There are six matches scheduled to be played in League 2 on Tuesday night with the top four all in action on what could be another important night in the race for promotion.
The fixtures are as follows: (All 7.45pm kick off)
Accrington v Notts County
Wimbledon v Carlisle
Barnet v Portsmouth
Exeter v Oxford Utd
Yeovil v Plymouth
York v Northampton
As well as the top four playing, the Wimbledon vs Carlisle match is a pretty big one in the race for the playoffs so this might be a scaled down set of fixtures but it is a pretty important one nonetheless.
I keep expecting the Accrington bubble to burst but it is to their credit that it doesn’t appear to be doing so but Notts County are capable of holding their own on the road so I don’t want to get involved in the hosts at odds on there.
I’ve a feeling Wimbledon’s decent form will continue when they play host to Carlisle who will make another mammoth Tuesday night journey but I’d be wanting a little bigger than even money to take on a Carlisle side who have goals in them.
Portsmouth are understandable favourites on the road at Barnet given how well they’ve played away from Fratton Park this season but Barnet’s home form has to be respected even if Wimbledon have just been and turned them over. Those two Wimbledon goals were the first goals Barnet have shipped in five matches so that merits respect.
Plymouth are another side who are good on the road and I couldn’t really put anyone off taking them but Yeovil are improving so maybe Argyle are just a touch on the short side there. Something about that game tells me it is a trappy one so I’ll leave that alone.
I’m not leaving Northampton alone though. The Cobblers have been a cash cow to us over the last week or so and I’m going to keep on milking it until the goods run out. I don’t see it running out at York though.
In fairness to York they have gone through a bit of a revival recently with three wins in four prior to Saturday but that run came to a pretty emphatic end at Cambridge where they were given a pretty solid beating.
York have won four of their last five at Bootham Crescent but wins over Stevenage, Morecambe, Notts County and Exeter, while much needed, were nothing to jump up about. Prior to that run they had one home win in 10 so they are still vulnerable there as Newport showed in the middle of that five game emergence.
The problem York have here is Northampton are absolutely buzzing. They set a club record for wins on Saturday and their fans are so confident of cruising to the title that they have already sold out their last home game of the season in anticipation of being given the title that day! In fairness to them they have a point.
Northampton aren’t conceding goals at the minute. They’ve kept four successive clean sheets and they have played three sides in the top 10 in that time. On the road in particular they score for fun so this has the makings of a long evening for York.
To be fair York can play this one with freedom as their safety isn’t going to be decided on results against the runaway leaders but I expect the Cobblers to be too good for them here.
The other game sees Exeter hosting an Oxford side who have gone off the boil since they reached Wembley but the nature and potential magnitude of their defeat to Accrington on Saturday might well have woken them up ahead of this game.
In fairness to Oxford their problems have largely been at home. On the road they are one of the more efficient units in the division and I can speak from experience when I say they’re not the first side who have struggled to break sides down at home in this league.
Oxford are now winless in four at the Kassam in the league but they are undefeated in four on the road which include wins at Morecambe and Portsmouth recently so they should be buoyed by that and should take some confidence to St James’ with them.
It is the same story for Exeter really. They are in the middle of a lean spell in front of their own fans but seem to get the job done a bit easier on the road. The Grecians have just one win in their last eight at home in the league and that highlights a major issue.
When these two met at the Kassam earlier in the season Oxford ran out emphatic 3-0 winners. Given the state of the season it might not be so comfortable here but I do expect Oxford to run out winners in the match between probably the two best footballing sides in the division.
WON – Back Northampton to beat York for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Paddy Power
Back them here:
WON – Back Oxford (-0.25AH) to beat Exeter for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Bet365
Back them here:
