League Two Tips: Evans needs a Good Friday

Boro can add to Rochdale's away woes

Stevenage 2.56/4 v Rochdale 3.39/4; the draw 3.613/5

Stevenage really must make the most of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, facing Rochdale and Scunthorpe. That's because their remaining games are against promotion-hunting Tranmere (h), Mansfield (a) and Salford City (h) on the final day having faced in-form Carlisle (a) a week before.

And they have to negotiate Good Friday without Luke Norris, who was sent off late on. Infuriatingly needless when you are 2-0 up and need every man to fight in the final few games. I am certain Steve Evans would have had some strong words with him in the dressing room afterwards.

At least Boro seem to be reacting to their new boss, earning a first win for him at Colchester. They are level on points now with Oldham and Barrow. It is one from three for the final relegation slot. Jamie Reid notched just a fourth goal of the season and now has to step into Norris's shoes completely. Chris Lines was the most recent player to score apart from those two, pre-Evans. Elliott List will surely need to impress his boss by adding to his eight goals for the season.

Could they pull off a win against Rochdale? Well, the visitors only have nine points from 10 games - Stevenage have five. In addition, Robbie Stockdale's side have just four wins (and six draws) away, and Stevenage at least have six wins and six draws at home.

The visitors have actually lost their last four away games, scoring once. Admittedly those were at sides in form at the time and all bar Sutton are in mid-table with no eyes on the play-offs. Conversely, Rochdale have not conceded in three games - all at home. So they have talent.

Conor Grant has netted two of his season's four goals in the past two games. Alex Newby must be itching to start and to contribute more goals. Tahvon Campbell and Jimmy Ball are out for the season.

Stevenage, point out Opta, have a proud record against Rochdale, being unbeaten in three games (two wins) in their previous EFL meetings. They must take their chance.

Barrow can earn point against faltering Forest

Barrow 4.3100/30 v Forest Green 2.68/5; the draw 3.55/2

Lincoln managed to limp to the title, some years ago, having earned promotion and then started losing. Forest Green had a huge lead and now are losing. If they win the League Two title it could be by the skin of their teeth.

In fact, this supercomputer predicts that, on the final day, they will have to scrap for everything against Mansfield, while the Stags battle for the third promotion spot. Port Vale, meanwhile, will try to hold onto third when facing Exeter, who could pinch top spot with a victory.

Exeter and Port Vale have done what League Two sides are not known for by putting on a strong run of wins to narrow the gap to something that now looks bridgeable. And that's only because Forest Green have slumped so badly. If the season had begun 10 games ago, Rovers would be bang in mid-table, with 13 points, three wins and four draws.

Rob Edwards must be tearing his hair out. Or scratching his head at least. Results seem to be papering over the cracks. A 1-0 victory over Colchester seemed at the time to be a shock, a reversal of form. And now Matt Stevens, scorer of 23 goals, who scored that day, is out for the season. They still have 17-goal Jamille Matt of course, while Dan Sweeney, Josh March and Regan Hendry have been the unusual scorers in the past three games.

Any team defeating Scunthorpe by only a goal though is hardly firing on all cylinders, while beating Mansfield (by the same score) is more impressive. A draw with Hartlepool, who have nothing to play for and an average away record, does not inspire the confidence that their price to win at Barrow suggests.

The hosts have yet to win - or draw - for new boss Phil Brown, but having conceded twice in three goals in succession kept it to one at Crawley. The Bluebirds, said their boss, need to be more "ruthless" and do the "dirty stuff" more. Josh Kay and Ollie Banks went close. They also beat Scunthorpe 1-0 recently. They have scored in their past four home games. Just once. But that should be enough for a point, especially if John Rooney can restart his goalscoring tally he began just before Brown's arrival.

Swindon needs to swing into action

Harrogate Town 3.412/5 v Swindon 2.447/5; the draw 3.613/5

Swindon apparently tense up too much because they want victory too badly, says boss Ben Garner. They can train brilliantly and then not make the most of it on match day. They also need to see out the season without Harry McKirdy after his injury the other week.

They really need to add to their League Two high 10 away wins on Friday to keep up in the promotion race, being four points off the top seven. They can't afford to lose ground with six games to go. Facing Harrogate, out of form and confidence, is the perfect chance for Tyreece Simpson to reach double figures for goals and Jack Payne or Josh Davison to prove their attacking strengths from midfield.

Boss Simon Weaver said there was "no big rollocking" after the Sulphurites lost 2-0 at Salford. He felt they played well enough, it seems, against the division's third best team n current six game form. Maybe he has given up on the season?

Eight home defeats gives the Robins every chance of beating them. The visitors picked up a point at Rochdale after two away defeats. The last time Harrogate picked up a point was the three at Scunthorpe, Jack Diamond, Will Smith and George Thompson obliging. They have not scored in four of their last seven and apart from that gained only a point at Walsall. The visitors have a great chance to pick up a much needed three points.

Opta state that Harrogate have lost their last three EFL games at home to sides have faced for the first time (it is only their second season). Here could be a fourth in a row.

Tranmere need some away joy but Bantams play for places

Bradford 2.8415/8 v Tranmere 3.02/1; the draw 3.412/5

We're getting dangerously close to the time of year where sides are being quoted at odds-on because they have to win to maintain their season's ambitions, rather than being any value. There's an element of that in Mansfield's price of just under evens at home to Sutton, so the game is best avoided in preference to the one at Valley Parade.

There is a second reason to plumb for this one - in the land of draws, Bradford v Tranmere is definitely a game that could finish level.

Mark Hughes' hosts might have won twice for their new manager away. However, the best they have done at home for him in their eight games together (four at home) is a draw with Newport. They also drew at Northampton last weekend, making it two goalless draws in three matches.

The Bantams are top heavy with home draws - nine being the division's joint second highest, with Barrow, behind Rochdale's 11. Opta add an intriguing piece of history: Only Birmingham (10) have played more home Football League games on Good Friday without ever losing than Bradford (P9 W7 D2).

Levi Sutton might not return from a hernia-type injury until Monday, while Lee Angol featured on the bench at Northampton, returning after a hamstring injury in January.

Bradford had few notable shots, with Callum Cooke going closest. Namesake Andy Cook, top scorer with 11, has netted once in 13 games. Hughes has "thrown his arms round his shoulder" according to one report. Hughes has warned his side they need to impress over the next few weeks. Club officials have said next season's playing budget will be "competitive". That means they want promotion.

Tranmere have drawn three of their past four matches and their away form is also burdened by returning one point. Eight drawn games on their travels, level with Exeter, can only be bettered in League Two by Forest Green's nine and Leyton Orient's 11. That statistic that really hurts boss Micky Mellon is that Rovers have only won four times away, when all other promotion rivals have won at least six times and most of them eight at least. Bridging even a one point gap to the play-offs at this stage of the season will not be easy with that sort of return.

Over 10 games Tranmere have 10 points, putting them in the bottom eight with their hosts. It hardly inspires confidence that they could win, especially when coupled with scoring only 15 goals at away grounds. Only Scunthorpe and Stevenage can boast worse returns.

Tranmere's top scorers Elliott Nevitt and Kane Hemmings only have six goals each. They did well to take their solitary point from their past six away games at Sutton, who are unbeaten at home for a long stretch, although they did score twice each at Northampton and Newport. It's now or never for their promotion hopes. They simply must take a point.