League Two Tips: Studious Jolley can steer Barrow to win

Quigley feels new boss can bring out his best

Barrow 2.245/4 v Scunthorpe 3.613/5; the draw 3.613/5

It's hard not to fancy Barrow's chances on statistics alone. Opta state that they might have drawn seven of their 11 games at home this season, more than any other, but they swiftly add that Scunthorpe have not drawn any of their most recent 12 away games, winning only four.

Therefore, the chances of a draw seem minimal, to be bracketed with the Iron's chances of actually winning. Neil Cox's visitors have patchy form at best, beating an out-of-sorts Walsall at the Saddlers' home ground, then losing to Stevenage to hand their hosts a rare second win in a row.

Over the past six games, Scunthorpe have scored seven times and conceded 10, while the Bluebirds have a marginally positive goal difference of 9-8.

Cox is frustrated not just with missed chances in the defeat to Salford on Tuesday, but by striker Kevin van Veen being injured and so they are now in a desperate race to sign a striker this window. Nobody is willing to let players move early, he says, although the board have already helped by signing Jem Karacan and Bolton defender George Taft on loan.

Experienced defender Sam Hird knows consistency will be key to keeping Barrow real in the weeks to come. Scott Quigley believes new boss Michael Jolly is perfect for helping to get the best out of him. The striker had scored in four consecutive games either side of Jolley's appointment.

An away defeat to Southend is forgivable and all those home draws certainly give the Bluebirds a platform on which to build a win, as does scoring in the five games before that loss. Jolley said he spent a lot of time studying football in his time off after leaving Grimsby, especially Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds. If Barrow can keep on the front foot like the Yorkshire side tend to do in the Premier League, they can definitely win this match and even push further up the table in the weeks to come.

Reeco has Shrimpers rocking

Grimsby 2.486/4 v Southend 3.412/5; the draw 3.412/5

Regrettably, I talked myself out of Southend winning at home last weekend, as their resurgence continued under Mark Molesley. It is highly unusual to have pretty much a third of the division's club replace their manager at this stage, but neither of the two teams who really struggled for the first few months - Stevenage and Southend.

Patience by the Shrimpers' chairman has certainly paid off with the team winning four out of their past seven games (one defeat). With a transfer embargo now lifted, Reeco Hackett-Fairchild was swiftly signed on loan from Portsmouth, scoring not only on his debut but his birthday.

That helped them see off one team with a new boss, but can a team with the lowest away goals tally win on one of their longest distance travels, when they couldn't cement form just after Christmas by taking anything from a short trip to Leyton Orient?

Three clean sheets in six games, scoring eight and conceding four, give them a chance, especially with a young winger Louis Walsh also on board. The 20-year-old has signed on an 18 month contract, after being released by Nottingham Forest in the summer.

Molesley was also delighted to keep "real asset" midfielder Kyle Taylor on loan from Bournemouth for the rest of the season. He also has an endorsement - of sorts - from Barrow's Michael Jolley ringing in his ears: Southend used "every trick in the book" to secure victory last Saturday. He meant legal tricks, otherwise known as nous.

Paul Hurst admits the Mariners are in a "mess" but looks at Southend of an example of how form can turn around. He has been beaten in both his games so far. Form of the second lowest goals tally at home in League Two isn't helped by netting just four times in the past six matches, conceding 10, but with one clean sheet. Having dropped into the bottom two, the team face the five teams nearest the bottom with them during the next few weeks. The manager admits questions are being asked in the dressing room, by his management staff, of who is up for the battle.

They have signed Sam Habergham to the end of the season. The 28-year-old hasn't played since the end of April 2018 because of a knee injury. More signings are urgently being planned but it sounds like Grimsby are more firefighting than able to plan effectively. Without a home crowd at Blundell Park, Southend will feel less intimidated.

Goals seem guaranteed with Oldham

Walsall 2.35/4 v Oldham 3.412/5; the draw 3.613/5

Oldham don't seem to be able to help themselves. That is, in terms of scoring goals, or conceding them. The exception was that goalless draw at Grimsby, two matches ago. Even with that game, in their past six matches they are third in the division for goals scored with 12 (Exeter have 15, Mansfield 13) and joint second with Port Vale on 11 for conceding.

Only their opponents on Saturday, Walsall, have conceded more (12). Regular readers might be able to see that there's an easy conclusion to make: over 3.5 goals, which looks tremendously good value at about 3.55/2.

Put more simply, Walsall's goals tally over six games is 10 for and 12 against (just over 3.5 goals per game between the teams) and Oldham's is 12-11, pretty close to four per match. Walsall, in addition, have conceded in their past nine games. With their opponents scoring in abundance, including 12 in their past five away games, making the Saddlers the shorter of the two outright win prices seems strange. It's especially the case when they have lost three times in a row and have even failed to score in two of their past three games - which seems quite remarkable.

Home boss Darrell Clarke will hope Elijah Adebayo, top scorer with eight, will have benefited from a week's rest with the rest of his team-mates and be ready to fire his way to double figures very swiftly. It's five games since he scored - in a 3-2 win at Oldham.

Dan Scarr, a defender, is one of several players next best on three goals while Rory Holden, influential in midfield, is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Can Aston Villa's left winger Tyreik Wright, 19, fill the void in any way left by Holden or Jack Scrimshaw's loan ending? George Nurse hopes a clean bill of health can give Walsall a boost, but quite why Clarke is prioritising attackers in the January window rather than defenders is anyone's guess.

Oldham have won more away points than any other League Two side, with six wins and two draws. Experienced campaigner Conor McAleny is enjoying himself with 10 goals already, including three in the past four games. Leeds loanee Alfie McCalmont has scored his three league goals in the past six games, while the Latics have signed Marcel Hilssner on loan from Coventry for the rest of the season. Again with the attackers! Boss Harry Kewell says the German "is coming to prove a point" after signing for City in the summer.

Opta says Oldham have won just once in six attempts against Walsall. I'm wagering that statistic is about to improve. I'll be taking a cheeky "same game multi" bet double on Sportsbook, on the away win and over 3.5 goals for half a point, paying a return of 10.27.