Betting Tips - 12/02/14

Ok, so last nights tip didn't come in, but it was only an 87^th minute equaliser from Victor Anichebe that stood between us and betting glory! So close, yet so far. Do not fear, tonight is another night, full of opportunity. Let's have a look at tonight's accumulator, once again all odds based on SkyBet:

Arsenal vs Manchester United

The last time Arsenal took a hammering away at one of the top teams, was away at Man City back in December, this inspired the Gunner's to go on a 10 match unbeaten streak. David Moye's is a desperate man, another poor result tonight will heap even more pressure on the Scotsman. Should be tight, but I am backing Arsenal to bounce back with a win. 5/4

Everton vs Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have been nothing short of superb since Tony Pulis took charge, however their away form has seen them pick up only 2 wins in 12 outings. Everton are still without Romanu 'Baby Drog' Lukaku, but I still expect them to prove too strong for the Eagles tonight. 4/9

Man City vs Sunderland

A preview of the League Cup final, Man City have struggled for goals (strangely) in their last two league games. I fully expect this to stop tonight and it should be a comfortable win and a return to the summit for them. Sunderland have been performing well but better sides have come to the Etihad this season and been well beaten. 1/6

Fulham vs Liverpool

Liverpool were simply a joy to watch against Arsenal and could easily have won by more. Fulham compounded more misery on David Moyes with a last minute equaliser but face another night with little possession. Liverpool to win, might be tighter than expected though 4/11

Hamburg vs FC Bayern

These two clash in the German Cup, with Hamburg looking set to battle relegation in the league. Bayern are simply far too strong, with many complaining they are making Germany a bit boring, as they look to repeat last years treble. 1/7

As you can probably tell by now, I like my 'bankers'. At odds of just under 5/1, feel free to give it a go! As ever, let me know your tips for tonight’s action.

Betting Tips for 11/2/14

With midweek games all over Europe, I thought it would be worthwhile to look and see if we can win some money! I will be looking at doing a £5 stake with fairly low odds to try and get a quick return, then build on that profit in the weeks to come. Or if you are wise, you could win some extra money to splash on the missus this Valentine's Day. Just maybe keep where you got the money from to yourself...More importantly, don't put all that money you were going to spend on your other half, on this bet. I don't want to be held responsible for any divorces or injuries as the result of plate throwing.

 

Right so lets have a look at what we are dealing with tonight, fivers at the ready please. I myself use SkyBet (other good bookies are available), so I will be looking at odds based on this site. If you do use SkyBet, you may have already signed up to the '£5 bet club' and may therefore have a free £5 bet ready for use, you lucky devils!

 

West Brom vs Chelsea

 

With Mourinho playing mind games in the press, it is imperative that they keep up their performance levels. With Chelsea's defence keeping 6 clean sheets in the last 8 games and WBA conceding 7 in their last two games, it's hard to see anything other than a Chelsea win here. In it goes at 4/9.

 

West Ham vs Norwich City

 

With many calling for Big Sam's, big head (sorry Sam) after a disastrous Christmas and New Year period, a recent run of good results has pushed the hammers out of the relegation zone. Kevin Nolan has found his scoring touch and despite a spirited performance by Norwich against Man City at the weekend, I think West Ham will just sneak this. 21/20

 

Bromley vs Eastbourne

 

A tasty fixture from the Skrill South now, where league leaders Bromley take on playoff chasing Eastbourne Borough. Bromley sit 11 points clear at the top of the table, scoring 53 goals in the process, and are favourites to take another 3 points tonight with odds of 8/13

 

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund have seen their title aspirations slip away, suffering from a lot of injuries to key players before the winter break. They have picked up in recent week's and last weekend's 5-1 hammering of Werder Bremen would have significantly boosted confidence in the Dortmund camp. With league leaders FC Bayern running away with the league, Jurgen Klopp's men will be looking to get some silverware via the cup and I expect another strong performance from them. 8/15

 

This four fold gives us odds of around 6.33 to 1. If you fancy a return at short odds, why not give this a go. Feel free to suggest any bets you may have and good luck!

