
Eastbourne v Concord
I really don't get the price of Concord here. I think the bookies are basing it on the fact they are basically certain of a play-off spot, but what they have missed is the fact that they can finish 4th or 5th and that would mean a home tie in the first round of the play-offs. Given how strong they have been at home this season that would be huge if they could overtake Bath and or Chelmsford. God knows where Eastbourne's 6-0 drubbing of Dartford came from given it had been a very long time since they last won prior to that. They then drew with Slough 1-1 on Monday which was a decent effort as well. They are safe now though and with Concord still having something to play for they just should be 9/2.
Woking v Gloucester City
I suspect if Gloucester had not come from 2 down to beat Chippenham 3-2 on Monday then Gloucester would not have been such a big price for this because they still would have been fighting for their survival. Fortunately for me and my fellow City supporters we are now safe for another season, but I think we can go out on a win. Our away form has been much stronger than our home form this term, but the key point is that Woking have nothing to play for. They can only finish 2nd now and I really can't believe that they won't be resting players ahead of the play-offs. Why would Alan Dowson risk his key players in a meaningless game a few days ahead of trying to win promotion? 21/5 looks a big price on an away win to me.
Halifax 1pt @ 11/2 with Ladbrokes and Coral
Boreham Wood 1pt @ 101/50 with Marathon
Bromley 2pts @ 7/4 with Marathon
Hartlepool 1pt @ 21/4 with BetVictor
Spennymoor 2.5pts @ 21/20 with Marathon
Concord 1pt @ 9/2 with Bet365 and Betfred
Gloucester 1pt @ 21/5 with BetVictor

Amazing as always Darran. RIP that guy who thought he was too good for your tips.

Interesting comment. Yeah not been overly consistent this season sadly but sometimes it goes like that. Last two seasons have been very strong but this season has been tougher for sure. Strange because on the Hunter Chase front it’s been winner after winner but I have always said that making a profit on football is much harder than doing it on horse racing

December was very tough at times, but Boxing Day and Saturday were profitable so we ended the year in good shape. I had a fairly wide shortlist for New Year's Day but have whittled it down to 7 in the end. The ones that missed out were Dover, Solihull, Southport and Hereford.
Barnet v Boreham Wood
Not sure if John Still retiring had an effect on the Dagenham game on Saturday, but it was obviously a good effort to beat an in form Dagenham. Sounds like they deserved it as well and if they can continue in that form then I think this game offers a good chance to win back to back matches. Boreham Wood won the Boxing Day match 1-0 thanks to an 88th minute winner, but they then had a very poor defeat to Maidstone on Saturday. Their away form is not strong having only won twice on the road in the league and with caretaker manager Darren Currie keen to keep the job full time he will want to make sure his team keep on winning.
Braintree v Ebbsfleet
Got the Ebbsfleet v Eastleigh game very wrong on Saturday as Ebbsfleet fully deserved their 3-0 victory. It was an impressive performance and they look a different side since Gary Hill took over as manager. They looked like a club who might get sucked into the relegation battle, but all of a sudden they will be eyeing another play-off place and if they are to get there then it is games like this they need to pick up 3 points in. Braintree picked up a much needed 3 points on Saturday when beating Maidenhead 1-0, but it was a poor quality game as you would expect and given they have only won once at home in the league all season, the away team look value at a shade odds against.
Salford v Wrexham
It is a shame that BT Sport didn't chose this game to show on New Year's Day as Bromley v Sutton is hardly a big draw. Salford's poor recent run continued on Saturday in a game that was on TV. It was a cracker as well, but Salford lost out at the death at Barrow losing 3-2 having twice come back to level it up whilst having 10 men. Their defence though is a huge weak point and it showed in that game and it certainly showed at Wrexham on Boxing Day when they put 5 past them. They can't keep relying on their strike force to dig them out of trouble and when you play a team as strong defensively as Wrexham then you are going to find it much tougher to score than usual. I put Wrexham up on Boxing Day as they were a big price and they are too big again here especially after getting another good win on Saturday against 5th place Solihull.
Altrincham v Stockport
There were 3 big priced teams I was considering in the National League North and in the end I plumped with just going with Stockport as a bet. Stockport have sneaked into 3rd place in the table and although 7 points behind Bradford Park Avenue you have to think they are possible title contenders as they should be in a much better position to strengthen than the two teams above them. I don't really need to repeat Stockport's stats having put them up on Saturday. Altrincham have only lost once in their last ten games, but that was on Boxing Day at Stockport. They are only 1 point behind their opponents here and are having a very good season back at this level, but on the whole in that spell of 10 games they have had a pretty kind run of fixtures. As Boxing Day showed I think Stockport have the edge and 5/2 about an away win is too big in my book.
Hampton & Richmond v Woking
I said Woking should have been odds on on Boxing Day in this game and they won easily. They weren't at their best on Saturday but still ran out 2-0 winners against Eastbourne and they look value to beat Hampton again. Hampton were 3-0 down to Chippenham and got it back to 3-2, but that was another poor defeat against a team who hadn't won in 7. Basiclly what I wrote on Boxing Day stands for this game and 131/100 with Marathon is too big.
Hendon v Chesham (Southern Premier South)
On the face of it this game is between the team 8th in the table and the team in 20th and you would expect the home side to be short odds in those circumstances and that is the case here. Hopefully though we can take full advantage of those odds because on form they are very wrong. On the 10 game form table Hendon only have a really poor Staines side below them and they have lost 7 of their last 8 games. Chesham on the other-hand have lost just two of their last 10 games and as I mentioned the other week are much better than their current position in the table suggests. No way should the home side be odds on for this and Chesham are over 5/2 with Marathon which is massive. The only slight concern is Hendon didn't play on Saturday so should be a bit fresher, but otherwise it looks a cracking bet.
Kings Langley v Walton Casuals (Southern Premier South)
The table suggests there isn't a great deal between these two sides, but then you look at Walton's away form and see that the home side are well worth a bet. Casuals have one just once on the road and drawn just twice in their 10 league away games. With the home side in really good form at the moment, they have only lost twice in their last 10 league games and got a great 4-3 win at 4th place Harrow on Saturday, they look a good proposition here. Like the game above the tips did play on Saturday when their opponents didn't, but hopefully that won't make any difference here.
Barnet 1pt @ 121/100 with Marathon
Ebbsfleet 2pts @ 21/20 with BetVictor
Wrexham 1pt @ 16/5 with Bet365
Stockport 1pt @ 5/2 with Bet365
Woking 3pts @ 131/100 with Marathon
Chesham 3pts @ 5/2 with Marathon
Kings Langley 2pts @ 28/25 with Marathon

