Tag Archives: Boro

Boro seek away-day cure

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Blackburn Rovers will attempt to stretch their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven games when they entertain Middlesbrough at Ewood Park on Friday (Blackburn 8/11 draw 5/2 Middlesbrough 3/1 – 90 minutes).

Wins for the 9/2 favourites in the Championship outright betting against Hull, Leicester and Barnsley on home soil already means this represents a big ask for Tony Mowbray’s men and a poor record on the road, carried over from last season, suggests it is difficult to build a case for the away win even at a not-too-shabby price.

Boro have lost against Barnsley, Millwall and, last time out, Blackpool away from the Riverside Stadium and only won 10 out of 23 road trips in the Championship last season.

Steve Kean’s side proved they can win from behind on Tuesday when recovering from a Jacob Mellis goal to collect maximum points with efforts from marquee signing Jordan Rhodes and Nuno Gomes five minutes from the end, although the outcome could have been different had Marlon Harewood not missed a fine chance for Barnsley with the score locked at 1-1.

It means it is the club’s longest unbeaten run at the start of a campaign since they won the Premier League in 1994/95, when they went seven games without a loss.

Scotland sharp-shooter Rhodes has now scored three goals in three games for his new club and should not be ignored in the Anytime Scorer market.

Boro make the trip to Lancashire having been spanked 4-1 by Blackpool, the 7/1 second favourites in the Championship outright betting, on Tuesday and Mowbray has demanded a “reaction”.

He said: “If we can win at Blackburn then that would be better than drawing two games – which happened at times last season.”

Injuries to key players and new signings struggling to find their feet have made for a difficult start to the new season for Mowbray, although the club’s impressive home form negates this argument.

Boro, sat in 11th, are just two points off Huddersfield Town in the last play-off place and yet just four points above Charlton in the final relegation spot, such is the tight nature of the Championship, and they have scored in two out of three away games in the league.

If they can click they could easily find themselves climbing the table and the way to go here might be to take the both teams to score option.

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Foxes hunt Boro scalp

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Wednesday’s sole Championship encounter sees Leicester City look to keep their push for a play-off place on track against a Middlesbrough side whose own promotion ambitions have hit the buffers in January.

The game was delayed by 24 hours due to Boro’s involvement in the FA Cup fourth-round tie at north-east neighbours Sunderland on Sunday and that could hand an immediate advantage to the Foxes.

Nigel Pearson, who captained Boro to promotion to the Premier League in 1998, saw his Leicester charges comfortably defeat League Two Swindon 2-0 in the cup on Saturday, while Tony Mowbray’s side were involved in a blood and thunder derby draw at the Stadium of Light a day later.

The extra 24 hours’ rest and the fact the Foxes were not pushed too hard should stand the hosts in good stead, although Pearson has doubts over in-form striker Jermaine Beckford and full-back Lee Peltier from that game.

However, loan striker Nathan Delfouneso (13/8 Anytime Scorer) could come in for Beckford, while Liam Moore is available to replace Peltier if required.

Pearson also has midfielder Danny Drinkwater and goalkeeper Conrad Logan available, while new signing Wes Morgan will be in the squad.

Boro have problems in goal with teenage keeper Connor Ripley set for only his second start after coming off the bench to replace veteran Danny Coyne at Sunderland, while first-choice custodian Jason Steele is still sidelined with a thigh strain.

Influential midfielder Nicky Bailey remains sidelined due to a knee injury, while Julio Arca serves the second match of a three-game ban after being sent off at Coventry.

Kevin Thomson returns from his one-game suspension as Mowbray is likely to name a similar side which earned a creditable cup draw on Wearside.

Leicester have won their last three games, albeit two of those were in the FA Cup with a win at Southampton sandwiched in between, while they lost their last league game at the King Power Stadium when Barnsley triumphed 2-1.

The Foxes’ last league win on home soil was against Blackpool at the end of November so they are not exactly firing on all cylinders in front of their own fans.

Boro’s impressive first half to the season has unravelled in recent weeks as they go to Leicester on the back of three successive league defeats, in which time they have conceded eight goals and scored only once.

However Mowbray will no doubt hope his players can transfer their impressive performance from the Sunderland cup tie into the league to ensure they stop the rot in the East Midlands on Wednesday.

Recent fixtures between the two sides have been close affairs with five draws from the last seven, while Leicester won the other two when they did the double over Boro in the 2009/10 season.

It was a goalless draw at the Riverside earlier this season and there is a good chance of a similar outcome this week.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 23/10
Value Bet: 0-0 Draw Correct Score @ 15/2

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Lights out on Boro cup dream

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The FA Cup continues on Sunday with two more intriguing ties to look forward to, starting with Middlesbrough making the short trip to Sunderland for a north-east derby. The days second match-up pits Arsenal against Aston Villa. Both the home teams are odds on to win but will it be that straight forward?