 

 

5 things we learnt from the Premier League this weekend...

5 Things we learnt from the Premier League this weekend...

1. Hazard is the real deal. His first season with Chelsea showed the potential, it just lacked the consistency. A sublime hat-trick at the weekend against Newcastle was just rewards for his fine performances this season. Comfortable on either foot, a devastating turn of pace and a bag on tricks to make even the best defenders look silly. An absolute joy to watch so far this season, Mourinho was quick to praise the Belgian starlet stating 'he is the best young player in the world'. With performances like that, who can argue?
   
   
2. Moyes' tactics are doing him no favours. Mata on the right wing of a 4-4-2 formation? Repeatedly giving the ball to Ashley Young, who in turn delivers a poor cross again and again. With 81 crosses delivered into the box, only 18 found a red shirt. If something is clearly not working, why stick with it? It's not the type of delivery that Van Persie will thrive on and a distinct lack of height in the United side left a lot of observers scratching their heads. Fergie is watching and you can't imagine he is impressed with what he is seeing.
   
   
3. Liverpool are title contenders. If they continue to tear teams apart like that, they cannot be ignored for much longer. The first 20 minutes at Anfield was played at a blistering tempo (by Liverpool) with Sterling exploiting the gaps in Arsenal's defence and Sturridge continuing to show why he should be considered one of the top marksmen in the league. Arsenal really could have been 6 down by halftime, had it not been for the woodwork and a rare miss from Sturridge. Gerrard swept up in midfield, allowing those with more youthful legs to attack. With this level of performance, they have every chance of a late charge for the title.
   
   
4. Crystal Palace have a real chance of survival. Tony Pulis has worked nothing but wonders since replacing Ian Holloway at Selhurst Park. Some astute signings in the January transfer window, in particular Joe Ledley and Tom Ince and the Eagles really look like they could push on to mid table safety. They have made Selhurst a fortress since Pulis took charge, having lost just once in seven games. Their next home game is against Manchester United and they will be looking to pile on the misery for Moyes' men.
   
   
5. Man City are having a wobble. After two defeats in the last week, City have found themselves replaced by Chelsea at the top of the table. Mourinho won the tactical battle last Monday and City went and ruined a lot of accumulators at the weekend by drawing with struggler’s Norwich City. The end of their 20 game unbeaten run seems to have had a mental affect of Pellegrini's usually free scoring side, having scored 9 goals in the two games prior to that defeat against Chelsea. Luck and goal's seemed to have suddenly dried up for City but this should just be a blip in form. There's too much fire power in this team for such run to continue but their defence has been leaking more goals than usual this season. Something which they need to address to get the title hunt back on the road.

Shakhtar Donestk striker Maicon killed in car crash

Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk have confirmed that striker Maicon Pereira de Oliviera has died in a car accident. The club issued the following statement this morning:

 

"FC Shakhtar regretfully informs that on 8 February 2014 the life of a footballer Maicon Pereira de Oliveira tragically ended, he died in a car crash in Donetsk. He was a talented footballer, open and friendly guy, Maicon loved life and knew how to make it positive and bright''

 

The Brazilian striker was part of an influx of Brazilian players into the Ukranian leagues over the years, first bought by second division outfit Volyn Lutsk. In his first season with the club, he scored an impressive 13 goals in 18 matches, guiding Volyn to a second place finish and promotion to the Premier League. After failing to build on this scoring prowess in his second season, he was shipped out on loan to Steaua Bucuresti for the 2010/11 season with a view to making the transfer permanent. He scored 3 goals in 6 appearances, but didn't do enough to secure a deal with the Romanian outfit, returning to Ukraine at the end of the season.

 

He returned to Volyn and appeared to have bought his scoring boots with him as he went on to become top scorer for the club in the 2011/12 campaign. This was enough to spark interest from Ukranian giants Shakhtar Donestk, with the offer of champion's league football too good to resist, he moved on a free transfer in the summer of 2012.