Last Saturday was pretty dire stuff, but at least the one bet on Tuesday night was a winning won thanks to Dorchester's thrashing of Staines. The National League sides enter the FA Trophy this weekend and there will be a few resting players ahead of a busy Christmas period. I have 5 bets plus a treble and I also have 3 bets in the league action.   Previews to follow   AFC Telford v Farsley Celtic Two teams who are in the promotion hunt in their respective leagues although Farsley look the more likely to be in the automatic promotion picture in the Northern Premier League and they have been really impressive in recent weeks. Indeed they are now on an unbeaten run of 9 games in the league. They got a really good win against a good Basford side last Saturday and I think they are capable of causing an upset here. Granted Telford have only lost once at home in the league this season and that only came in their last home game against league leaders Bradford, but I think Farsley are more than capable of making life hard for their hosts and they are over priced in my view. Aldershot v Bedford
Aldershot's home form is what was keeping them clear of the relegation battle in the National League, but even that has deserted them of late as they have lost their last 2 home games. They are looking over their shoulder's again and I don't think they will fancy this game at all. They are struggling for fit defenders and they are a team under pressure right now given they have only picked up 1 point in their last 5 games. Bedford played in front of 65 people last week (away at bottom side North Leigh) so this will be rather different and they are a step 4 side so that is a big difference, but that is why they are such a big price. They are having a decent enough season so far siting in 6th place. Yes it is a big ask, but this is a real chance for them to cause a huge upset and I think they offer value at the prices.   Barnet v Bath City Barnet are having a good run in the FA Cup and they might be thinking this is a competition they could do well in, but I think they might get knocked out at the first time of asking. Barnet have not been great at home in the league this season having won just 3 times and they have also lost 4 of their last 5 games in the league. Now Bath have only won one of their last 6 league games, but they have only lost 3 of their last 10 so it is hardly like they are in bad form. I think like most National League South sides on their day they are capable of beating anyone in the league and in turn if Barnet fail to turn up at home again then I can see Bath being capable of causing an upset and are a spot of value.   Leyton Orient v Beaconsfield Traditionally clubs who are going for promotion to the Football League have wanted out of the FA Trophy asap. I can't believe that Justin Edinburgh wont rest players for this game and he really won't care if they make it through to the next round or not as it is all about getting promotion. Now obviously in theory they should be winning this, but at a huge price I am happy to take a chance on Beaconsfield. They have only lost 3 league games all season and if Orient do put out a mainly reserve team then Beaconsfield have every chance of causing an upset here. It is worth considering that Orient also lost to in the FA Cup at the first time of asking.    Maidenhead v Oxford City Maidenhead briefly threatened to improve their woeful form after beating Sutton and drawing with Ebbsfleet, but they have gone back to their poor performances in the last couple of games. There is a strong chance this will be a league game next season as I struggle to see even Alan Devonshire keeping them up. City are inconsistent as is proven by the fact they have won 9 league games and lost 8. That puts them level on points with Bath and as I mention above they are another one of those teams who on their day can be very good as they were when nearly beating Tranmere in the FA Cup. This is a great chance for them to cause an upset and go on another cup run.   FA Trophy treble Not a bet I would usually put up, but given I have so many bets already I thought I would group together the 3 sides at just over evens who I fancy to win on Saturday. Eastleigh are one of the teams I think could end up in the Final as they look a decent side who are in and around the play-offs, but realistically this might be their better chance of getting to Wembley. They travel to Hemel Hempstead and it looks a decent chance for them to get through. Truro v Weston-Super-Mare is a relegation battle in the league, but they also play each other in the Trophy. Truro are playing this back at their old ground so should get plenty of support and they are in decent form at the moment. They did lose 4-0 to Oxford City last Saturday, but they bounced back by beating Slough on Tuesday and that loss is their only one in 7 league games. They look in better nick than Weston at the moment. Dulwich travel to lower league opposition in Wingate and they are struggling in the Bostik Premier and it should be an away win.   Hampton & Richmond v Welling (National League South) Hampton are in really bad form having lost 7 of their last 9 league games. They struggled to beat a 10 man East Thurrock two weeks ago and then played out a dire 0-0 draw with a Gloucester City side who are in even worse form. Welling were well beaten by Torquay last week, but there is nothing wrong with that given how good they are looking right now and it is only their 2nd loss in their last 10 games. This looks the perfect chance for them to get back to winning ways and they should be odds on in my opinion.   Lewes v Margate (Bostik Premier) Lewes are flying at the moment and were impressive in winning on Wednesday over Brightlingsea. That win put them on top of the table and they have now won 8 of their last 10 league games and I like their chances of picking up another 3 points here. Margate are too inconsistent to be challenging for the play-offs this season and they have only won 2 of their last 8 games. Lewes are the better side and they look worth backing at a shade of odds against.   Poole v Chesham (Evo-Stik Southern Premier South) Two in form sides here, but it has been priced up by league positions rather than the fact they are both in form. Chesham were awful at the start of the season, but they have changed things around and now things are on the up as they have only lost one of their last 7 league games and they have won 4 of their last 5. Poole have only lost one of their last 8 so like I say both teams are in form, but at 4/1 I think their is definite value in backing the away side as they are clearly better than their current league position.   Farsley Celtic 1pt @ 21/5 with BetVictor Bedford 0.5pts @ 10/1 with BetVictor & Betfred Bath City 1pt @ 15/4 with Bet365 Beaconsfield 0.5pts @ 14/1 with BetVictor Oxford City 1pt @ 13/5 with BetVictor, Betfred & Bet365 Truro/Dulwich Hamlet/Eastleigh 1pt @ 9.1/1 with Betfred Welling 2.5pts @ 11/8 with Betfred, BetVictor & William Hill Lewes 2pts @ 23/20 with Betfred Chesham 1pt @ 4/1 with Bet365