Sunderland v Middlesbrough 1:30pm

All three teams in the north-east look to be on the up at the minute and Sunday’s game is a chance for Tony Mowbray’s Boro to show they are capable of hanging with the big boys. The Teessiders are currently fourth in the Championship, just five points off the automatic promotion places.

Mowbray has done a great job rescuing the club after Gordon Strachan had done his best to turn Middlesbrough into a retirement home for Rangers and Celtic has-beens. Having made a great start to the season, the Riverside outfit have suffered a dip in form of late, winning just one of their last five in all competitions. That solitary victory came in the third round of the FA Cup when they narrowly avoided a replay against Shrewsbury.

Mowbray’s team has been crippled by injuries and suspensions of late, and his hands will be tied again for the trip to Sunderland with Nicky Bailey, Julio Arca, Kevin Thomson, Jason Steele and Bart Ogbeche all out.

While Middlesbrough’s form has dipped Sunderland’s resurrection under Martin O’Neill shows no signs of slowing down. The 2-0 win over Swansea makes it six wins in nine matches since O’Neill took the reins at the Stadium of Light. Having guided the Black Cats away from the relegation zone, O’Neill has set his sights on taking Sunderland on a cup run.  The Northern Irishman played a near full-strength team against Peterborough in the last round and with the expectation of Nicklas Bendtner will almost certainly do the same again.

Sunderland are 4/6 to win, with Boro at 5/1 and the draw at 11/4 in the match betting. With the home side a very short price you might want to look towards Stéphane Sessègnon at 11/8 to score anytime given the form he has been in recently.

Arsenal v Aston Villa 4pm

The Gunners are desperately looking for a pick-me-up after an alarming dip in form recently, the defeat to Manchester United last weekend making it three losses on the bounce for the north Londoners. All the good work Arsenal had done after a shocking start to the season appears to have been wasted and the Emirates Stadium faithful will be desperate to see their team win by any means necessary.

The news that Jack Wilshere could miss the rest of the season won’t have improved the mood amongst Arsenal fans but even so they will be confident of beating Aston Villa. Mikel Arteta, Thierry Henry and Bacary Sagna could all return for the Gunners and that would be a timely boost given their problems up front and in defence. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could also get a run out after his man-of-the-match performance last week.

Last time Villa played at the Emirates Stadium they won 2-1 but that was under Gerard Houllier and with Stewart Downing and Ashley Young in the team. Villa’s style under new boss Alex McLeish has changed but it is starting to pay dividends with three wins in their last six matches. The addition of Robbie Keane to the squad looks to have been a shrewd one after his brace last week helped Villa beat Wolves.

The former Tottenham striker is 2/1 to score anytime against Arsenal and you wouldn’t bet against it if he gets a run out. Villa are tough to break down and gave Arsenal a real scare in the clash at Villa Park in December so this one looks destine for a replay. The draw is 11/4 in the match betting, with Arsenal 4/7 and Villa 5/1.

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In-form Boro can go top

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The top three teams in the Championship are all in action on Saturday, but will that trio maintain their solid start to the season? The unpredictable division offers punters the chance to find big price winners and and search out another few upsets this weekend.

Middlesbrough v Coventry

It’s third versus second bottom at the Riverside on Saturday and the home side will be confident of continuing their unbeaten start to the season.

Boro, who won this fixture 2-1 last season, look a different side this term despite losing players during the transfer window.

Although Marvin Emnes has got most of the headlines following his early-season goal flurry, Tony Mowbray’s defence has to take a lot of credit – conceding just four goals in six league and cup games.

Coventry, on the other hand, have picked up just one points from their opening four league games.

Boro/Boro HT/FT @ 11/8.

Derby v Burnley

The Rams have turned their fortunes around from last season’s struggles and have won their last three games without conceding a goal.

Nigel Clough’s men face another stern test though this Saturday, against a Burnley team that did the double over the Rams last season.

The Clarets have been hampered by early-season injuries, but they are a better side than their league position suggests and are capable of turning the form table upside down.

Draw @ 11/5.

Leicester v Southampton

League leaders Saints face their stiffest test yet this weekend, when they make the journey to the midlands to face big-spenders Leicester.

Nigel Adkins’ side look to have enough quality in their squad to mount a promotion challenge this term and their strike force, of Rickie Lambert, David Connolly and Adam Lallana, are a real handful.

But, although they have struggled at home so far this season, Leicester will prove a tough nut to crack. They showed signs of improvement at Nottingham Forest last week and they must get back to winning ways soon.

Leicester to win @ 6/5.

Brighton v Peterborough

These two teams met in League One last season and not many would have expected them to be in the top stage at this early stage.

Brighton won both meetings last term and will again be fancied by many to collect the three points here.

Gus Poyet’s men look to have that little bit of extra quality and Craig Mackail-Smith will be desperate to score against his former club.

Mackail-Smith to score at anytime @ 6/5.

