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The French Connection - Coventry, the Oldam/Huddersfield draw and Stockport are my selections this week

26 March 2008

1. Coventry to beat Plymouth @ [2.48]
2. Coventry and Huddersfield to draw at [3.1]
3. Stockport to beat Chester City at [2.02]
£10 @15.6

When they were in the Premiership, Coventry City turned fighting off relegation into a fine art - now they face a similar struggle, albeit one division lower.

The Sky Blues regularly kept themselves in the top flight against the odds before they finally plunged into the Championship in 2001. Now they find themselves with their heads just above water at the wrong end of the table again, and recently-appointed manager Chris Coleman has to get winning soon.

City have won only one of their last seven and scored a measly three goals in the process. However, that still isn't putting me off from including them as the first part of this weekend's treble.

Visitors Plymouth may be in a play-off place but the pack is gathering behind them, and the West Country club suffered a huge blow last weekend when influential playmaker Peter Halmosi was both stretchered off and sent off during last week's draw with Watford.

Allied to that, the Pilgrims have lost two of their last three away games, including at lowly Scunthorpe.

Coventry cannot afford to mess up this weekend - so at [2.48], I'm backing them.

In League One there's a meeting of two great rivals as Oldham Athletic host Huddersfield Town in a battle that spans the Yorkshire/Lancashire border.

Only a few weeks ago, this game may well have had some influence on the promotion picture. But both sides are stuck in mid-table, and would need to set off on a winning streak to make a charge into the play-offs.

However, although passions may be high as for any derby game, I'm expecting both teams to end the day frustrated, and further away from the top six.

Therefore, I'll be including the Oldham/Huddersfield draw in this one at [3.1] as part two of the treble.

I recently included a Mansfield home defeat in the French Connection, and their dreadful form at Field Mill didn't let me down. So, I am expecting another team with woeful results on their own turf to help me out.

Chester City have been beaten 12 times in League Two at the Deva Stadium this season, and their most recent form there is particularly awful: eight defeats in nine games.

In contrast, this weekend's visitors Stockport County are enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run, helping them maintain a push for promotion.

With 12 wins in the league this season, the Hatters have one of the best away records in the division: and here they are visiting a team with one of the worst home records!

Therefore, backing Stockport at [2.02] completes the treble.

So, this weekend's French Connection is backing Coventry (at [2.48]), a draw between Oldham and Huddersfield (at [3.1]), and Stockport (at [2.04]) - a treble that pays around the [15.6] mark.