 

Still only 23, and with competition for places at Shakhtar inevitably high, Maicon was sent to FC Zorya for six months, before joining up with his parent club after the winter break. A goalless spell at Zorya meant Maicon found himself loaned out once more to fellow Premier League outfit, Illichivets Mariupol, for the 2013/14 season. In his time there, he scored 3 goals in 10 appearances.

 

No further details have been released in relation to the 25 year olds death as of yet. Condolences and sympathies to all those affected.

Lallana to Brazil?

It was after Southampton's 3-0 demolition of Fulham that Mauricio Pochettino was asked about man of the match, Adam Lallana's, England credentials. His response, ''You can see he is one of the most talented players in England. He is very special and hopefully he can go to Brazil because he fully deserves it. In my opinion, if Lallana had Brazilian nationality or Spanish nationality, if he were another Mata or Oscar, he would be going with their national side. I truly believe that." Not a bad little ego boost if you are Adam Lallana, obviously Pochettino is going to be somewhat biased in his opinion of the attacking midfielder, but is there any truth to this statement?

Lallana has so far made two appearances for his country, in the back to back friendly defeats against Chile and Germany in November. He will most likely be given one more opportunity to shine, in next months friendly against Denmark, before Hodgson is left to decide his squad for Brazil. Hodgson was in the stands at Craven Cottage and will surely have been impressed by what he saw, Lallana scored the opening goal and was pivotal in Southampton's dismantling of the Fulham defence.

He is a player who can play out wide, or tucked in behind the striker, is comfortable with both feet and plays with a certain guile that is not often attributed to English footballer's. He looks as if he had been nurtured by a country placing emphasis on technique and skill as opposed to brute strength and power. So it is easy for one to see how Pochettino can make this statement, it may be a little early for a comparison to the Mata's and Oscar's of this world but the signs are there for all to see.

Many will point to Ross Barkley being the future of English football, an undoubtedly intelligent and classy player but for me, this is one tournament too soon for the Everton youngster. Lallana is still only 25 and you can't help but think the best is yet to come, in his 24 league games so far, Lallana has scored 7 goals with 5 assists to his name. That's one more goal and three more assist's than Oscar has to his name this season, maybe not too soon then, hey?

So here's to hoping that Lallana keeps up this impressive run of form for Southampton as on his day, he is a wonderful player to watch. Hodgson will no doubt want to take another look at the player on the international stage when England take on Denmark in March, as he will with others on the fringe of his squad. But, at this moment in time, can you name many other English midfielder's who possess the same qualities that Lallana has? He is in form and playing regular football, as opposed to a certain England squad regular, James Milner...Over to you Roy!

Chelmsford City vs Gosport Borough - Visitors write up for match day programme 8/2/14

Today we welcome Gosport Borough FC to the Melbourne Stadium, with the Claret's looking to get revenge for a 2-1 defeat earlier in the season - this was the two teams first ever meeting in all competitions. Today's visitors are currently 21^st in their first campaign at this level, with games in hand on several of the surrounding teams.

Gosport Borough were founded just two weeks after the D-Day landings in 1994, driven by an initiative to bring back sport to the local community after a break of several years. In their first competitive season, the club won the Portsmouth and District League Division One under the guidance of former Southampton winger, Stan Cribb. This was a team that boasted two future internationals in the form of wing half Jimmy Scouler and midfielder Peter Harris, who then went on to guide the club to Hampshire League Division One title the following season. This feat was not repeated for a further thirty one seasons, despite the club being a major force in Hampshire football. After a long wait, 'the Boro' finally retained the Division One Crown, managing to win the Division in successive seasons (1976/77 & 1977/78). After attaining this feat, they were then elected to the Southern Football League, finishing in the top four consistently before the league was restructured for the start of the 1982/83 season. Through this restructure, Gosport were placed in the Premier Division.

