Football started as a shin kicking game wearing hobnail boots. I reckon we will be back to rudimentary basics. Not games for the faint hearted.
Rochdale beat Accrington last night so both no longer have games in hand. 5 games left for us all. Rochdale now out of the bottom 4 and Southend as a result falls into to it.
Saturday's games... Accrington (17th on 45 points) v Walsall (23rd on 42 points) Rovers (16th on 46 points) v Bradford (24th on 36 points) Doncaster v Plymouth (15th on 47 points) Gillingham (13th on 48 points) v Shrewsbury (14th on 47 points) Oxford v Wimbledon (22nd on 43 points) Portsmouth v Rochdale (19th on 45 points) Scunthorpe (18th on 45 points) v Burton Southend (21st on 43 points) v Wycombe (20th on 44 points) Just the 4 six pointers! Whoever wins out of Gills and Shrews will stay up.
And as an aside and looking at the division below us with the Macc Lads turning over X - Zedder last night Yeovil now drop in to the extermination zone ! I wonder if that chap with his Bristol Rovers poster still goes along to watch them ?
So then, we got away with that yesterday! Poor performance but again thanks to JCH, we may have now survived in this league! 4 games left. 5 points clear, 6 really if you take our goal difference into account. 1 more win should see us 9 points clear with 3 games to go meaning 9 points left. I can't see all the teams below us picking up 9 points or more and us throwing it away, especially when these teams are still facing each other. How the table looks now... 19th Scunthorpe lost (hammered at home by Burton that will have killed them mentally) 20th Rochdale lost (hammered at Pompey that will have killed them mentally) ________________ 21st Wimbledon drew (positive result with the bonus of other clubs struggling around them) 22nd Southend lost (lost a 6 pointer at home that will have killed them mentally) 23rd Walsall lost (lost a 6 pointer that will have killed them mentally) 24th Bradford lost (last minute defeat would have killed them mentally) I think it will be out of these clubs now.
It’s looking good but it will only take us to lose against Wimbledon and Rochdale to be dragged back into it though. We must win one of those games otherwise we will suddenly struggle with a tricky game away at fleetwood and finish against 2nd Barnsley who will be fighting to the end to win promotion I think so we must win one of the upcoming 2 fixtures IMO. Draws might not be enough
Wimbledon will feel they can beat us, and it's a massive game for them. Wouldn't be surprised if that's a home win or draw. I think Rochdale are poor at the back and we should win that one comfortably.
Today's fixtures.... in bold are the relegation rival teams. In red are the bottom 4 sides. Early kick off.... Latest score after 30 ins.... Coventry 1 Bradford 0 3pm kick offs.... Wimbledon v Rovers Barnsley v Shrewsbury Gillingham v Plymouth Rochdale v Wycombe Scunthorpe v Blackpool Walsall v Southend
Bradford lost 2-0. As scores elsewhere currently stands in the 3pm kick offs, Bradford are relegated if current scores stays the same.
Half times.... Wimbledon 1 Rovers 0 Barnsley 1 Shrewsbury 1 Gillingham 0 Plymouth 1 Rochdale 0 Wycombe 0 Scunthorpe 0 Blackpool 0 Walsall 0 Southend 1 Rovers currently 15th but now just 3 points above the relegation zone. Not looking good!
There are 5 teams between us and the bottom 4, settle for a draw today and Monday and hope others drop points Have to hope that Bradford Charlton and Burton win on Monday and Luton and Doncaster win on Tuesday