League Two Tips: Sutton can continue great run

• Newport likely to be held

• Gillingham may be thwarted

• Carlisle need a win

Two sides with draws aplenty

Newport 2.56/4 v Sutton United 3.39/4; the draw 3.412/5

Sutton United had a brilliant week to last Saturday, clocking up seven points from three games to put them on the doorstep of the playoff positions, now five points off. To actually climb into the top seven, however, they need to improve their away form.

On their travels, Matt Gray's men have only taken three away wins but have a platform in the shape of five draws. Could they earn a positive result at Newport, whose home form is not the greatest and about on a par with Sutton's away?

Graham Coughlan's hosts have had some strong results at home recently, drawing with Stevenage and Leyton Orient (plus Crawley) and beating Swindon. Overall they have drawn six in 10 games - and I think they gives the biggest clue to this result, even if they did snatch a last-ditch victory at Hartlepool on Tuesday.

Midfielder Cameron Norman, who has scored twice in five games, might want to argue, as will Omar Bogle who has hit back at his critics by scoring two goals in that Stevenage draw. At the turn of the year, he was booed by his own fans when being substituted against Crawley after a dry spell.

Even if the fans are now all behind him and the team, Sutton are on an upward curve featuring one defeat in 10 games. That includes three draws and two wins in an unbeaten five away.

Opta point out they will be aiming to win three successive league fixtures for the second time this season, having done so in January.

David Ajiboye is clearly enjoying himself on loan back at the south London club. It's like he has never been away. Could Omar Bugiel (let's not get confused with his Exiles opponent) score a well overdue goal? Will Randall-Curran might assist, but Sutton should be looking for a point. I don't think Newport should be as short as they are.

Stockport rising fast

Barrow 4.131/10 v Stockport 2.111/10; the draw 3.412/5

Stockport sit top of the six-game form table with 16 points, and lie second over 10 games, on 20 points - one behind Sutton. This gives boss Dave Challinor hope they could even steam on into the automatic promotion places.

They are nearly there now, lying a point behind third placed Carlisle. With more than a dozen games left there is certainly every possibility that this team's momentum could press on to the top three. Defender Chris Hussey says that his six promotions over the years merely fuels his desire for more.

Away results are decent - seven wins and two draws (seven defeats, including recent surprise ones at AFC Wimbledon and Grimsby). There is no doubt that after a slow start the pre-season title favourites are now finding a great stride.

Could Barrow interrupt that? Boss Pete Wild has made noises - at the turn of the year - that he felt the Bluebirds were beginning to tick. But it hasn't turned out that way. Since then they have put in their first two goalless draws of the season and scored just three times in the past seven games.

A fourth game at home without scoring would equal a run from 1969, Opta state. Josh Kay did give them an impressive win at Bradford last weekend, but others need to contribute. Holker Street should hold no fears for the visitors.

Stockport's victory over second placed Stevenage last weekend made a big statement to the rest of League Two. Admittedly, Boro do not have a fantastic record away. Then on Tuesday the Hatters made it 13 goals in six games with Will Collar notching two more, taking his recent tally to five in five games as his team bagged a fifth win in a row. The crest of a wave is always a tricky time to tip a team, but Stockport seem worth it on this occasion.

Defensive Dons can take a point

Gillingham 2.47/5 v AFC Wimbledon 3.814/5; the draw 3.211/5

AFC Wimbledon broke their recent habit by scoring twice against Hartlepool last weekend, but allowed one of the division's strugglers to pin them back to a draw.

The south London side's previous six fixtures had produced just two goals - Harry Pell scoring in their 1-0 win over Stockport and the other when they lost to Leyton Orient. The Dons have the unwanted record of being League Two's nil-nil draw kings, with seven this season, four of them since the turn of the year.

Boss Johnnie Jackson might be delighted with so many clean sheets, but must be tearing his hair out about why they have not been able to score. Turning just a handful of games from draws to wins would have put them into the top seven. Ali Ibrahim Al-Hamadi is now off the mark, at least, having arrived from Wycombe in January.

Josh Davison and Ethan Chislett need to step up pretty quickly to 10 goals each if AFC Wimbledon are to rise up the table. Will Nightingale is ready to return to replace defender Alex Pearce - who came off with an injury last weekend - says the manager.

Combine this with Gillingham gradually making progress up the division and this match has all the makings of a draw.

Neil Harris' side have beaten Crawley, Grimsby and Rochdale, none of whom have been in great form, but lost to Mansfield and drawn with Swindon.,which might be more on a par with where they find Saturday's opponents. New faces continue to make a difference, with George Lapslie and Oli Hawkins both scoring in successive games, following the example of Tom Nichols who netted three games on the trot including in the Swindon game.

Dare I suggest a scoring draw now that the Dons have actually scored twice in a game? They have not scored in four of their last six away, but did beat Colchester and Tranmere in the other two.

Carlisle can add to Crawley's conceding woes

Crawley 4.216/5 v Carlisle 2.1411/10; the draw 3.412/5

Another team who were in fine form seem to have dropped off recently but have the perfect chance to build another winning run, after victory at Colchester last week. And how third-placed Carlisle now need to keep winning, with Stockport on their tail just a point behind them.

Paul Simpson insists he has not had much time to stop and think about his year in charge - after returning to the Cumbrians - having taken them from relegation candidates to promotion hopefuls.

Supporters are very grateful for him turning the team's fortunes around. Six wins from seven helped them rise to the top three, where they have stayed despite losing two of the last four games and drawing another.

Kristian Dennis hasn't scored in four games, so is due a goal to add to his 17 this season. Three games without scoring means others such as Jon Mellish and Omari Patrick need to step up their scoring rates, which would be handy timing for the season's run-in.

Are Crawley there for the taking? Scott Lindsey's reign has reaped one win, 3-2 in his first game. That was against Salford City at home, where the Reds have subsequently drawn with Crewe, Ben Gladwin notching his first goal after signing from Lindsey's former club Swindon.

They have lost all three away games under their new boss and, as Opta stress, have won once in nine, conceding in them all (17 goals). The away team have every chance of three points, especially having kept a clean sheet in three of their last four away.