Another winning Nap on Tuesday night and December has got off to a solid start. I have bets in 7 games across the 3 National League divisions on Saturday.
Boreham Wood v Leyton Orient
In typical style the only game Orient have failed to win in their last 5 league games was when I put them up against Aldershot and they drew 0-0. It was frustrating as it is the only recent good performance Aldershot have put in in the league of late. They are now unbeaten in 9 league games and have won 6 of them. I have long said the league title will go to either them or Salford and it is games like this they need to make sure they are picking up 3 points in. Now Wood are quite hard to beat at home and have only lost twice in the league at home all season, but they have both come in their last 5 games including in their last one against Dover. Overall though they have won just 2 of their last 10 league games and beating Maidenhead and Bromley at home hardly suggests they are capable of beating Orient here. They look a fair way off the side who reached the play-off final last season. Orient should be odds on and Betfred are 21/20 about the away side picking up 3 points in the game live on BT Sport at 12.35
Chesterfield v Salford
Draw!
Well like in the Bromley game I think it is wise to cover two results here. Martin Allen has let a few players either go or put on the transfer list this week as he looks to change things around. They didn't do too badly against Grimsby in the FA Cup and they will be disappointed by the goals they conceded as both were a bit fortunate. What it did show yet again though is they struggle to get goals despite the fact they are putting in a fair bit of effort. I know they have been drawing games, but you don't go on an unbeaten run like this by being a bad side and they are capable of making life hard for Salford. I have to back the draw again as I said I would until they stopped drawing league games. However, Salford should really be winning this and they ought to be odds on really like Orient in the game above. Betfred are 11/10 about them and I will have the bigger bet on that whilst also covering the draw at 5/2 with Bet365 and Betway.
Dagenham & Redbridge v Halifax
Well Dagenham's win for us last week was rather dramatic and hopefully they won't need two 90th minute goals to win this week, because I really fancy them to beat a poor Halifax side. Halifax's only win in their last 10 league games came in a 1-0 win at home to Dover. Away from home they have been mainly poor. I put them up to get a point in their last away game against Ebbsfleet and they stunk the place out losing 4-0. Their only away win came on the opening day of the season when they beat a Braintree side who have basically been in the bottom two all season. They have managed the odd good point on the road including at Solihull, but I think they will struggle to get anything out of this. Now we got away with the Dagenham bet last week as Hartlepool deserved to win, but it meant Dagenham kept their great run going. They have won 6 of their last 7 league games including their last 4 and hopefully it will be another one here. They are obviously nothing like the side they were earlier in the season. Dagenham should be odds on for me and the 23/20 with Betfred and Betway looks cracking value.
Gateshead  v Bromley
Another one at the shorter end of the market as I like Gatshead at even money in this game. Gateshead have only lost 3 home games this season and they came back to back. At least one of them they shouldn't have lost and they were all by 1 goal. Now they have only won once in their last 5 league games and have lost 3 of them, but strangely enough only one of those games was played at home and I am expecting them to improve for being back at the International Stadium. Bromley have only won once in their last 6 games and that was a 4-0 drubbing of Harltepool at home. Bromley's only two away wins in the league have come against sides who are poor at home in Ebbsfleet and Maidstone. Also both sides are fellow Kent teams and who knows their might be something in that. Gateshead should be capable of racking up another home win here.
Sutton v Solihull
