League One Betting: Keep your eyes on Cheltenham as 'Mad Dog' returns to management

English Football League / Alan Dudman / 18 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Alan Dudman marks your betting card ahead of the weekend's League One fixtures.

How can one explain the unexplained? Area 51, Roswell, Gulf Breeze... Millwall winning at The Walkers Stadium? I cannot. Damn those Lions! Without that win it would have been a clean sweep with bets last weekend.

So Leicester City got turned over at home, the manager of the month curse struck Mr Pearson - or perhaps Millwall are better than I thought? Either way, that result saw the layers keen to get at the Foxes and they've drifted out to [4.5] to lift the title.

Down at the bottom end of the table there were some interesting developments this week as Martin Allen was named as new manager of Cheltenham Town, replacing the likeable Keith Downing.

Allen, otherwise known as 'Mad Dog', has a tremendous record in the division having taken Brentford close to promotion with next to no money a couple of seasons ago.

The former QPR and West Ham midfielder has some interesting motivational methods, but one thing is for sure he is a top coach. His track record at Brentford and Barnet was exceptional considering the limited funds, and if you include his stint at MK Dons, Allen has never finished out of the top seven in his managerial career.

So follow Cheltenham closely from now on, Allen will make Whaddon Road a fortress, and I think he could keep them up too. Look at the relegation market, but also be a backer of them in the coming weeks and months at home.

It could be a laying weekend looming, and we'll start by going against Crewe as they entertain Southend United on Saturday.

The Alex moved out of the bottom three seven days ago with a comfortable win against Colchester, and seem a much better side at home than they do away, where they seem to be hopeless.

However, I am still not convinced about them defensively. Captain Julien Baudet is a slight doubt for the game, but his presence would do little to alter my thinking.

Of their opponents? Well, I think Southend have well and truly turned the corner, and their 1-0 win over Hereford last week followed an excellent performance at Carlisle the previous Saturday. Freedman and Barnard are a decent combo up front, whilst boss Steve Tilson will be boosted by the returning Sawyer and Moussa.

Meanwhile prizes and gold stars aplenty must go to THE in-form team in League One at the moment...Scunthorpe United. Nigel Adkins' side (relegated from The Championship last season) lost their first three games but have since won their next five and are flying.

Curiously known as 'The Iron', Scunny travel to Hereford this weekend and trade at [2.22] to continue this remarkable run and make it six from six. They also have two red-hot strikers in Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes - who between them have already collected a healthy ten goals.

Hayes is too good for this division, whilst Hooper will be a name extremely familiar to Hereford fans... he notched 11 times in 19 games during a loan spell with the Bulls, which ultimately lead to their promotion last term.

Scunthorpe are in blistering form away from home - their last two games have yielded 4-1 and 3-0 wins against decent teams Stockport and Brighton, and they've moved into the top three to send out a promotion warning to their rivals.

Oh, and they also beat the excellent Carlisle United at home last weekend... what further evidence do we need?

Hereford are sitting bottom of the table, with just one home win to their name all season. They've recently signed former Everton and Plymouth striker Nick Chadwick, but it is at the back I worry for them, and Scunthorpe could tear them apart.

Advice: Crewe [2.44] v Southend United [2.72]: Lay Crewe, back Southend to win 1-0 and 2-0.

Hereford [3.05] v Scunthorpe [2.22]: Lay Hereford, back Scunthorpe to win 2-1, 3-1 and 4-1.