Non-league / Gary Boswell / 13 March 2009 / Leave a comment

The Boz is back from the awards frontline - battered and bruised but in no mood to be a loser this weekend! Best bet: SOUTHPORT to beat FARSLEY CELTIC at [1.5] or greater.

Overheard in the dressing room at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night:

" Any chance of getting a game, gaffer? "

" What's your surname, lad? "

" Williams. "

" Christian name? "

" Anthony."

" Are yer sure it's not Marc? "

" No, definitely, Anthony. "

" Oh well, one out of two's not bad. Get yer gloves on, you can play in goal! "

And so the third owner of the infamous suffix to turn out for the Dragons this season took the field alongside Sam Williamson (who surely can't be Welsh with a surname like that!) but they failed to keep a clean sheet and the dribble away from the play-offs continued for a frustrated Dean Saunders who has to take his troubled side away to Kingfield this weekend in a desperate bid to get the bounce back to the Football League back on track.

The problem he faces is a simple one. He's got a glut of players called Williams (who have kept up with and cruised past the Jones') but the one that makes the difference - a seriously talented winger called Marc - is still sidelined with injury.

And so the Dragons continue to huff and puff but are breathing a lukewarm flame (some would say no more than embers) at the moment and for all the effort of Ryan Flynn - for whom some sympathy is definitely felt - there is a clear sense of theirs being a team to lay at the moment. The [2.4] on offer is a wrong price on current form and reflects what often happens at Conference level - the ex-league club being automatically trimmed simply because of its former status. That price bears absolutely no relation to the form of the football played so far this season where Wrexham have been simply one of the pack.

Granted, opponents Woking are hardly the league's leading lights either but are notoriously difficult to beat at home and come into the game having seriously outpointed Barrow last weekend with a concerted display of athleticism.

Putting away the many chances created is Woking's problem and much depends on Wilfried Domoraud although the presence of the Reading loanee Oliver Bozanic has added new impetus up front and I expect them to give a fragile Wrexham defence a torrid time this weekend so that the Lay on Wrexham is a four star bet.

Arguably taking the [3.6] on offer about the draw in the Mansfield-Forest Green game is even tastier. Rovers have drawn an incredible eight of their last nine games (the odd one out being a win against Northwich!) and although it has 'after the horse has bolted' written all over it as a tip, I cannot resist simply because I have the sides very equally matched on my current form charts. Nine games without defeat is Jim Harvey's answer to those critics who thought he was taking Forest Green down after their miserable slide from top spot in September.

Throughout their troubles, FGR have maintained a belief in the passing game that is Harvey's trademark and despite David Holdsworth's Stags also being one of the division's form teams of the moment, I'm tempted to go the whole hog and tip an FGR win. Certainly a lay on Mansfield at [1.8] would strike as one of the very low risk options this weekend. Backing the draw one of the value ones.

The ones mentioned already are great value bets but the honour of "banker bet" of the weekend actually lies elsewhere. More precisely in the shape of Southport at [1.5] to beat Farsley Celtic in Blue Square North.

The Sandgrounders took a hit to their title hopes last weekend, twice losing the lead at home in the six pointer against title pretenders Gateshead. A bounce back on Tuesday night though with a resounding 3-0 thumping away at play-off candidates Harrogate Town and the title is far from over yet. Most games will be must wins for Southport from here on in but Farsley do not offer up much in the way of resistance and I expect another clear cut victory this weekend.