Sutton stopped me from getting 3/3 in the league bets last week when getting a late equaliser at Fylde, but hopefully we can get them beat here. Granted they have only lost 2 of their last 8  home league games and only 4 in the league all season, but they have also only won 2 in that same spell and the 3g pitch doesn't seem to be in their favour this season. One of those wins as well was the freak 3-0 victory over Wrexham. As Solihull proved against Blackpool in the FA Cup last week they really are a very good side this season. I am just kicking myself for not having backed them on the handicap or something at the start of the season, because the quality of their squad meant they should never have been favourites to go down. I was concerned about Tim Flowers because his managerial career prior to this has not been good, but he has done a superb job. Now their away form doesn't always quite match their home form, but the 4 defeats have come at Fylde, Harrogate, Orient and Barnet so there is no disgrace in that. Marathon are a quarter of a point bigger than anyone else at 11/4 and that price is way too big as for me they are the better side and despite Sutton not losing all that often they have a much better chance of beating them than those odds suggest.
Bradford Park Avenue v Southport
Southport have been doing good things for us of late and they were superb against Tranmere in the FA Cup last weekend more than deserving their replay. I am sure the prospect of possibly meeting Spurs could be distracting, but their league form has not dipped despite the Cup run and given the replay is still going to be over a week away hopefully they can put it to the back of their minds here. They did need a late goal to beat Boston last time, but they have proven they have the quality to beat the best in the division and BPA are currently the best in the division. They haven't lost in 7 league games having won 5 of them and usually I wouldn't really oppose a team in that sort of form, but I just don't think Southport are as far away from them as the betting suggest so I am happy to take a chance at 7/2 with Bet365.
Kidderminster v Brackley
Hard to know what is going on at Kiddie as they have had a real dip in form. Maybe a couple of weeks off will help iron out the issues, but they have lost their last 3 home games in the league and then you can add a defeat at home to York in the FA Trophy into the mix as well. They have only won 1 of their last 6 league games as well. Brackley have only lost two league games in their last 10, including last week against Altrincham, but they have also drawn half of them so they aren't quite winning as many as maybe they should be. After losing their first two away games they have only lost one more so they are solid on the road and with Kiddie not performing well at the moment I am happy to take a chance on the away win here at 23/10 with Marathon and Bet365.
Hemel Hempstead v Dulwich Hamlet
Final bet of the day comes in the National League South and the away team look over priced here. Hamlet are only in 17th place in the league, but I do think they are better than that and sometimes they aren't quite getting the points their performances deserve. They lost 2-0 to Torquay last week although they held their own against the league leaders. Dulwich have only won once in their last 7 league games, but they beat Welling in the FA Trophy and Torquay are the only team to beat them by more than one goal. In their last 4 games Hemel have managed to beat Gloucester and East Thurrock which is hardly saying an awful lot and then lost to Wealdstone and Concord. As I have mentioned a few times when talking about the National League South this is a league with very small margins between winning and losing and I have seen nothing to suggest that Hemel should be odds on shots to beat Dulwich. Bet365 are over half a point bigger than anyone else at 15/4 and that is value for me.
Leyton Orient 2pts @ 21/20 with Betfred
Salford 2pts @ 11/10 with Betfred and 1pt on the draw @ 5/2 with Bet365 and Betway
Dagenham & Redbridge 4pts @ 23/20 with Betfred and Betway
Gateshead 2pts @ Evs with Bet365, Betfred and Betway
Solihull 1pt @ 11/4 with Marathon
Southport 1pt @  7/2 with Bet365
Brackley 1pt @ 23/10 with Marathon and Bet365
Dulwich 1pt @ 15/4 with Bet365