Two years later Boro' lost their Premier Division status and was relegated to the Southern Division. However the next season saw the team bounce straight back after an incredible run of sixteen wins in the final nineteen matches earned them the runners-up spot and promotion. Relegation loomed once more in the 1987/88 season, but victory in the final of the Hampshire Senior Cup, saw spirits within the club lifted. The players transferred their cup form into the league and secured their place in the Premier Division for another season. The Boro' enjoyed their highest ever league finish in the 1988/89 season, when seventh placed was achieved. Unfortunately they could not build upon this finish, as a mass exodus of players and staff the following season saw the club relegated to the Southern Division, before a further relegation to the Wessex League in 1992.

Chairman Ian Hay. bought in Roger Sherwood as manager to try and turn around the team's fortunes. Sherwood won the Wessex League Cup in his first season in charge, but this was to be his only success and he parted company with the club before the 1995/96 season. After Sherwood's departure, the Management Committee decided upon a period of financial consolidation and re-structuring after a review of the club's policies. A new emphasis was placed on developing the club's youth policy and forming a team out of local player's, with three former Gosport player's, John Hawes, Dave Pitt and Barry Cook taking up the running of the side.

Despite these changes, the clubs league form continued to deteriorate, with Dave Pitt and Barry Cook resigning in October 1999 after a poor start to the campaign. John Hawes went on to become club Chairman, lasting just one season before returning to his coaching role at the club. During this period, Ian Hay had completely re-structured the clubs finances, implementing a unique Trustee Scheme which gave the club a solid financial foundation for the future. Reserve team manager Mick Marsh was promoted to first team manager and it was agreed that the club would continue to develop young, local talent but also add a sprinkling of more experienced player's to the side. This proved to be a sound decision as the club's decline was halted and the team began to head in a more positive direction.

John Robson was bought in to replace the retiring Mick Marsh, but this tenure lasted a matter of months before Alex Pike was appointed manager in December 2005. In his first full season, Pike lead the team to the Wessex League Championship – Gosport's first title in 29 years, with the title being decided on a nail biting last day of the season. The Boro' had to ensure they avoided defeat by two goals at title rivals AFC Totton, they lost the game one nil but had won the title on goal difference only. The nerves didn't end there for the club, as they had to await the FA's decision on their application for promotion back to the Southern League. Two weeks after lifting the title, The FA agreed to re-elect Gosport Borough into the Southern League for the start of the 2007/08 season.

The Boro' got off to a good start on their return to the Southern League, despite form dipping over Christmas and New Year, the club eventually finished a respectable 11^th position. The following season saw a promising start and by Christmas the club were occupying a play-off place, however the 2008 recession hit the club hard and the board were forced to dramatically reduce the playing budget in order to avoid being pushed into debt. The last few months were a struggle for Pike's men as they drifted away from the play-off picture before finishing 12^th. A few seasons of mid-table finishes followed before attaining one of the coveted play-off spots in the 2011/12 season. Boro' won their semi-final against neighbours Sholing, which lined up a meeting with Poole Town in the final for a place in the Southern League Premier Division. An injury time equaliser by veteran striker Steve Claridge, took the tie into extra time where Gosport scored twice to secure promotion to the Southern Premier for the first time since 1990.

The 2012/13 season started as many had predicted, with the side looking set to battle against relegation. This all changed after a record levelling FA Cup run to the fourth qualifying round, the team went on a 23 game unbeaten run in the league to help secure a play-off place. A win against second placed Stourbridge in the semi finals, was followed by a 5-4 win on penalties against Hemel Hempstead in the final. The club were promoted to the Skrill Conference South for the first time in their history.

