League Two: Gillingham can rekindle bulldog spirit

25Jan 2013

Ian Lamont believes the Kent club have the perfect chance to reassert their title chances for Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen, while Oxford make this weekend's long-odds appeal.

Gillingham 1.74 York City 5.0 The Drw 3.85

Gillingham's game at home to York City seems the perfect chance for Martin Allen's men to regain some momentum. Five wins in 12 games is not exactly the form that took the Gills to the League Two summit, so there is a little trepidation returning to an odds-on selection. For example, Rotherham offer no value at 1.55 against resurgent Bristol Rovers, despite signing the colossus Claude Davis in the hope of solving their centre-back issues. The end of January - after some of the struggling teams have started picking up points - marks the make-or-break part of the season for the really good teams. York have no relegation worries, so are not as big a threat to Gillingham as might be a team near the bottom.

For Martin Allen's men, this is the first of three home games on the trot in which to reassert their supremacy. Home form must improve, says Allen. Danny Kedwell has scored nine of his 10 league goals at home and needs to up the ratio from six penalties having ended a recent goal drought. Squad rotation, he says, does not help, but managers do not have endless patience. York, as Opta point out, have a divisional-high seven away draws. But have one once in six outings. Gary Mills' men have scored once in four away trips and will find that tough against the division's meanest defence. The home side should have too much about them and will most likely use this as a chance to reignite their title bid as 'Mad Dog' Allen invokes a bulldog spirit.

Back Gillingham @ 1.74

Bradford 1.76 Wycombe 4.8 Draw 3.9

My cheeky turn of the year bet on Bradford to be promoted (in a treble with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth) looks like being derailed by the Bantams' achievement in reaching the League Cup final. Great as the estimated £1million cash influx is, it puts no points on the board for Phil Parkinson's men. A winless run of four includes two home defeats, while Wycombe have only lost twice in 11, emphasise Opta. Wanderers' boss Gareth Ainsworth is not becoming carried away with talk of reaching the play-offs, a notion which does seem a little premature. They may be six points from the play-off places, but have only just pulled clear of the relegation battle. Bridging that further gap is not impossible, but will be harder. They can certainly improve any hopes they might have here, because Bradford's exhausting cup exploits make them look vulnerable at the price.

Lay Bradford @ 1.76

Burton 1.88 Barnet 4.4 Draw 3.8

There is a distinct whiff of optimism down at Underhill, built on graft and the experience of Edgar Davids. They remain in danger of relegation, but it is the clubs at the bottom - or many of them - who are setting the form pace in the division. Barnet have four wins and a draw from six games, including an outstanding result at rocking Rotherham in their last match. Every match is a cup final says Davids, who expects defending to start from the front. Davids has found Ibra Sekajja on loan from his old club Crystal Palace and hopes he can inspire a focused and hungry group to help make the annual escape act a reality once more. Burton have one of the division's best records at home, where they have four straight wins, but arguably that quartet were out of form. It feels funny to write it, but Barnet might pose a stiffer test for the Brewers. Lay the hosts.

Lay Burton at 1.85

Fleetwood 2.36 Oxford 3.15 Draw 3.45

Fleetwood might have the second best defensive record in the division, but that can be used to hide a recent run of two wins in 10 games, before and after the premature sacking of Micky Mellon. Nor does it reveal that they have conceded three goals in each of the last two games (bucking the record of four clean sheets in five). One win in five at home gives Oxford the chance to build on an eight-game unbeaten run, including four straight away wins, as Chris Wilder's men seek to realise the club's potential by striving for at least a play-off spot. James Constable will be vying to resume scoring duties alongside Peter Leven and on the form books the match prices would seem a surprise. The cautious could lay Fleetwood, but the visitors deserve supporting.

Back Oxford @ 3.15