Home and Away: Spireites to score three points at Southend

21Dec 2012

Jonno Turner aims to build on two winners yesterday with a couple more successful tips to fire us into the festive period.

Two winners yesterday offered a welcome boost to the Christmas coffers - and now we're off to France for our penultimate pick of the week, as in-form Guingamp host Ajaccio at the Stade du Roudourou, looking to pile more pressure on the top two.

Jocelyn Gourvennec's side sit third in Ligue 2, and are unbeaten in their last eight outings ahead of this one.

And their form on their own patch is particularly impressive - just one loss since February seeing them establish themselves as a formidable force at the Roudourou.

But it's not just the consistency of the results which will please Gourvennec. Four clean sheets consecutively in front of their own fans suggests that this home side are extremely well organised at the back, and it will be tough for their visitors to breach their hosts' rearguard this evening.

Ajaccio are in the midst of a miserable campaign, and go into this one having failed to win in eight of their last nine games in the league.

That leaves le Bistro sitting in a lowly 19th place in the table - and just three points ahead of bottom side Sedan, who have a game in hand on the Corsicans.

Boss Jean-Michel Cavalli will be under pressure to engineer a turnaround of his sides fortunes - but three consecutive losses on the road suggests that the visitors will struggle in this one.

Le Gaz have failed to score in two of their last three league games, and coupled with the might of the home defence, I think we could well see a lack of attacking chances for the away side.

Bet 1: Guingamp (HOME) @ 1.71

Back to more familiar climes now, and a clash between two promotion contenders in League Two - as Chesterfield travel to Southend United.

The Spireites are well priced for the win here at 3.55, but I think that their recent form belies that price - and two consecutive away wins on the road shows that the North Derbyshire side are more than capable of securing a victory here.

Paul Cook's side will be full of confidence following an impressive 2-0 victory at Port Vale a fortnight ago - and that leaves the visitors just two points outside the play-off places as we start the busy festive period.

Unbeaten in five of their last six, the away side will be looking to take maximum points in this encounter, and two clean sheets from their last three league outings suggests that the Blues have tightened up what was a leaky defence at the start of the campaign.

Southend go into this game in similarly good form - but have won just two of their last five outings, which indicates that they may be lacking a cutting edge of late.

Just one clean sheet in their last six points to the likelihood that the visitors will be presented with a chance or two, and I think that could open up this game significantly.

And only one win from seven on their own patch suggests that, although the hosts have been going well in the league, they are underperforming in front of their own fans.

This is bound to be a tight game, but I think that the odds are a little distorted - and the value here lies in the away win, although Chesterfield DRAW NO BET at 2.46 also appeals.

Bet 2: Chesterfield @ 3.55