DIVISION 1
BRENTFORD - BOURNEMOUTH
Not a huge amount of love between these two teams, with a lot of Brentford fans living in the M3 "corridor" and therefore, easy travel between the two clubs and "local" bragging rights up for grabs.Both teams are coming off strange results at the weekend, Cherries apparently played really well at home to Colchester, their play from box to box was as good as anything they have produced all season, but no luck in front of goal and they lost 2-1. Opposite for the Bees, who as strange as this might sound, were played off the park by Exeter at times, yet won 4-2, had a "goal" disallowed and missed two penalties, football is a funny old game !
Expect the visitors, who will have large travelling support behind them to come out all guns blazing for three points, there are normally goals in all their games, with 14 of their last 15, including the last ten, all producing two or more, in the league 10 of 14 starts have gone "over". My beloved Bees have opened up recently, with the last five all producing three or more at an average of 3.8, they have conceded three at Griffin Park to both Rochdale and Oldham and Bournemouth have far more offensive threat than either of those two.
Brentford though are finally playing with a degree of confidence, coming within a whisker of beating EPL side Birmingham last midweek and on the back of four road goals at the weekend, they will certainly fancy their chances against the visiting backline, who have only one fully fit central defender in Jason Pearce, he is likely to be partnered with someone less than 100% or playing out of position, neither of which is ideal against confident, in form, strikers. Neither side looks capable of keeping a cleansheet at present and at big odds, "over" looks the best value in the game.
"over" 2.5 goals 2.13
BRIGHTON - EXETER
Hosts are running away with Division 1 at the moment, little has gone wrong for them and they have an eight point lead over the chasing pack. However, they are probably no better than a handful of other teams in a very competitive league and I expect the early pace setters to hit "the wall" very soon. Their better performances have come away from the Withdean, which is a temporary stadium, built for athletics with almost no atmosphere. Given Brighton's recent success, teams have come with one intention, that is to shut up shop and try and frustrate the home team and that has worked to a degree with Albion usually labouring to a success by the minimum margin. City had their pride hurt at the weekend, see above, but played much better than the result would suggest, they are well organised under Paul Tisdale and alongside Bournemouth (1-1) are probably the best team Brighton have yet faced on home soil.
Home boss Gus Poyet have spent every home post match interview berating their opponent's negative approach, it is clear that his team prefer it when teams bring the game to them. In 22 home league games since he took charge almost exactly a year ago, his team have covered the one goal line on just four occasions at home and two of those came at the end of last season facing sides already mentally on holiday. I expect a very motivated City team to take to the field tonight and they have the potential to register the surprise result of the evening and getting a one goal handicap start, I have to take them.
Exeter City + 1 ball 2.04
Good Luck.
BRENTFORD - BOURNEMOUTH
Not a huge amount of love between these two teams, with a lot of Brentford fans living in the M3 "corridor" and therefore, easy travel between the two clubs and "local" bragging rights up for grabs.Both teams are coming off strange results at the weekend, Cherries apparently played really well at home to Colchester, their play from box to box was as good as anything they have produced all season, but no luck in front of goal and they lost 2-1. Opposite for the Bees, who as strange as this might sound, were played off the park by Exeter at times, yet won 4-2, had a "goal" disallowed and missed two penalties, football is a funny old game !
Expect the visitors, who will have large travelling support behind them to come out all guns blazing for three points, there are normally goals in all their games, with 14 of their last 15, including the last ten, all producing two or more, in the league 10 of 14 starts have gone "over". My beloved Bees have opened up recently, with the last five all producing three or more at an average of 3.8, they have conceded three at Griffin Park to both Rochdale and Oldham and Bournemouth have far more offensive threat than either of those two.
Brentford though are finally playing with a degree of confidence, coming within a whisker of beating EPL side Birmingham last midweek and on the back of four road goals at the weekend, they will certainly fancy their chances against the visiting backline, who have only one fully fit central defender in Jason Pearce, he is likely to be partnered with someone less than 100% or playing out of position, neither of which is ideal against confident, in form, strikers. Neither side looks capable of keeping a cleansheet at present and at big odds, "over" looks the best value in the game.
"over" 2.5 goals 2.13
BRIGHTON - EXETER
Hosts are running away with Division 1 at the moment, little has gone wrong for them and they have an eight point lead over the chasing pack. However, they are probably no better than a handful of other teams in a very competitive league and I expect the early pace setters to hit "the wall" very soon. Their better performances have come away from the Withdean, which is a temporary stadium, built for athletics with almost no atmosphere. Given Brighton's recent success, teams have come with one intention, that is to shut up shop and try and frustrate the home team and that has worked to a degree with Albion usually labouring to a success by the minimum margin. City had their pride hurt at the weekend, see above, but played much better than the result would suggest, they are well organised under Paul Tisdale and alongside Bournemouth (1-1) are probably the best team Brighton have yet faced on home soil.
Home boss Gus Poyet have spent every home post match interview berating their opponent's negative approach, it is clear that his team prefer it when teams bring the game to them. In 22 home league games since he took charge almost exactly a year ago, his team have covered the one goal line on just four occasions at home and two of those came at the end of last season facing sides already mentally on holiday. I expect a very motivated City team to take to the field tonight and they have the potential to register the surprise result of the evening and getting a one goal handicap start, I have to take them.
Exeter City + 1 ball 2.04
Good Luck.
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