November was a decent month profit wise and December (as long as the weather plays ball) is obviously a very busy month so fingers crossed the decent form can continue. I have 3 FA Cup bets for Sunday and they are all on that thread. I have 5 bets in the 3 National League's for Saturday.
AFC Fylde v Sutton
It was good to finally be on the right side of a bet on Fylde away from home as they had a pretty comfortable time of things in beating now mangerless Hartlepool on Tuesday night. At home they have won 8, drawn 1 and lost just twice and they were to Salford and Leyton Orient. The draw was against Harrogate so we are talking about them only dropping points to the top teams in the division and although Sutton have only lost 4 times they haven't been reaching the levels they did last season. Their last 3 league performances haven't been great although they did come from 2 down to draw 2-2 at Braintree on Tuesday night, but then Braintree are bottom. They lost to Slough on penalties in the FA Cup and Fylde look a cut above to me especially given how strong they are at home. I think they should be odds on so am happy to get involved at 11/10.
Hartlepool v Dagenham & Redbridge
I'm not sure Hartlepool have got either managerial appointments right since they dropped out of the Football League. Fair play to Matthew Bates for keeping them in the division last season especially in very tricky circumstances, but after a solid start things have gone downhill fast and they have lost 6 league games on the bounce. Not surprisingly he got the sack on Wednesday and the club need to get the next appointment right so they can at least give themselves a solid base for next season. In the very short term I am not sure things are going to get any better on Saturday and Dagenham look a hell of a bet at 7/2 to pick up another 3 points. Since the takeover Peter Taylor has been able to spend money and the team has been improving. They have won 5 out of their last 6 games and the only loss was a 1-0 defeat to Sutton. They have only conceded 4 times in their last 6 games and they have been a lot more solid at the back as well as being clinical at the other end of the pitch. These two sides should be much closer to each other in the betting.
Nuneaton v Blyth Spartans
Like Hartlepool Nuneaton are also without a manager at the moment and I think things are going to take some time before the new owner has any effect on the playing side of things. The three draws they got in their last 8 league games were decent efforts, but they lost their other 5 games and 4 of those were by at least 2 goals. Blyth didn't have a great start to the season, but they have shown a big improvement in recent weeks, bar a couple of bad defeats. In their last 8 league games they were their only two losses and they won 5 of those games including against an in form Stockport on Tuesday night. They only picked up 1 point in their first 6 away games, but have picked up 7 in their other 3 which is more proof of their improvement. They should be favourites to win this so the 2/1 is a cracking bet in my view.
Spennymoor v Kidderminster
Spennymoor did us a good turn last week and after a tricky start they really put Halesowen to the sword to beat them 8-2. Now this game will obviously be harder, but Kidderminster's form has really gone downhill in recent weeks. They have only won one of their last 6 league games and York beat them 3-1 in the FA Trophy last week. To be fair their away form has been better than their home form and they have only lost once on their travels, but they drew against Nuneaton in their last away game and I think Spennymoor are looking much the better side at the moment, thus they look a fair bet.
Truro v St Albans
The other team in the double last week were Truro and I am also sticking with them this week back in league action. As I mentioned last week they have been an improved side of late and they are unbeaten in their last 5 league games. They look a decent bet here as I think they should be favourites. St Albans games have been very exciting as their league games have seen 64 goals already, yet strangely their last league game saw them draw 0-0 against Gloucester. That was their first point in 4 games though and it was a poor game. Since then they have been beaten in a replay by Weymouth in the FA Trophy and they look out of sorts at the moment. With a long trip to Torquay ahead of them I think this could be another game they end up with nothing.
AFC Fylde 1pt @ 11/10 with Bet365
Dagenham & Redbridge 1.5pts @ 7/2 with Bet365, William Hill and Marathon
Blyth Spartans 2.5pts @ 2/1 with 888sport
Spennymoor 1pt @ 6/4 with William Hill, Betfred and Betway
Truro 2.5pts @ 19/10 with Bet365

