Post by jdl on Feb 7, 2014 1:37:57 GMT
Well it's Friday morning - and the rain has stopped!
And the Footy Web Pages site still has ALL Saturday's games as on.
Assuming this holds true, and even those clubs without a DECENT pitch get to play, how does it look?
Dulwich are home to Bury (8th), which might not be an easy game for them. There's still time for Bury to put a run together and make it to the play-offs, so they have something to play for, and their form is much the same as Dulwich's. But a closer look reveals a different picture - Dulwich have won their last two games, Bury have lost theirs - take the form over the last 4 games and there's a huge gap (Dulwich have twice the points). Although there's also the question of how much off-pitch matters are affecting Dulwich.
But, all in all, Dulwich are on a run, with everything to play for, and Bury look to have started to drift - so a comfortable home win.
Wealdstone are also at home, and playing Lowestoft - for the second week running! Last week's game ended in a fairly predictable draw, so the question is whether home advantage will tell, or Lowestoft will have the psychological advantage after holding the potential champions to a draw. Wealdstone have a comfortable three games in hand, but, with the end of the season approaching, and the likelihood of even more postponed games, the pressure will be starting to tell. Whereas Lowestoft have no worries, nothing to lose - but a win and the play-offs are within reach.
Logic and the stats say home win, but another draw wouldn't surprise me, and, were I a betting man, I'd even put a few quid on an away win. (And think what that will do to Wealdstone's confidence!)
Kingstonian and Hornchurch worry me less these days, and both are away anyway. But, whilst Kingstonian have a hard game at high-flying Leiston (4 plays 17 in the form table!), Hornchurch have a very easy game against second from bottom Carshalton (saved from bottom 'only' by a 29 goal difference!).
It's still too early in the season for the bottom clubs to start desperate runs to safety, so, even for an accident-prone club like Hornchurch, it should be an easy away win - and fresh (if false!) hope for the title. But Kingstonian could easily come unstuck at Leiston - it could be one of those games where the first goal settles it. And think of the impact on Kingstonian's push for the championship if they drop another three points just now.
All of which leaves us - at home against 14th placed Canvey - and on the best pitch in the league. It never does to predict home wins for us, but our opposition are 18 places and 8 points below us in the form table and have only won one game in the last 6, so (surely!) that's a home win? But that last game they did win was, bizarrely, against Wealdstone...
And worse still, I'll be at the game. And so far this year I've seen two draws and missed two wins...
I'm not a jinx. Of course I'm not...
But, just win tomorrow please, Maidstone, just win!
And the Footy Web Pages site still has ALL Saturday's games as on.
Assuming this holds true, and even those clubs without a DECENT pitch get to play, how does it look?
Dulwich are home to Bury (8th), which might not be an easy game for them. There's still time for Bury to put a run together and make it to the play-offs, so they have something to play for, and their form is much the same as Dulwich's. But a closer look reveals a different picture - Dulwich have won their last two games, Bury have lost theirs - take the form over the last 4 games and there's a huge gap (Dulwich have twice the points). Although there's also the question of how much off-pitch matters are affecting Dulwich.
But, all in all, Dulwich are on a run, with everything to play for, and Bury look to have started to drift - so a comfortable home win.
Wealdstone are also at home, and playing Lowestoft - for the second week running! Last week's game ended in a fairly predictable draw, so the question is whether home advantage will tell, or Lowestoft will have the psychological advantage after holding the potential champions to a draw. Wealdstone have a comfortable three games in hand, but, with the end of the season approaching, and the likelihood of even more postponed games, the pressure will be starting to tell. Whereas Lowestoft have no worries, nothing to lose - but a win and the play-offs are within reach.
Logic and the stats say home win, but another draw wouldn't surprise me, and, were I a betting man, I'd even put a few quid on an away win. (And think what that will do to Wealdstone's confidence!)
Kingstonian and Hornchurch worry me less these days, and both are away anyway. But, whilst Kingstonian have a hard game at high-flying Leiston (4 plays 17 in the form table!), Hornchurch have a very easy game against second from bottom Carshalton (saved from bottom 'only' by a 29 goal difference!).
It's still too early in the season for the bottom clubs to start desperate runs to safety, so, even for an accident-prone club like Hornchurch, it should be an easy away win - and fresh (if false!) hope for the title. But Kingstonian could easily come unstuck at Leiston - it could be one of those games where the first goal settles it. And think of the impact on Kingstonian's push for the championship if they drop another three points just now.
All of which leaves us - at home against 14th placed Canvey - and on the best pitch in the league. It never does to predict home wins for us, but our opposition are 18 places and 8 points below us in the form table and have only won one game in the last 6, so (surely!) that's a home win? But that last game they did win was, bizarrely, against Wealdstone...
And worse still, I'll be at the game. And so far this year I've seen two draws and missed two wins...
I'm not a jinx. Of course I'm not...
But, just win tomorrow please, Maidstone, just win!
