PROLIFIC Danny Mercer (@OneDannyMercer) was desperate to share three Anytime Goalscorer fancies from Tuesday’s football.
Leeds United v Bournemouth | Tuesday 19.45
Leeds ran out comfortable 3-1 winners when these two sides met earlier this season but Bournemouth went into that fixture without a win in four and in their worst run of form this season. So unsurprisingly, I’m happy to push that result to one side.
The Whites sit just above the relegation zone now and haven’t tasted victory for seven games in the Championship since a shock win over Derby. Things aren’t looking to good for Neil Redfearn’s men right now.
We all know Bournemouth are a joy to watch; they’re quality going forward and score goals from all over the pitch. You’ve got to assume they’ll prove too strong for this Leeds team, especially having racked up a whopping 24 goals in their last eight away days in the league!
One player I like is little Matt Ritchie. Betfred have made him a 7/2 chance to score on Tuesday night and that’s a bet for me. He’s a magician with a very special left peg and already has seven league goals to his name this season.
Last year he managed nine. Ritchie’s in his best scoring form of the season and has bagged six in his last nine Championship outings as well as three in his last four on the road.
With Leeds playing quite narrow and without anyone occupying the left-side of midfield we should expect to see young Charlie Taylor struggling with Ritchie and Simon Francis bombing down the Bournemouth right. Ritchie should get plenty of space to cut in and unleash tat left foot.
Chester v Lincoln City | Tuesday 19.45
Lincoln are the form team in the Conference. Seven wins in their last nine league games is mightily impressive as they gobble up the ground in the fifth tier. Discount their defeat to Eastleigh; they were playing with 10 men for the majority of the match.
Tuesday night they travel to Chester, a side short of form and shorn of confidence. The hosts have lost five of their last eight Conference clashes but remain 10 points ahead of the relegation places. They’ve conceded two or more goals in nine of their last 13 league games and we also know Lincoln love scoring goals.
The Imps have netted twice or more in nine of their last 15 games and with Jordan Burrow, Ben Tomlinson, Alan Power, Arnaud Mendy, Charlee Adams and Conner Robinson, they’re a real threat when flooding forward.
I fancy Tomlinson to score. He seems to have found his best form since manager Chris Moyeses came into the hot-seat. He grabbed 18 league gaols last season and is well on his way already for 2014/15 with 10 so far this term.
Tomlinson never gives defenders a chance to breathe, closing them down quickly and panicking them into errors. At this level defenders just aren’t gifted on the ball and are prone to making mistakes. So Tomlinson’s a nightmare opponent.
The 25-year-old has grabbed four goals in his last seven league games so despite not scoring in seven starts on the road; he’ll be a serious threat. Moyses’ appointment has really improved his all-round games; he’s more confident in goal and working even harder in a free-flowing Lincoln side that should carve out plenty of chances on Tuesday night.
Dover Athletic v Wrexham | Tuesday 19.45
It’s now 12 games unbeaten for Dover in the Conference and they sit just four points off the play-off places. When hosting they’ve not lost in nine with seven of those ending in home victories as well as seven clean sheets. That’s form.
Wrexham arrive in, anything but form. They’ve good squad but manager Kevin Wilkin is playing the wrong side and doesn’t seem willing to drop any of the old boys who used to play for him at other clubs.
The visitors were smashed 4-0 at home to rock bottom Telford and I really cannot see how they can bounce back after that humbling defeat, especially against the best team in the league right now.
Dover get goals from all over the park and in Connor Essam, Barry Cogan, Nicky Deverdics plus lethal strike partnership Stefan Payne and Tom Murphy, they’re such a threat on the front foot.
Athletic hit six at the weekend against Dartford and amazingly top goalscorer Payne wasn’t on the scoresheet. So I’ll oppose him here and instead take his late pacey front partner Murphy, who seems to be playing the best football of his career.
Murphy’s grabbed six goals in his last eight Conference games plus has bagged five goals in his last four on home soil. It’s hard to see Wrexham keeping the goals out, especially with their key defensive lynchpin Blaine Hudson out and that could allow Murphy to profit for us.
Best Bets
Leeds v Bournemouth – Matt Ritchie to score at anytime (7/2 Betfred)
Chester v Lincoln City – Ben Tomlinson to score at anytime (7/4 Bet365)
Dover Athletic v Wrexham – Tom Murphy to score at anytime (7/4 Bet365)
