Non-league / Gary Boswell / 06 March 2009 / Leave a comment

The Boz in animal rights mood as he rounds up the best bets in upcoming Blue Square League games. Best bet: Back Tamworth at [1.57] to beat Farsley Celtic

The tussle at the top of Blue Square North continues to intrigue as Gateshead kept the heat on with another win ahead of their showdown with Southport whilst the Sandgrounders were held to a midweek 1-1 draw by the third point in the triangle - Gary Mills' Tamworth.

The Lambs get their chance to see off Farsley on Saturday to re-assert their title credential and that looks the game to bet on with the Tamworth price of [1.57] - in such a must win game - reasonably generous.

Farsley's away form has been poor in their first season back at Step 3 - only two wins on the road all season - whilst Mills has made his affectionately daubed 'little Lambs' very hard to slaughter at home. The presence of that old warhorse Des Lyttle in defence has been a catalyst whilst the addition of Gareth Seddon up front has caused some to reflect that Tamworth will be applying for bus passes if they do get promoted! The blend of youth and experience is the proven recipe though - in this league and any other - and Gary Mills certainly seems to have got that spot on.

I've been of the opinion that Southport were favourites for this title all season and I'm not really inclined to change that opinion despite them holding that "must win games in hand" card. A card which is never the ideal one to hold in the middle of March. I advised a save on Gateshead in the outright market a few weeks back whilst already having Tamworth covered as the early season saver and any one of these three could still collect. My ratings charts now give Gateshead the marginal percentage call but my reading of the football says simply that the winner of Southport v Gateshead on Saturday then has Tamworth to beat. And the game at Haig Avenue is far too close to call for match betting purposes.

And so on into Blue Square Premier where my old nemesis Torquay get the vote this weekend at the reasonable price of [1.79] to see off Rushden & Diamonds. The Gulls are a difficult side to be bullish about as consistency simply isn't their thing. When on song, they look the best side in the league and the last two wins on the road at Oxford and Grays do seem to indicate that Paul Buckle is bringing them into a purple patch just at the right time. Rushden have had another mediocre midtable season and with Garry Hill gone and Justin Edinburgh in to see out what remains, there is only one team with momentum for this and I see it as a pretty safe bet.

With Wrexham getting beat in the week, Torquay opened a six point play-off gap over the Dragons which puts them down as favourites to replicate last season's achievement in making top five. I'd be very surprised to see Paul Buckle, well, buckle under the pressure and loosen his grip on that place now and I look forward to weighing up whether I'm for or against the Gulls in this season's play off tourney. I'm perhaps relishing that more than the Torquay fans who had their share of heartache last season and might not be able to cope with a great deal more!

Final bet is in Blue Square South. Chelmsford had a February to forget with only the win against hapless Dorchester on the credit side and a losing streak that took them conclusively out of the title race on the debit. Boardroom unrest has been the cause and not an unpredictable eventuality given the personalities involved.

The in-fighting is still going on. Meanwhile, Johnson Hippolyte's Magpies have been busy stealing silver (and thunder) in a concerted attempt at the consistency required to assure themselves of a place in the play-offs. They look a big price to me to put one over on a side full of headless chickens and there is certainly no way on earth you could get me to back Chelmsford at [1.76] in the current climate. Another wrong price. The Magpies at [4.1] is the clear way to go.