Crystal Palace v Blackpool

The Eagles go into this game on the back of four straight wins and are always a difficult team to beat at Selhurst Park. Dougie Freedman has tightened things up at the back and Palace don’t look to be missing last season’s star man, Neil Danns, in the middle of the park.

You can guarantee goals with Blackpool, though, and Ian Holloway’s men are likely to put a dent in Palace’s goal against column.

Draw @ 12/5.

Ipswich v Leeds

There has been early season pressure on both of these two teams, but both struggling to make an impact in the opening four matches. Ipswich, in particular, have been leaking goals and losing matches ? with a 7-1 defeat at Peterborough fresh in the memory.

Leeds were much better at West Ham last week, but will have to contend with some new additions at Portman Road ? with Jimmy Bullard and Daryl Murphy joining Town in midweek.

Ipswich/Draw HT/FT @ 14/1.

Hull v Reading

There is a battle of two recent Premier League teams at the KC Stadium and this is another game where early-season pressure could have an impact.

The Tigers home form is shocking, with defeats in their three fixtures at the KC this season.

Reading have not fared much better and a midweek Carling Cup defeat at the hands of League One Charlton, will not have helped confidence in the Royals camp.

1-1 draw @ 6/1.

Portsmouth v Cardiff

Cardiff won home and away against Pompey last season, but this fixture will be a much tougher test for the man from Wales.

Steve Cotterill has made the south-coast outfit difficult to beat, but they now need to find goals from somewhere – with just one in their last four games.

The Bluesbirds have plenty of goals in them, but they have also been shipping plenty.

Benjani has rejoined Pompey this week and he could play a key role in their progress.

Pompey to win @ 11/8.

Doncaster v Bristol City

Both of these teams are likely to be battling it out at the bottom end of the table and, even at this stage of the season, three points here could be crucial.

Both teams have leaked goals and although they have four points more than Rovers, City were dumped out of the Carling Cup by lower league opposition, Swindon, in midweek. Home advantage could be the key.

Doncaster to win @ 5/4.

Millwall v Barnsley

The Lions have made a solid start to the season and are unbeaten at the New Den so far this term. Millwall won this fixture 2-0 last term and look likely to seal another three points.

Despite a shock win at Reading last week, it would be a major surprise it the Tykes could secure back-to-back away wins.

Millwall to win 2-0 @ 13/2.

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Boro can edge League Two finale

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The League Two season comes to a climax at Old Trafford as Stevenage and Torquay battle for promotion in the play-off final. It is a battle of two over-achieving teams and here is our guide to Saturday’s game.

Stevenage (6/4 to win) have had an incredible first season in the Football League and back-to-back promotions would be some achievement for their ambitious boss Graham Westley.

If you look back to January they sat 18th in the League Two and it has been some turnaround since then. A run of nine wins in 11 games catapulted them up the league as they timed their run to perfection and secured a sixth-placed finish.

Boro then won both legs against Accrington Stanley and looked assured in both games – though Stanley were reduced to nine men in the second half to make life a little easier for Stevenage as they were leading the tie 2-0 on aggregate by that point.

Substitute Chris Beardsley (7/1 to be first goalscorer at Old Trafford) got the only goal of the second leg to continue Boro’s impressive recent form and make it 11 wins from 13 games over recent months.

Torquay (13/8 to win the game) were many people’s picks to be relegated before the start of the season so it is a major shock to see them 90 minutes away from playing League One football come September.

Paul Buckle worked wonders to get the Gulls into the play-offs, as they sneaked in by the skin of their necks on goal difference on the final day of the season. A failure to win in their final five league games and a one-point deduction for errors with Jake Robinson’s registration threatened to ruin their play-off chances but they sneaked in.

Even then they were not given much chance against a Shrewsbury side that finished 11 points ahead of them in the table and were very unlucky not to go up automatically – themselves only missing out in the final game.

Goals from Chris Zebroski (11/2 to score the first goal) and Eunan O’Kane gave Torquay an advantage at Plainmoor and then a second-leg stalemate secured a long trip to Old Trafford for their most famous fan, Soccer AM’s Helen Chamberlain, and the rest of the Gulls’ West Country faithful.

It is a clash of two of the most respected managers in League Two at Old Trafford as both Westley and Buckle have achieved big things on tiny budgets this season. Both bosses have led their respective sides out of the Blue Square Premier in recent years and you have to wonder if League One might be a step too far for both Stevenage and Torquay.

The records show that Stevenage have never beaten Torquay in the six previous clashes between the sides. Four wins for the Gulls and two draws mean Torquay sit in pole position going into the game and the most recent meeting between them saw Buckle’s side record a 2-0 win at Plainmoor in March. (11/1 for Torquay to win final 2-0).

It should be an entertaining clash at Old Trafford between two teams that play attractive football by League Two standards, but Torquay are just likely to have the edge on Boro and should be celebrating promotion on Saturday afternoon.

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