Laying next goal "no goal" can be a good strategy

Non-league / Editor / 28 August 2007 / Leave a Comment

Legendary Conference manager Frank Gregan draws on all his managerial experience to pick out a few bets

I'm one of those that enjoy a bet while watching the footie. I love my football, therefore I really shouldn't need anything to enhance it. But in the words of the great Homer Simpson, sport is like ice cream and the bet is the chocolate sauce on top!

One feature on Betfair that I particularly enjoy is the next goal market especially when I have come into a game that is already in-running. It enables me to sit back and make a considered opinion of who is on top and likely to get the next goal. The vast majority of goals are not scored against the run of play and I tend to ignore what the market says and let my own eyes be the judge. The unfancied team will still be a bigger price to score even if they are dominating a game.

Another strategy I like is laying against there being a late goal. In the last couple of weeks it has been particularly profitable to lay "no goal" in the last five minutes of the Blue Square premier live match. York scored in the 87th minute at Exeter and Cambridge scored a winner in the 90th minute against Oxford. The Cambridge goal may have wrecked my draw bet on the match odds market but there was more than adequate compensation to be had by laying "no goal" at odds of 1.06!

There is value in the next goal market during the last ten minutes if a side is trailing by a single goal or the home side are pushing for a victory with the scores even. Bear in mind that a manager will know exactly how long is remaining. The staff in the dugout will have two watches, there will be one stopwatch running to normal time and another being stopped when the referee stops his. You're always still in a match when only one behind and we all know that to concede again will be game over. Having said that you have to have a go and do everything possible to get a point.

We all have different lines in the sand but mine is the 7 minute mark including added time. That is my time to throw caution to the wind, no spare man at the back and leave the centre backs up after set pieces. In truth you are just as likely to concede as score. That is why it is a good time to lay "no goal" in the next goal market. Have a look at it during the live York V Rushden game this week