English Football League
/ Alan Dudman / 28 April 2011 / Leave a Comment
Russell Slade has Leyton Orient playing a good brand of football at the moment
"Back to reality, marbles recovered, Orient have got the class to win this. Earlier in the month they played Southampton off the park but lost 2-0, but there's a good mentality about the club and Slade can be a fairly attack-minded coach."
Matches are running out for Leyton Orient to make one last push for a play-off spot but this weekend's home game is a good chance to put some pressure on Bournemouth. Alan Dudman talks us through the other good League One bets.
Brighton [2.50] v Huddersfield Town [2.88], the draw [3.70]
Brighton have already been crowned League One champions, and maybe a sense of 'job done' was the reason for their Easter period that yielded just one point. Monday's 1-1 draw at Colchester showed up some uncharacteristic defensive lapses, and the league's meanest defence looked as though they had switched off slightly.
However, it was Saturday's 2-1 home loss to Southampton that would have had Sunday news editors drooling. Albion boss Gus Poyet said: "when you look back in 10 years time at who won the title, it was Brighton who play football by passing the ball - not kicking it into the box." Ouch!
Huddersfield meanwhile are 23 league games unbeaten and picked up maximum points over the holiday weekend, with wins against MK Dons and Dagenham. Despite the 3-1 and 2-1 victories, Terriers boss Lee Clark was not satisfied, citing the need to kill teams off when having the chances.
The Yorkshire outfit like width, and will have to attack Brighton here knowing that any chance of automatic promotion rests with two straight wins from their their remaining games. Clark has got Jordan Rhodes scoring again, whilst right winger Jack Hunt is a supreme talent with a bag of tricks better than the 'Great Soprendo'.
With the onus on the visitors to get a result, they have to score, and the overs are more appealing than the outrights.
Best bet: Back over 2.5 goals @ [1.98]
Back 2-2 @ [22.00]
Leyton Orient [1.74] v Tranmere Rovers [4.90], the draw [3.85]
Remember those FA Cup exploits of Orient? Well I might be asking the same question in future articles regarding their play-off exploits. The Londoners have got momentum at a crucial time and picked up six points over Easter with victories over Peterborough and Carlisle. They've now got a real chance of making the final play-off spot if Bournemouth
make a mistake.
I think they can do it, although [15.00] in the promotion should be a decent trade believing that their south coast rival might slip up. Orient manager Russell Slade has achieved what I have never been able to achieve - to look good in a cap. For some reason I don't dig them, and they don't dig me. Slade has also taken the Os to dizzying new heights.
Back to reality, marbles recovered, Orient have got the class to win this. Earlier in the month they played Southampton off the park but lost 2-0, but there's a good mentality about the club and Slade can be a fairly attack-minded coach. I would expect a 4-4-2 once again, with the scheming Dean Cox pulling the strings from out wide.
Tranmere are as unpredictable as the great C.B Fry, and the 4-0 win over Exeter on Monday could easily be followed up with with a 4-0 defeat - as was the case earlier in the month at Sheffield Wednesday.
Back Orient to win 2-0 [11.00] and 3-0 [18.00]
Back Orient HT/FT @ [2.40]
Brentford [4.90] v Southampton [1.76], the draw [3.75]
The magnificent run of 10 wins in 12 games has taken Southampton to the brink of automatic promotion, but with Huddersfield breathing down their necks (see above), nothing less than three points will do this weekend for the visit to Griffin Park.
Brentford have nothing to play for, and are in a nice situation and playing under no pressure. The Londoners however have several injuries, and might be ripe for a peppering this weekend - despite being a tidy outfit themselves.
But Southampton are rolling, and with their magnificent away support, could be ready to unleash an onslaught. Saturday's 2-1 win over Brighton was achieved with high-balls into the box, lots of pressing, and lots of pressure. That tempo could be too much for a team whose season is finished. The Saints can go aerial and win ugly, or pretty on the floor - either way, they should win this.
Back 0-1 [9.00]. 0-2 [13.00]
Four good bets ahead of another intriguing weekend of League Two football. Over to Ian Lamont......
Brighton have been crowned League One champions and it will be interesting to see how they approach their next match at home to Southampton. Elsewhere, Bournemouth should be too good for Yeovil, says Alan Dudman....
This is a huge weekend at both ends of the table in League Two. Ian Lamont sorts out the good bets from the bad....
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