After two successive promotions, this was always going to be a big step up for today's visitors and a home tie against Dover Athletic on the opening day of the season was their first test. Despite a spirited performance, a mix up between keeper Nathan Ashmore and defender Jamie Brown lead to the only goal of the game for Dover. Defensive mistakes would cost the Boro' once again as they lost 2-1 away at Basingstoke Town before landing their first point of the season away at Bath City with a hard earned 1-1 draw. A draw with fellow early season struggler’s Dorchester Town followed, despite a dominant performance by Gosport, leaving Pike to rue his sides inability to convert their chances into goals. The month of August ended with a 2-1 defeat away at promotion chasing Bromley meaning a two point haul from their opening five games.

September started as August had ended for Gosport, two further defeats against Maidenhead United and Boreham Wood left the club still chasing that first win at this level. This all changed at home to Tonbridge Angels, where goals from former Southampton midfielder Jamie Brown and local lad Rory Williams secured a 2-0 win and the clubs first three points of the season. With manager Pike hoping this could kick start a run of results, they were bought back down to earth by back to back league defeats against Bishops Stortford and Ebbsfleet United. Gosport welcome the Clarets to Privett Park next, Jamie Brown produced a spectacular overhead kick to net the opener for the Boro' before striker Tim Sills scored on his debut to double their lead. Despite being reduced to ten men in the 75^th minute, the home side managed to hold on for a 2-1 win.

Once again, Gosport couldn't build upon this win and struggled in November, picking up just one point in their next three games before an impressive 2-0 win at home to Staines Town lifted the club off the bottom of the table. Boyd by this result, the club managed back to back wins for the first time this season, with another 2-0 win away at Concord Rangers, with goals from striker's Dan Wooden and top scorer Williams. The Boro' finished the year with a disappointing 3-0 boxing day defeat at local rivals Havant & Waterlooville.

Like many in the league, Gosport have suffered a distinct lack of league games since the turn of the year due to bad weather. Having played just twice, a 2-1 defeat away at Eastleigh and a 1-0 away win at Weston-Super-Mare. Pike has however, recently guided the club to the quarter final of the FA Vase, where they face North Ferriby United for a place in the semi finals. Manager Pike, produced an upset against Skrill Premier Nuneaton Town, after a replay and 210 minutes of goalless football. Veteran midfielder Sammy Igoe calmly tucked away the winning penalty to seal a 4-2 shoot out win and created a bit of Gosport Borough history in the process, as they reached their first ever FA Vase quarter final. Confidence will be high in the Boro' squad but Claret fans will be hoping they have one eye on the cup when the two teams meet at the Melbourne.

Chelmsford City vs Dorchester Town - Away Team Preview 25/1/14

Today we welcome Dorchester Town to the Melbourne Stadium, with the visitors sitting bottom of the league and six points from safety. In the teams last meeting, Dorchester ran out two nil winners with then manager Holdsworth bemoaning the teams failure to take it's chances. Last season the Clarets ran out comfortable winners with a four nil home win, gaining revenge for a single goal defeat in the reverse fixture.

Founded in 1880, Dorchester Town Football Club play their home games at The Avenue Stadium. Nicknamed 'The Magpies' the club were Dorset Senior Cup finalists in 1888 and 1890 before becoming a founding member of the Dorset League in 1896. The club endured little success for many years, before finally winning the championship in the 1937/38 season. They joined the Western League in 1947, winning promotion from Division Two in 1950 and then going on to win the league championship in the 1954/55 season. This proved to be a successful decade for the club as they finally got their hands on the Dorset Senior Cup and enjoyed a number of good FA cup runs in this period facing the likes of Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers, Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle. Dorchester reached the 2^nd round of the FA cup in 1954, where a crowd of 5,500 packed into the old Avenue Stadium to see the home side lose to eventual semi finalists York City.