Expected Goals For / (Expected Goals For + Expected Goals Against)

Key
STR - Shots on target ratio
aF/ aA - Shots on target for/ against average per game
Sup - aF - aA
xG - Expected goals ratio
xF/ xA - Expected goals for/ against average per game
Sup - xF - xA
Match info - self explanatory, F/ A/ GD/ Pts all averages per game
CS - Clean sheets
2+ - Conceded 2 or more goals
FtS - Failed to score
2+ - Scored 2 or more goals
W1+ - Games won by more than 1 goal
L1+ - Games lost by more than 1 goal
Any questions please ask, I have plenty of other leagues available too :-) 

FA Cup weekend was rather profitable backed up with FCUM winning at a big price in the league and then Tuesday night it was 2 from 2 with Southport and Dartford both winning. Hopefully that will continue on Saturday and I have 7 bets this weekend.
Chesterfield v Havant & Waterlooville (National League)
I was all set to be all over Harrogate at odds against, but the game has been called off as Maidenhead have too many players called up for international duty. The rest of the fixtures look tricky from a punting point of view, but I have to carry on with my backing Chesterfield to draw system. 3 matches on the bounce it has paid off now and I also had the 1-1 draw covered when they played Halifax a few weeks ago. They have drawn 8 of their last 10 league games and 6 of those draws have been 1-1. When you chuck in the FA Cup game last week which was also a 1-1 draw I am kicking myself for not putting that up for the last 3 weeks! However we can't be too greedy and I will just stick with the draw again. To be honest it does look like a winnable game for the home side, but Havant had last weekend off so they will be fresh and ready and they have managed to win their last 2 games so I am backing the draw again.
Dulwich v Oxford City (National League South) I was surprised that Dulwich lost to Truro last Sunday although it has to be said that Truro do seem to be improving and that made it 4 games unbeaten for them in the league. As for Dulwich that was the 2nd disappointing result in a row as they also blew a 2 goal lead against Weston last Tuesday. They are 4 games unbeaten at home though and I think it is worth opposing Oxford City again. Dartford should have been well out of sight before Oxford made it 3-2 on Tuesday night such was their dominance especially in the 1st half. By all accounts the fact Oxford had been involved in such a tough game at Tranmere 3 days prior showed. Here the focus will surely be on the replay especially as it is on BT Sport and Dulwich are more than good enough to make them pay.   Boston v Southport (National League North) I have to continue backing Southport after 3 superb results now as I get the feeling they are finally showing the reason I backed them ante-post for the title. Granted beating Hereford at the moment is nothing special, but they put the game to bed with ease and I always like it when a team does that whatever the opponents. It is important to try and find teams who are playing better than their league position suggests as the bookies will always price those sides up bigger than they should as they have here. Boston were another one of my ante-post tips for the title and they are having a solid season only being 6 points off the lead, but in their last 5 league games they have only beaten Hereford and as things stand Southport are looking in better form at the moment.   Darlington v Hereford (National League North) For the 3rd game running I have to oppose Hereford. Yes they went down to 10 men on Tuesday night, but they were never really in the game and this is a really tough match for them given how long it has been since they won a league game. The home side meanwhile are unbeaten in 5 league games and have only lost one of their last 8. They have drawn their last 3, but their last two games have been against Bradford and Guiseley so they would have been harder games than this. Hereford have only won one away game all season and Darlington have had a couple of weeks without a league game so should be raring to go against a team low on confidence.   FCUM v AFC Telford (National League North) The home side have yet to win at home, but surely that will change soon given they have shown massive improvement of late. They are now unbeaten in 5 league games and have scored 3 in their last two. Now Telford will be tougher opponents than Blyth or Hereford and are obviously having a good season, but I think FCUM certainly offer value at over 2/1 given like Southport they are clearly playing better than their league position suggests.   Barwell v Kings Lynn (Evo-Stik South Central) Barwell cost us big time a couple of weeks ago when they conceded a penalty in injury time against Bedford and hopefully they won't cost us this time as I think Kings Lynn look a cracking bet. Even before Ian Culverhouse came back as manager they were improving after a tricky start to the season as they are unbeaten in 7 league games, but they have comfortably won both games since he came back. Given how good they were under him last season I am expecting them to be a major force in the division and possibly even push for the title as they are only 9 points behind at the moment. They are a better side than their hosts and after that draw against Bedford they have still only won once at home this season.   Reddtich v Lowestoft (Evo-Stik South Central) I opposed Redditch a few weeks ago against Biggleswade which was a winning bet, but having wondered if their new manger would improve them or not given their seemed to be plenty of issues I certainly got that wrong. I didn't think he would, but he has as they then won their next 4 league games.They did lose 4-0 to Stourbridge on Tuesday night to break that run, but then Stourbridge are 2nd in the table and Lowestoft are certainly no Stourbridge. They have only picked up 1 point in their last 7 league games and have only won once away from home picking up just one other point. Redditch certainly look in much better shape and can bounce straight back from the Stourbridge defeat.   Chesterfield v Havant 1pt draw @ 5/2 with Bet365 Dulwich 1pt @ 61/50 with Marathon Southport 2pts@ 68/25 with Marathon Darlington 2pts @ 11/10 with Paddy Power and Betway FCUM 1pt @ 21/10 with Paddy Power Kings Lynn 2.5pts @ 71/50 with Marathon Redditch 2pts  @ 7/5 with BetVictor

