Non League matches August 8th

[Darran]

I think this season instead of starting so many threads each week that there will just be one thread for all non-league matches for each round of fixtures. Hopefully things will pick up as the ante-post threads have been very quiet. The first weekend of the new football season is always one to tread fairly carefully as you can never be certain how teams are going to fair in their first meaningful game since the end of April (or May if they were in the play-offs). Even so I think there are four decent bets to be had in the National League on Saturday. Aldershot v Gateshead I just can’t understand why the price is drifting on the home side here. Gateshead made a very odd choice in manager in Malcolm Crosby after Gary Mills left for Wrexham. There has been big change with plenty of players coming and going, but it is hard to see them improving on a mid-table finish last season. Getting James Marwood back is a big plus, but he is likely to be injured for the first few weeks of the season and they may just struggle to get points early doors. To be fair you can write similar comments to Aldershot, but the difference here is I like the look of the new players they have signed over the summer and their squad looks the strongest yet since relegation from the Football League. To me this has been priced up as if the game was taking place last season and the 19/10 price Skybet go about a home win is much bigger than I would make it. Boreham Wood v Halifax When Wood got promoted I was pretty certain they would be going straight back down. That was before they made some very shrewd signings over the summer and getting Charlie MacDonald from Barnet was a massive plus to their chances. They could get off to a winning start as I think Halifax will struggle this season. Something was going on behind the scenes towards the end of last season as they were struggling to fill a bench for the last few games. That has meant the players who have left and the players who have signed are both into double figures. The problem Halifax have though is the players who have left look better than the players who have joined. Wood have a fairly settled side and with the confidence of promotion, I like their chances of getting three points here. BetVictor go 2/1 about a home win. Chester v Braintree The best bet of the opening weekend look to be Chester and it is no surprise they have been trimmed already. Steve Burr is one of the best managers at this level and he did well with Chester last season when he initially thought they were going to be in the Conference North. There haven’t been massive changes and instead it looks a more gentle improvement of the squad. I have tipped Braintree to go down and I really worry for them without Alan Devonshire as boss. Danny Cowely did well at Concord, but this is a much tougher task especially as Devonshire had a lot to do with their success in my view. 6/5 about the home side looks a solid bet. Tranmere v Woking Woking were slightly unlucky to not reach the play-offs last term and they should go well again this season. They have the favourite for the top goalscorer market in the shape of Scott Rendell and like Chester they have seen little change over the summer. Tranmere on the other hand have seen a lot of change after relegation. Getting Gary Brabin in as manager was a good move and he has signed well, but they might well take time to gel (Bristol Rovers did last season) and they are playing a decent settled side in Woking. This is a pretty tough start for Tranmere and at 100/30 (Coral) Woking have to be backed. Aldershot 2pts Boreham Wood 1.5pts Chester 2.5pts Woking 1pt

[bromsgrovegreen]

last season was one of the worst betting seasons ever for me non league wise so hoping to do a little better this year not much to go on yet apart from signings and pre season results so a couple of small speculative bets double of Grimsby and Eastleigh at Kidderminster and southport respectively(17-20,19-20) basically good sides up against teams I think will struggle and Redditch 13-10 home to Cirencester,redditch have got a good young side full of goals,dont know too much about Cirencester tbh except that they were mid table last season but the price is better than I expected

[ricay85]

Very tricky opening day card but hopefully will be able to make a return on these. 2pts Stalybridge Celtic to win at Hednesford @ 29/10 Watson will want to get off to a flyer. Saw the other day Hyde gaffer Lowe was singing the praises of the new look celtic outfit. Hed have lost a lot of players and are rebuilding again. Price certainly has some value. 2pt BTTS Double @ 2.79 Hednesford v Stalybridge & Oxford City v Chelmsford City 1pt BTTS Treble + Tamworth v N Ferriby @ 4.52

[Darran]

Going to add St Neots to the bets today. They travel to Bideford who are going to struggle to survive this season and have keeper issues ahead of this game. I have tipped St Neots for the league and this is the type of game they need to be winning. Evs seems a fair price.

[PinPointPrecision]

last season was one of the worst betting seasons ever for me non league wise so hoping to do a little better this year not much to go on yet apart from signings and pre season results so a couple of small speculative bets double of Grimsby and Eastleigh at Kidderminster and southport respectively(17-20,19-20) basically good sides up against teams I think will struggle and Redditch 13-10 home to Cirencester,redditch have got a good young side full of goals,dont know too much about Cirencester tbh except that they were mid table last season but the price is better than I expected

Without having read this post first I made a trixie bet on Grimsby, Eastleigh and Forest Green. All of these teams I feel will do well this season with their respective opening day opponents set to struggle. I also think Grimsby at 9/2 still represent good value to win the title despite them shortening from 5/1. :cigar

[PinPointPrecision]

Without having read this post first I made a trixie bet on Grimsby, Eastleigh and Forest Green. All of these teams I feel will do well this season with their respective opening day opponents set to struggle. I also think Grimsby at 9/2 still represent good value to win the title despite them shortening from 5/1. :cigar

A stoppage time equalizer by Kidderminster against Grimsby scuppers my big win. :\ I guess I should be thankful that I took my selections out as a trixie bet so I at least got my money back. :eyes

[Darran]

And the painful defeats start on the first day of the season as St Neots manage to throw a 3-0 and 4-1 lead. Chester won and a nice win on Boreham Wood at least made it a reasonable first day.

[dawwe92]

Yeah the St.Neots match was disgusting.

[ricay85]

Managed to squeeze a very small 10% profit in the day - shame Ferriby could not just score at Tamworth otherwise it would have been and excellent start. Not to worry as games come thick and fast this month. Out 5pts In 5.58pts +0.58pts