The Magpies won the Dorset Senior Cup four more times before entering the Southern League in 1972. It didn't take the club long to adjust and soon tasted success in the 1977/78 season, a year in which manager David Best utilised his links with former club AFC Bournemouth to attract a few key players such as John O'Rourke, Jack Howarth and most notably, Harry Redknapp. Dorchester finished runners up to Margate Town that season, after an impressive run of sixteen games without defeat. The formation of the Alliance League (now the Skrill Premier) meant the Magpies ended up in the reformed Southern Division a year later. This didn't deter the club however and in their centenary year the club celebrated by winning the Southern Division title in the 1979/80 season, clinching the title after a fourteen game unbeaten run. The club had earlier in the season sold defender Graham Roberts to local rivals Weymouth, a player who would go onto enjoy FA and UEFA cup success with Tottenham Hotspur, winning six caps for England.

A young Trevor Senior impressed alongside top scorer Paul Thorne that year, with Senior going on to later enjoy a successful league career, primarily with Reading, where he broke the Berkshire club's all-time goalscoring record. Before he left the Magpies though, Senior helped the club reach the 2^nd round of the FA cup once more, where they lost to AFC Bournemouth in a replay at Dean Court. After taking their league opponents to extra time, a goal four minutes from time ended the club's dream of a place in the third round – a feat they are yet to achieve.

The 1983/84 season saw the club relegated following a severe financial crisis, with Dorchester only just avoiding dropping out of the league altogether the season after. However, a remarkable turnaround followed, with the Magpies returning to the Premier Division as champions following a goalless draw with Ashford in the final game of the 1986/87 season. The return to the top Southern division began a roller-coaster period for the club, after being mid table regulars for several years, a brush with relegation came at the start of the nineties. Stuart Morgan was bought in as manager in 1993 to help stabilise the ship, despite an excellent first full season in charge, where he guided the club to sixth place before the club once again flirted with relegation on numerous occasions. Despite their league form, the club enjoyed several cup runs, reaching the last sixteen of the FA Trophy for only the second time in their history and reaching the first round of the FA Cup where they were defeated by Oxford City.

The Club were relegated to the Eastern Division after a disappointing league campaign in 2001, despite another FA Cup run which saw the Magpies defeated in the first round once more at the hands of Wigan Athletic. It didn't take long for the club to regain its Southern Premier status with promotion coming at the end of the 2002/03 season, scoring 114 goals in the process. Dorchester once again tasted success in a cup, this time defeating Kings Lynn to lift their first Southern League Cup. The first season back in the Premier Division was a difficult one but the club succeeded to reach the play-offs, where victories over Bath City and Tiverton Town saw Dorchester become a Conference club for the first time in the newly formed Conference South division. A season later the Magpies almost saw further play-off glory, but missed out on another promotion opportunity on the final day of the season, going down 7–3 at Bognor Regis Town. With Eddie Mitchell taking over ownership of the club, Dorchester announced they would be making the step up to full time football in time for the 2007/08 season. Since going full time, the club have retained their Southern Premier status often finishing in the lower half of the table. The last two seasons have seen the club push on, finishing eleventh and eighth respectively.

The current campaign has been tough for the Magpies, accruing fifteen points from twenty two games, winning just four. The club have faced an uphill battle after enduring an awful start to the season in which they conceded ten goals in their first three games, losing 1-0 away at Staines Town, 3-0 at home to Weston-super-Mare and 6-2 at home to Whitehawk. A point away at fellow strugglers Gosport Borough was then followed by another set of three consecutive defeats. With the team leaking goals, the Magpies already had a minus thirteen goal difference after just seven games.

Unfortunately for Claret fans, Dorchester were about to register their first victory of the season. With both teams sitting in the bottom three of the league, this was seen as a key game. After taking the lead in the first half through Dan Way, the Magpies went on to seal the points with virtually the last kick of the game through experienced midfielder Nick Crittenden, after some heavy pressure from Chelmsford. This wasn't enough to take Dorchester off the bottom but many at the club were hoping this would spark a run of results going into October.

Dorchester faced play-off chasing Dover Athletic in their next match, with Dover just edging a scrappy affair one nil. They followed up this encouraging performance with a 3-1 away victory at Maidenhead United, a win on which they failed to build upon as they then lost three games on the trot. Their defensive frailties were being exposed for all to see, shipping ten goals in three games for the second time this season. However, against a much fancied Sutton team, the Magpies registered their first clean sheet of the season in a smash and grab, one nil away win. A second clean sheet followed in the draw with Eastbourne Borough, meaning the Magpies had accrued four points in October, leaving them five points from safety with a game in hand.

