League Two Tips: Big chance for Salford to bounce back

• Dons looking lacklustre

• Sutton's ambitions faltering

• Hartlepool can hold on

Hendry can inspire Salford

AFC Wimbledon 3.185/40 v Salford City 2.6413/8; the draw 3.39/4

AFC Wimbledon have dropped an astonishing 30 points from leading positions this season. In other words, instead of being nine points above the relegation zone, Johnnie Jackson's men could sit second.

Top scorer Ethan Chislett bagged two at Harrogate, ending a 17-game barren run. I wonder what he was thinking of the Dons' late collapse to draw.

The south London club's season seems to have been petering out for a while, even if they have been overtaken by Bradford now as leading the goalless draws in the division. The Bantams have eight. Opta point out that the Dons have lost four of their past five league games at home, one more than their first 15 in 2022-23.

Salford slipped out of the top seven after their defeat to Leyton Orient, the type of setback that only galvanises the best sides. Maybe that defeat can be forgiven against a former manager, Richie Wellens, whose side top the division.

Salford will not want to leave the Easter weekend behind empty handed and will fancy their chances of maintaining an otherwise strong run of form that put them in the top seven in the first place.

Callum Hendry needs little inspiration after receiving a second goal of the month nomination for his volley against Stockport, while the Ammies have plenty of other goals in tank from the likes of Stephen Mallan.

Bradford can take care of business

Bradford City 2.35/4 v Sutton United 3.814/5; the draw 3.412/5

A "lack of care" was to blame, says Mark Hughes, for Bradford not winning at Crawley. He was not going to blame Andy Cook for missing a couple of very good chances to score.

The striker, the Bantams manager says, sets himself very high standards. The rewards have been 23 League Two goals this season. Others need to step up and contribute goals too, he added - not for the first time. Nobody else in the squad has more than four.

Ciaran Kelly could gain a starting berth in place of Matt Platt, who was sent off for two yellow cards on Good Friday, as Bradford look to continue their unbeaten run against Sutton. They are undefeated in three meetings say Opta, winning two, while Matt Gray's men will be cheered by the fact their only visit to Valley Parade resulted in a draw - 2-2 in December 2021.

Many of the visitors' players have remained since then, but now they must pick themselves up for what seems a final push to stay in touch with the playoff places, having slipped to a rare home defeat against Stockport.

Losing Craig Eastmond with a jarred knee after six minutes did not help and does not bode well for making up a seven point gap over six games.

Sutton have a strong number of draws away - eight - and there is a fair chance of that happening against hosts who, although unbeaten in nine games, have only won four of them. Bradford also have eight draws at home.

I rather suspect that as Lee Angol, Omar Bugiel and even defender Joe Kizzi - coming up for corners - go for goal, given their urgency for points to reach the top seven, Bradford's squad depth and experience will gain them the victory.

Dennis the Menace can help Carlisle prevail

Walsall 3.211/5 v Carlilse 2.6613/8; the draw 3.39/4

Quite often, teams who win the first "leg" of a Bank Holiday fixture double don't pick up a second win. Defeating Walsall, especially on their own turf, will not be easy, but if Carlisle can take their reborn confidence into Monday's fixture they might just achieve another crucial win.

Kristian Dennis' first goal of two against Tranmere on Friday put Paul Simpson's men on the path to a much-needed win after four goalless games. They grew in confidence throughout the match when they could have been forgiven for being nervous through enforced changes.

Paul Huntingdon replaced captain Morgan Feeney, who sat the game out injured alongside Fin Back. Ben Barclay and Jack Ellis readily stepped in.

No doubt the Cumbrians were inspired by their biggest league crowd for 15 years, too, as they took advantage of Stevenage drawing to rise back to the top three. They cannot afford to drop more points, as Steve Evans men have a game in hand.

Part of the issue to a win on Monday is, how will Walsall react to defeat at bottom club Rochdale? Micky Flynn was left seething at some refereeing decisions, such as keeper Owen Evans catching a ball and being adjudged to have taken it over his goal line, when video footage appeared to show the opposite.

There was also a push on a defender, said the Saddlers' boss, for Rochdale's first goal and he did not understand why Brandon Comley had a goal disallowed to put Walsall 3-2 up.

There are also the stats that Walsall have been pretty solid at home, losing four while drawing eight and winning eight. They have drawn three of their past four at home (two goalless) and won the other. Opta emphasise that six of their past eight at home have been drawn.

Points at home in 2023 include draws with promotion chasers Leyton Orient and Bradford and a win over Mansfield. Jamille Matt now has his first strike since signing in January.

However, I feel that the visitors' desire for promotion and confidence after Friday might well bring them three points. In doing so they would be avoiding matching the last time they went four away games without scoring (May 2019, say Opta).

Hartlepool can keep up turnaround

Hartlepool United v 4.131/10 v Stevenage 2.1411/10; the draw 3.55/2

As much as Steve Evans will have given Stevenage a massive rollocking after their draw with Colchester, there are various reasons to think they might not win at lowly Hartlepool.

The manager's pure anger at dropping out of the top three for the first time since September will now be imprinted on the Boro players' minds. However, they know full well there are no easy points at this stage of the season, especially against teams who are battling relegation.

John Askey's arrival coincided with the hosts starting to turn around what was beginning to look like a hopeless task to stay up.

A spirited comeback to earn a 3-3 draw against Walsall - with Dan Kemp and Connor Jennings both scoring in added time - set the tone in his first match. Both players signed for previous boss Keith Curle in January. Kemp now has nine goals in 12 games, the last seven unbeaten. The final two have been victories.

Only one goal separates them from third-bottom Crawley, with Colchester and Harrogate also now in their sights. With Rochdale making a valiant attempt to claw their way towards them too, there is little time for setbacks with six games left, if they are to stay up.

While Opta say Stevenage lost only one of their previous 10 Easter Monday games in the Football League, they say they have drawn their last two 1-1. This season, they are the only team with double figures for away draws (10) and they have won just five times away.

The visitors have plenty of creative types to open up oppositions, such as Alex Gilbey, Luke Norris and Jamie Reid, and stubbornness at the back with the likes of Carl Piergianni. They might have to settle for a third consecutive point.