League Preview: 26th and 28th December

It's a busy time for our teams this coming weekend with games being played on Saturday and Monday so I'm doing a double preview for the last two games of 2015.

First up is Saturday 26 December.

There are several standout, important, games on Saturday with the outcome vital to the hopes of teams at both ends of the League table.

Plymouth should beat 23rd placed Yeovil and remain top, but 2nd placed Northampton will be hoping they slip up as they also play a team at the bottom end, away at 22nd placed York.

4th placed Portsmouth will be hoping form goes out the window with the teams above them and they can climb back into an automatic promotion place as they face a tough away game at 10th placed Leyton Orient.

Accrington at 6th play 5th placed Carlisle and so both will be hoping for a win to keep pressure on the teams around them in the promotion race.

A vital game at the wrong end of league two is Barnet placed 19th against Newport at 20th.

*Important games **Key Game

Saturday 26th December 2015

Dagenham & Redbridge v Cambridge – Kick Off 1:00pm – Score Prediction (1 -2)

*Accrington v Carlisle – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 2)

Wimbledon v Bristol Rovers – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 1)

*Barnet v Newport– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0 - 1)

Crawley v Stevenage– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2 - 1)

**Hartlepool v Notts County– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 2)

*Leyton Orient v Portsmouth – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2 - 2)

Luton v Wycombe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 1)

Morecambe v Mansfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0 –1)

Oxford v Exeter–Kick Off 3:00pm–Score Prediction (2 - 0)

*Plymouth v Yeovil – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (4 - 0)

*York v Northampton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 -2)

My key game- Hartlepool v Notts County

This is the 3rd consecutive away game for Notts and after the disappointment at Deepdale, against Carlisle; Notts face the long journey to Hartlepool and will be hoping for a more positive result like at Wycombe (or even a win)

The last time the teams met was in the FA Cup away at Victoria Park on 9/11/2014 when League Two Hartlepool beat League One Notts 3 -2.

Previous to that game and in League One Hartlepool triumphed 2 – 1 at their place with Notts winning 2 -0 on 21/8/12 at Meadow Lane.

The overall record between Notts and Hartlepool is-

Notts won 11

Hartlepool won 12

Draws 5

For what it's worth I've gone for a 2 -1 win for Notts-An away win is long overdue!

Monday 28th December 2015

Again there are a few standout, important games, with high up teams playing lower placed teams. At the time of writing this Plymouth are top and take on 20th placed Newport away, next to bottom Yeovil are home to 3rd placed Oxford and 8th placed Mansfield host 22nd placed York.

There are also two all top end fixtures with 2nd placed Northampton at home to 6th placed Accrington and 7th placed Bristol Rovers home to 10th placed Leyton Orient

*Important games **Key Game

*Bristol Rovers v Leyton Orient– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2 - 0)

Cambridge v Barnet– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 0)

Exeter v Wimbledon– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 1)

*Mansfield v York– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3 - 0)

*Newport v Plymouth– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0 - 2)

*Northampton v Accrington– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 0)

**Notts County v Morecambe– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3 -1)

Portsmouth v Luton– Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 – 0)

Stevenage v Dagenham & Redbridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1 - 0)

Wycombe v Crawley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3 - 1)

*Yeovil v Oxford United – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0 - 3)

Carlisle and Newport don't have a game today.

My key game once again features Notts, this time at home to Morecambe

When the two teams met at Morecambe earlier this season on 29/8/2015 the home side ran out comfortable 4 – 1 victors .As I am writing Notts are 15th in League Two on 29 points with Morecambe two places lower at 17th on 27 points.

The overall record between Notts and Morecambe is:

Notts won 2
Morecambe won 3
Draws 2

I've forecast revenge and a 3 – 1 win for Notts.

If results go badly for Notts it will add to the mounting pressure on Ricardo Moniz but favourable results will restore a feeling of optimism to Meadow Lane.