The run of clean sheets was bought to an abrupt end with another heavy defeat at Havant and Waterloo, with another five goals conceded. Despite bouncing back with a 2-1 home win against fellow strugglers Tonbridge Angels, the Magpies have yet to register another win since and are on a four game losing streak, having suffered defeats to Eastleigh (2-1), Weston-super-Mare (3-0), Boreham Wood (5-0) and most recently Dover Athletic (4-0).

Magpies manager Phil Simpkin will be looking for an upturn in fortunes when they visit the Melbourne Stadium, with the club six points adrift at the bottom with many of the teams around them having games in hand. With the worst defensive record in the league and the second fewest goals for, it is little surprise that Dorchester find themselves in this position. Simpkin has bought in Warren Byerley on loan from Poole Town on a months loan, in a bid to boost their strike force. AFC Bournemouth duo Charlie Lossasso and Jake McCarthy were signed on loan at the start of the month, keeping up the club's ongoing link-up with the Cherries. Lossasso is a tricky winger with a reputation as a free-kick specialist and McCarthy a young centre back or midfielder, who is highly rated by his parent club. Despite these signings, the results have yet to improve and the Clarets will be looking to take advantage of the leagues leakiest defence.

Chelmsford City vs Sutton United 11/01/14 - visiting team write up

Today we welcome Sutton United to the Melbourne Stadium, with the visitors sitting 5^th in the table, accruing 33 points in the process. In the teams last meeting, the Clarets ran out 1-0 winners in a game that could have seen the home side win by more had it not been for some fine goalkeeping from Sutton keeper Tom Lovelock and some wayward finishing by Chelmsford. This was a reverse of the earlier meeting between the two teams, meaning a win a piece for each side last season.

Sutton United Football Club was formed on March 5^th 1898 when two leading junior sides, Sutton Association and Sutton Guild Rovers, combined. Progress was unremarkable until 1910 when the club decided to obtain senior status as members of the Southern Suburban League. The club settled on a home ground in 1919, called the Borough Sports Ground and have played there ever since. Nicknamed 'The U's', the club rapidly became a force in the amateur leagues and gained a reputation as one of the most imaginative and forward thinking clubs in the country. In the 50's, the club bought in top young coaches such as Jimmy Hill and Malcom Allison to try and push the club forward but it wasn't until Sid Cann took over that the club really started to progress. Hailed as the clubs 'golden era', Cann lead the club to Wembley in 1963 for the Amateur Cup final where the U's lost 4-2 to Wimbledon. The club returned to Wembley in 1969 for the Amateur Cup final, only to fall to a surprise 2-1 defeat to North Shields. Sutton gained national attention in 1970 however after progressing to the FA Cup fourth round, where they welcomed high flying Leeds United to the Borough Sports Ground. 14,000 people squeezed in to see 'The U's' take on Don Revie's star studded team and with 11 full internationals on the pitch, Leeds won the game comfortably 6-0.

The following decade would see little in the way of success for Sutton, once again losing at Wembley to Bishop's Stortford in the FA Trophy final in what was to be their last appearance at the stadium. Success returned on the pitch in 1985 after the club won the Isthmian League title, however the club controversially refused promotion to the Conference due to issues with the home ground. These were eradicated the following year and the club welcomed promotion after retaining the Isthmian title in 1986. They once again gained national attention with their exploits in the FA Cup whilst in the Conference, most famously beating top flight Coventry City in the 3^rd round in one of the competitions all time giant killings. They were the last non league side to knock out a top flight side before Luton Town replicated this feat in last years FA Cup by beating Norwich City.

