There are three vital matches at the top of the Championship on Saturday as the race for promotion hots up. Southampton are looking good for automatic promotion and we will begin our preview by looking at their clash with Blackpool (Southampton 1/4 Championship Outright).
Blackpool v Southampton
Southampton are six points clear at the top of the table and are favourites to take the title and with it return to the promised land.
And their recent form suggests there is no reason to doubt that they will do so, with 26 points taken from the last 10 games and no defeats.
That is title-winning form in anyone’s book and it only seems a matter of time before Nigel Adkins will be plotting his tactics to try keep the Saints in the top flight next season.
But he will not want his side to falter right at the death and will be wary of the Tangerines, who are just outside the play-off zone and desperate for the points to ensure they take part in the post-season.
It has not been a good month so far for Ian Holloway’s side, who have taken just five points from seven games in March.
Defeat at Reading last time out saw them slip out of the top six and they will be looking to get something from this game regardless of the standard of opposition.
The north-west outfit will be without striker Roman Bednar, while Southampton top scorer Rickie Lambert is expected to be fit after recovering from a minor pelvic injury against Doncaster.
Southampton have drawn plenty of games on their travels this term, while Blackpool have only lost three at home and so a draw might be worth looking at here.
Odds: Blackpool 7/4, Southampton 6/4, draw 12/5.
West Ham v Reading
The Hammers take on Reading in a match that could go a long way to determining which club join Southampton in going up automatically.
Sam Allardyce’s men are just one point behind second-place Reading and so there is still everything to play for.
The Londoners have not lost in their past 10 games but have drawn seven of those matches to slip out of the top two.
The Hammers’ faithful have begun to criticise Allardyce’s style of play as there is a tradition of attractive football at Upton Park – not something that is readily associated with Big Sam.
West Ham have not won on their own patch since February 4, with five consecutive draws and it appears the fans have had enough.
Pressure is mounting and the last side that Allardyce would want to see given the circumstances is the Royals, who have taken 16 points from seven games in March and are peaking at just the right time.
Brain McDermott’s men have already won 10 times on the road this season and there is every reason to suggest they will make it 11 on Saturday.
West Ham had to play a re-arranged fixture at Peterborough on Tuesday and Reading will be the fresher of the two clubs heading into the showdown.
Odds: West Ham 5/4, Reading 11/5, draw 23/10.
Brighton v Middlesbrough
There is another clash between two sides in close proximity as the fourth-place Gulls entertain a Boro side in fifth.
Results have been mixed for the south-coast club in March with nine points from six games and they were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest last weekend.
They have already won 11 times at home this season but will be facing one of the best sides away from home in the division.
The Teessiders have already picked up three points on nine occasions, which is just as well, as they have not won enough game at home to challenge for automatic promotion.
Gus Poyet’s side have lost just once in their last 10 games but do draw a lot of games and so Tony Mowbray will not be without hope after travelling all the way from the north east to Brighton.
Craig Mackail-Smith is fit for Brighton after a virus and will compete with Sam Vokes for a starting spot, while Will Buckley and Adam El-Abd are also both available.
Boro skipper Matthew Bates will be absent because of a serious knee injury suffered at Ipswich and Stephen McManus could feature after being recalled from his loan spell at Bristol City.
Odds: Brighton 6/5, Boro 11/5, draw 12/5.
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