League Two Betting: Bournemouth continue to defy the odds

English Football League / Ian Lamont / 04 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

Brett Pitman is Bournemouth's leading scorer with 13 goals this season

"But quality will prevail. Take Bournemouth. Life is not easy on the South Coast. They still work under a transfer embargo, the full reasons for which seem long since forgotten. Yet they prosper. A couple of defeats recently were a mid-season blip. When the best teams have them, it does not herald a permanent decline. On Tuesday they bounced back with a 3-1 win at Rotherham – themselves suffering a temporary malaise."

It's been a tough old season down at Bournemouth with transfer embargos and growing injury lists making life very difficult for the Cherries. But somehow they continue to get the results and may get another win at the weekend, says Ian Lamont.

Rumours of my death have been exaggerated, said Mark Twain. The phrase comes to mind when you listen to the doomsayers when good teams suffer a couple of defeats. Sensible gamblers can certainly learn from fickle fans and steer clear of teams out of form.

But quality will prevail. Take Bournemouth. Life is not easy on the South Coast. They still work under a transfer embargo, the full reasons for which seem long since forgotten.

Yet they prosper. A couple of defeats recently were a mid-season blip. When the best teams have them, it does not herald a permanent decline. On Tuesday they bounced back with a 3-1 win at Rotherham - themselves suffering a temporary malaise.

What a story it is at Dean Court. They have barely 13 fit players and continue to be hamstrung by that embargo. On Monday they did so much running around trying to prove that Marvin Bartley - who nearly broke his leg - was genuinely injured, they missed the deadline to sign Mustapha Dumbuya on an emergency loan from Doncaster.

No matter. A sparce squad were victorious at the Don Valley. An 'everyone's against us' attitude seems to be working. The Cherries have been triumphing over disaster for a while, staying up with play-off standard form after a hefty points deduction last season.

Captain Steve Fletcher wants others to chip in with goals to match Brett Pitman's efforts (13) and it would seem there is no finer opportunity to start than at home to struggling Cheltenham. Back the hosts at [1.75].

Another struggling team are Barnet. Don't be fooled by the bare stats of the league table, which show two defeats at home, five wins and seven draws, opposite Aldershot's moderate away record, for a team placed so high anyway.

The Bees seem to be getting worse. In their seven home games since their last league win - home or away - on October 24, they might have drawn five and lost twice, but overall they have garnered just three points in 10 games. That sequence included a 4-0 drubbing by the Shots.

Kevin Dillon continues to tweak his new side. Keeper Stephen Henderson has been brought in on a month's loan from Bristol City after pushing out Clark Masters. If the Shots continue to press for a play-off spot I can see the board backing another couple of fresh faces, unlike last year when Gary Waddock had the rug pulled from under him in that respect. All things considered, the Shots seem a sizeable price at [2.76].

Chesterfield ought to be able to take advantage of a depleted and out of form Lincoln. Unlike Bournemouth, the Imps' small squad is not operating from a position of being used to winning. Centre-backs Adam Watts and Nathan Baker join Chris Herd on the injury list. The squad is already thin.

Meanwhile, their opponents field a hungry striker. Danny Gritton has barely started this season, but has dislodged out of form Jack Lester, one of the division's top scorers last term, and scored in the victory over Morecambe. Although it has taken longer than some, I feel that Chesterfield's blip might also be over and they can be backed at [1.7].

After last week's value bet success with Accrington, punters could try them again at home to Morecambe. Six wins in their last seven league games makes them pretty good value at [2.18] to beat a side with eight points from the same number of matches.

Better value even than that is the [2.8] on Bury to win at Bradford. With five straight wins, they ought to be able to clinch the points at Valley Parade, where Stuart McCall's tenancy in the dugout is beginning to look precarious after one victory in five.

The Shakes appear determined, belatedly, to justify my pre-season tip on them to win the title, long after I had become a doom monger in that regard!

Back Bournemouth to beat Cheltenham at [1.75]
Back Chesterfield to beat Lincoln at [1.7]
Back Aldershot to win at Barnet at [2.76]
Back Bury to win at Bradford at [2.8]
Back Accrington to beat Morecambe at [2.18]