The club were relegated back to the Isthmian League two seasons later, enjoying only one more stint in the conference for the 1999/00 season. With the introduction of the Conference North and South in the 2004/05 season, Sutton were selected as a founding member of the Conference South. Sutton had bought the average age of their squad considerably over the years, with midfielder Nicky Bailey's stand out performances attracting interest from league clubs. Bailey was sold to Barnet in 2004, continuing Sutton's tradition for producing players who have gone onto play in the Football League and Premiership. With the loss of Bailey the team struggled to maintain their Conference South status and were relegated in 2008. After back to back play off semi final defeats the U's finally returned to the Conference South for the 2011/12 season. The club surprised many with their performance in their first season back at this level, finishing 4^th before suffering yet more play off heartache after defeat by Welling. Sutton missed out on the play offs last year by just two points, with the clubs early season form costing them dear.

Manager Paul Doswell bought in experienced strikers Jamie Slabber and Jamie Taylor to boost the fire power at the club ahead of the 2013/14 season. Chelmford fans will need no introduction to Jamie Slabber after a fantastic season for the club last year, firing in 28 goals for the Clarets. He has continued his scoring form this year, scoring 9 times in total. Taylor was bought in from Lincoln City, where he was top scorer last season, contributing 5 goals so far. Chelmsford will also have to be weary of Sutton stalwart Craig Dundas should he start, the powerful U's striker is always a danger and will be looking to improve on his 7 league goals if given the chance.

Sutton find themselves third in the league, facing an away trip to Dover on the Tuesday which, if won, could see them rise as high as third. With a lot of expectation surrounding the club coming into the season, the team had a rather disappointing start to the campaign, losing two of their first three games. The 2-1 defeat at home to Bishops Stortford would be the last time the team would taste defeat for eleven games however. An impressive undefeated streak saw the U's chalk up victories against Whitehawk, Dover, a five nil thumping of Havant & Waterlooville, a four nil win against fellow play off contenders Eastborne Borough and a one nil win against current leaders Bromley. Sutton finished the month of October in 4^th, five points off leaders Eastleigh.

The U's failed to continue this form in November, enduring a frustrating month they managed just three points from four games. The U's had however gained a worthy draw against promotion chasing Eastleigh after playing over an hour with just ten men. Two further draws followed, where the U's faced awkward away trips to Bath City and Weston-super-Mare. But it would have been the game sandwiched in between these two that would have disappointed Doswell the most; a one nil home defeat at the hands of Dorchester Town. By the end of November, Paul Doswell's men had slipped out of the play off spots despite having only lost three games all season.

The start of December saw an exciting encounter at home to Maidenhead United, after Sutton had twice surrendered a lead the home crowd were relieved to see Craig Dundas goal seal a 3-2 win and their first in five games. This was followed by a hard fought, three one away victory over Boreham Wood, with in form striker Dundas once again on the score sheet. Since these back to back victories, the U's have struggled and picked up just one win in their last four games. They had the opportunity to go second in the Skrill South when they faced Tonbridge Angels at home, a chance they spurned as they lost 2-1. An away trip to fourth placed Ebbsfleet United was always going to be tough, especially with the hosts on an eight match unbeaten streak and top score Slabber out through injury. The home side ran out 2-0 winners meaning Sutton were now 7^th in the Skrill South, two points off the play off places. Boxing day saw the return of Slabber and a return to form for the U's as Hayes & Yeading were brushed aside in a two nil win.

In their last outing Sutton failed to recover from a first half, two goal deficit at Staines Town, despite a second half goal from Slabber. On a day where a lot of their promotion rivals lost, Paul Doswell would have been frustrated with his teams sloppy start to the game. Like most of the Skrill South however, Sutton haven't had a chance to bounce back from this defeat yet as the weather has taken its toll on grounds across the country. With competition for play off places high and only four points separating fourth and eight position, today's guests will be looking to get back to winning ways as soon as possible. Clarets fans should take heart in the fact that Sutton have often struggled against teams in the lower half of the league this season, especially when on the road.