Not too many Non-League games this mid-week but a couple of matches have caught my eye from a betting point of view.
Hereford v Southport (National League North)
The knives are out for Marc Richards from the Hereford fans already. The fans weren't happy in the first place that he was the new manager and given they are yet to win under him they are getting angrier by the match. Opposing them on Saturday was a very profitable decision as FCUM ran out 3-1 winners having scored their goals in the space of 4 1st half minutes. They are now in the relegation zone and if Ricco doesn't turn it around soon then he will probably regret moving from Gloucester last month and taking up the role here. Usually I would want to oppose a team who are coming off the back of a big FA Cup win as Southport are doing, but there are strong signs that they are turning their season around. They put in a very impressive performance to win 4-1 against Kidderminster in their last league game and then followed that up with a 2-0 win against Boreham Wood on Saturday which was a good effort as Wood always make themselves hard to beat. I hope that those performances mean they now have the momentum and instead of being distracted by the Cup they use it as an incentive to start climbing the table especially as they face a team who are going to be under huge pressure in front of their own fans. At 89/50 with Marathon I think Southport are a decent bet.
Dartford v Oxford City (National League South)
After watching my 7th game of the season in this division on Saturday I feel strongly that their is little between the sides in this division this season and games are generally being won via small margins rather than teams being superior. That means taking short odds is going to generally be a bit of a risky proposition, however I am going to back Dartford here because I think there is a very strong case to do so. Dartford have only lost once in their last 7 games and are finally getting going after a slow start to the season. At home they have only lost once so far and given the tightness of the division they will be one of many teams eyeing up a play-off spot. They didn't have a game on Saturday so will have had extra rest ahead of this one which is something Oxford certainly didn't have. Fair play to City because I didn't think they would be in the hat for the 2nd Round draw, but they put in a hell of a performance to draw 3-3 with Tranmere on Saturday. That game is surely going to have left it's mark and it would be easy to think they will be having their minds on the replay which must have a high chance of being on TV. Prior to winning at Hampton last time out they had only picked up 1 away point all season and that came at Weston. The home side are basically even money with Marathon and for me there are very sound reasons to think that is too big.
Southport 2pts @ 89/50 with Marathon
Dartford 3pts @ 99/100 with Marathon

A profitable day again on Saturday which was good and hopefully we can continue the good run on Monday. Sorry for this being briefer than usual and mentioning no prices but I am a bit short of time.
Aldershot v Sutton (National League)
I fear for Aldershot. They have looked miles away so far this season and Gary Waddock's mention after Saturday's game that there are things going on that the general public don't know about is really concerning. Only a guess, but I wonder if there are money issues there again. Whatever it is though it is clearly having an effect on the pitch. Sutton have looked decent so far and looked like they will be in the play-off hunt again. The price looks too high to me and Sutton should be favs.
Eastleigh v Ebbsfleet (National League)
Eastleigh's manager was getting in the excuses on Saturday for this game as he mentioned after Saturday's match that the league were crazy to fit so many games into such a short space of time, although if we see a repeat of last seasons weather he will be glad they have! Ebbsfleet are looking pretty strong and it was another good performance on Saturday. Again they probably should be favourites for this.
Oxford City v Wealdstone (National League South)
Another away side who are too big a price and should be favs. I had City on my shortlist for Saturday, but they were forced to have the sub keeper play up front in the win over St Albans and that put me off and I am glad it did as they had to rely on a late goal to get a point against Weston. Wealdstone look good and the draw against Concord was another example of how well they look likely to go this season. They should be able to get 3 points here.
Slough v Dulwich (National League South)
I am chancing Dulwich at a big price after seeing them on Saturday. They lost 1-0 to Gloucester although it was through poor keeping at a corner more than anything. To be fair Gloucester defended well and the keeper for me was man of the match, but I thought Dulwich deserved at least a point from the game. They are still getting used to the league, but they are creating chances and look threatening. They will click at some stage and I think they are more then capable of a top half finish. Slough have been a bit inconsistent so far and losing to East Thurrock on Saturday was a poor result.
Wingate & Finchley v Enfield (Bostik Premier)
Enfield look a big price here to carry on their strong start to the season. They were one of my ante-post picks so it is pleasing to see them start so well and they put 6 past Burgess Hill on Saturday. This game will be tougher, but if they are in the same form they have been so far then they can pick up another 3 points.
North Ferriby v South Shields (Evo-Stik Northern Premier)
I am amazed South Sheilds are odds against for this. North Ferriby look like they could do a Hyde and drop right down to Step 4 having been at Step 1. They have not looked good so far and obviously South Shields are strong favourites to win the title. They bounced back from the Farsely defeat where they had 9 men for over an hour to have a comfortable win on Saturday. It will be disappointing if they can't win this.
Sutton 2pts
Ebbsfleet 1pt
Wealdstone 2pts
Dulwich 1pt
Enfield 1pt
South Shields 3pts

