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League Two Betting Preview: New signing boosts Wycombe's promotion hopes

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Wily Peter Taylor has pulled a few transfers coups of late but his side must learn to kill teams off, says Ian Lamont.

As any journalist will tell you, there is nothing like a deadline to focus the mind.

The transfer deadline certainly focused a few. Last Monday, a bloke from Abu Dhabi started destabilising the fabric of British football by buying Manchester City as if it were a bar of soap and made wild bids for the internationally famous.

Meanwhile, managers working within far tighter budgets managed to pull off a few coups of their own.

Take Peter Taylor, for instance. Wherever he has worked, the Wycombe Wanderers manager has always wanted four strikers in his squad and he finally completed his quartet with the signing of Southend front man Matt Harold.

The 24-year-old has averaged about a goal every three starts in his career, so if Taylor can live up to his repute for getting the best out of young players then the signing is sure to boost the Chairboys' chances of promotion. They could certainly do with a few more goals, having only scored twice in one game this season. Set pieces were hardly fruitful last season, but one proved decisive in the 1-0 win at Chesterfield last weekend, a fixture which should have given Taylor a first real marker of his team's progress, as the Spireites also have promotion ambitions.

I reckon Wycombe are not firing on all cylinders yet. Harold offers extra firepower and competition for places can do no harm to a team featuring a striker, Scott McGleish, who has averaged a goal every two games in his 18 months at the club, and a wingman, Chris Zebroski, who creates plenty of chances.

Maybe Wycombe's failure to crush teams is the reason they are [3.0] to win at Rochdale this week. I'll be taking a top value bet like that, even against the trickery of young Rochdale ball whiz Will Buckley, who earned two penalties against Bury last week.

Chesterfield have big aspirations after getting close to the play-offs last year but Lee Richardson's men must improve their home form if they are to mount a serious promotion challenge. Even with Darren Currie starting to produce in midfield, they are going to find it tough against a Rotherham side who look a strong enough unit to be playing a division higher.

They were flying high last season before the 10-point deduction for going into administration.
With their record so far this season, and new boy Andy Nicholas's long throws, Rotherham are a big price at [3.0]. But I shall be laying Chesterfield at [2.3] to cover the draw, in case the sides' defences cancel each other out as they did in Rotherham's 0-0 draw at Brentford last weekend.

At a shorter price of [2.24], Luton look destined for success away from home this weekend when they travel to Macclesfield. Macc manager Keith Alexander would have been my tip for first gaffer to go this season if Bournemouth hadn't beaten me to it by sacking Kevin Bond. "Don't expect much this season," Alexander told fans in early August.

I reckon the Silkmen will be propping up the league come May, even with Luton starting 30 points down. The Hatters can tuck away another three points, especially if Sam Parkin is in the mood to pop up with more early-in-the-half goals as he did to gain wins at against Exeter (47 mins) and Gillingham (3 mins).

Exeter City are the one side I can see winning at home. Visiting managers have paid compliments to Paul Tisdale's side but I can't see Accrington boss John Coleman being in charitable mood come 4.45pm on Saturday after a Stanley defeat. Make Exeter your home banker at [2.1] or better.