Non-League Predictions > FA Trophy Final

[Darran]

We get to the final game of the Non-League season and hopefully a final winning bet as well. The big question here is how Fylde will cope after losing in the Play-Off Final last week. It wasn't a great game and although Fylde saw a fair bit of the ball, especially in the first half, they weren't good enough in either box and Salford ran out comfortable winners in the end. So will Fylde be determined to not lose again or will they struggle mentally to get over losing the big prize? What we also have to factor in is the fact they have played 3 games since Orient played their last competitive match so it could mean Orient are ring rusty. I thought it was a great piece of management from Justin Edinburgh to organise a friendly against an U23 team from Aston Villa last week, a game which they won 3-1. I know friendlies are obviously very different from a competitive match, but it was crucial for them to get a match under their belts ahead of this game.

I am firmly in the Leyton Orient camp here. They deservedly claimed the National League title and I would be amazed if this isn't their only appearance in an FA Trophy Final. Some might think that with the big prize won they won't care so much about this, but I don't buy that for a second. A chance to do a big double like this is very rare for a team like Orient and they will be backed by 23000 fans and they will be desperate to do the double for the fans just as much as themselves. They have been so strong defensively this season having conceded the fewest goals in the division. If we look at the aggregate scores over the 2 league games then it was 5-1 to Orient and they were impressive in both victories as well. 

The question I pondered in the first paragraph about Fylde's mental ability to get over last weekend is an interesting one, but I fall on the side of them struggling to get over it. Especially as they were so easily beaten in the end. It has to play on their mind when they come out onto the pitch and the fact they have to play the champions of the division, a team they have been well beaten by twice already this season is also going to have a part to play. Danny Rowe was pretty anonymous last week and he never really had much of a sniff of scoring a goal. If that happens again here then Fylde will struggle to score and given how stingy Orient's defence is then I can imagine they might well struggle to score.

Man for man Orient are the better side and I think they have a lot of things in their favour on Sunday afternoon. The only slight worry I have is if they are a bit rusty especially in the early stages, but hopefully that friendly has helped in that regard and it won't be an issue. No doubt Macauley Bonne will be popular in the first goalscorer market and he found his feat again in April scoring a couple having only scored 4 in the league in the previous 3 months. Josh Koroma might offer a bit more value in that market though if you are looking to play. I am going to have a small interest in Orient winning 2-0 which is priced up at 10/1 with Bet 365, but Orient to win it in 90 minutes at 36/25 looks a really good bet to me.

Leyton Orient 2.5pts @ 36/25 with Marathon

Leyton Orient to win 2-0 @ 10/1 with Bet365