Stirling v Peterhead.
Stirling have had a terrible start to the season with 3 straight defeats, including an opening day loss to the dross of Berwick. Peterhead are arguably the strongest side in this league and are rightly favourites to be champions. Their front 2 of McAllister and Lyle could have a field day here. I was expecting the odds on the away win to be shorter than this. Peterhead @ 1.83 is printing money.
 
 

Burnley vs Brighton
The game that stood out for me when I was browsing through the odds of this weekend's Premier League games was this match-up between Europa League-chasing Burnley and relegation-threatened Brighton taking place at Turf Moor in a 3pm kick-off this Saturday afternoon.
Burnley's price for a home win is really tempting. Yes, there have been recent hints that the pressure to seal that place in Europe next season is getting to Sean Dyche's team but this remains a Clarets side that are very difficult to play against. They are still in 7th place and just 4 points behind Arsenal.
Brighton are having one of their dodgy spells. That's been the story of their season. A run of good results followed by a run of bad results followed by another run of bad results. Rinse and repeat. It's the reason why they've failed to avoid getting sucked back into the relegation battle. In 13th place and on 36 points, you'd have to say Chris Hughton's side are realistically safe but until it's mathematically confirmed there will be nerves within the Seagulls camp and fan base.
The long price for a Burnley win is suspicious but at that price they have to be backed. Neither team is in a great spell of form but when the visiting side have only won on the road twice this season and only earned 10 points from their 16 games on the road, it's hard to think they'll come to Dyche's back yard and take points. It will also be worth taking a risk and backing Ashley Barnes to score any time will be worthwhile. He's scored 6 goals in his last 8 Premier League matches and is lining up against his former club here.
Burnley to win @ 2.27 with Unibet
Anytime Scorer: Ashley Barnes @ 3.20 with 888Sport
@Mindfulness, @Pep004, @MaliMisko12, @betcatalog, @sajtion, @godofhorses, @Tiffy, @waynecoyne, @The Sexless Innkeeper, @Magic0024, @malabgd, @Duke_Tm, @dogmeister, @Arkadi Manucharov, @derbent, @fat, @allyhibs, @6avin24, @discipline, @the bastardian, @Bronxie, @Bett, @KikoCy, @teddybear3011, @markus808, @allthethings, @Kenton Schweppes, @vasilli07, @Dylan Lynch, @neilovan, @JKos, @zemo91, @jamiedavies02, @kulikTS, @mrclubbie, @Judeksi, @Henind666, @Dave1X2, and @AndreBR, what do you guys think are the bets to back this weekend in the Premier League?

The value bet must be Burnley to beat West Brom away from home. 
Burnley have picked up 21 points on the road and sit 7th in the away table. West Brom are rock bottem on the home table and overall table and look awful.  Even money its a very good bet. 

Think theres some value in Bournemouth to beat WBA at 1.95 with Marathon bet, i got them at evens with Skybet on Saturday, think West Brom have given up, the players dislike Pardew (me too), lost six in a row, awful away from home etc, comfortable win for bournemouth who still aren't safe yet.

Think theres some value in Bournemouth to beat WBA at 1.95 with Marathon bet, i got them at evens with Skybet on Saturday, think West Brom have given up, the players dislike Pardew (me too), lost six in a row, awful away from home etc, comfortable win for bournemouth who still aren't safe yet.

Think theres some value in Bournemouth to beat WBA at 1.95 with Marathon bet, i got them at evens with Skybet on Saturday, think West Brom have given up, the players dislike Pardew (me too), lost six in a row, awful away from home etc, comfortable win for bournemouth who still aren't safe yet.