The French Connection: Worth including the "Damned United" this week

The French Connection / Andrew French / 03 April 2009 / Leave a Comment

It's getting desperate at the foot of the Championship, but Norwich appear to be one of the sides giving themselves a sporting chance of avoiding the drop.

The Canaries have clambered out of the bottom three on the back of a run of 10 points from their last five games, including a really impressive win over promotion-chasing Cardiff.
Visitors Sheffield Wednesday are going neither up nor down as they are tucked safely away in mid-table, but the fact they have little to play for may explain why they are without a win in five games.

They also have the worst away defensive record in the division, and that could open the door for Norwich who are among the top scorers in home games.

So, kick off the treble by backing Norwich at [2.19].

It's probably too late to force a top-two finish, but Leeds have got a real head of steam up in League One, and are one of the form teams in the division. Six wins and two draws from their last eight games have catapulted them to fifth in the table.

This weekend they visit Colchester who, incredibly for a team still on the edge of the play-off places, have lost nine times at home this season. The U's have just played three consecutive away games, and although they won at high-flying Millwall in midweek, their last home game saw them beaten 1-0 by lowly Crewe.

The momentum Leeds have can see them capitalise on Colchester's rocky home form, so include an away win in this one at [2.28].

The old phrase about 'six-pointers' gets trotted out all over the place at this stage of the season, but the League Two game between Exeter and Dagenham and Redbridge really is one where both sides do need the three points.

Exeter are in a play-off position with every chance of going up automatically, while the Daggers are just outside the play-off berths but with the opportunity to move up into them.
Exeter have scrambled two 1-0 home wins recently, but before that were turned over at St James' Park by relegation threatened Bournemouth.

They will see home games as essential to their cause, but I think they will have to settle for a point as Dagenham have made themselves very hard to beat on the road of late. They are unbeaten in their last 11 away trips, although eight of those have ended all-square.
I think that will be the case again this weekend, so make the draw the third leg of the treble at [3.2].