Red-hot Stevenage set for more success

Sky Bet League Two
3pm Saturday

Cambridge v Stevenage
According to the ante-post odds only three teams were less likely than 12-1 shots Stevenage to gain promotion from Sky Bet League Two but Boro are bang in the mix and can increase the pressure on those around them with a positive result at Cambridge.

Stevenage are fourth, four points off the automatic promotion positions, following a red-hot run which has seen them win nine of their last 11 matches and the best of the lot came last week when third-placed Portsmouth were hammered 3-0.

Pompey boss Paul Cook was full of praise for Boro afterwards and rightly so given Stevenage had won the shot count 16-8 and on target it was 10-1 in Boro's favour. The only effort on target they gave up was Conor Chaplin's Panenka penalty which keeper Chris Day caught.

Portsmouth are not the only notable scalp Stevenage have taken during this spell with a 2-0 victory at Luton also highlighting the promotion potential of Darren Sarll's side.

Matt Godden was a top player in the National League South, scoring 33 goals for Ebbsfleet, and has continued that in a fine debut season in the Sky Bet Football League.

It's 21 goals in 38 appearances for Godden, who has come alive in 2017 with 13 goals this year but he is not the only one attracting attention with Ben Kennedy seen as a class act too.

The likes of Jobi McAnuff, Steven Schumacher, Charlie Lee and Josh McQuoid are strong performers at this level and the sold-out away support will make the short trip to Cambridge in excellent spirits.

The straight win and draw-no-bet prices are both worthy of consideration but the Asian handicap in receipt of a small start is the pick of the markets as that will result in a half-stake profit if it is a draw.

Cambridge have won four of their last seven games, although going back further United have triumphed only five times in 16 outings since beating Stevenage 2-1 on Boxing Day.

Those wins came against teams who were low in the table, on a shocking run or both.

Notts County, Newport and Cheltenham are all in the bottom six, Barnet have one win in 13 and Carlisle have lost five of their last six.

Recommendation
Stevenage +0.25 on Asian handicap
2pts 33-40 bet365

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Accrington v Grimsby
Neither team will be at full-strength for this contest between sides that on paper look quite well matched but Accrington are definitely on the upgrade and can beat Grimsby at home.

Accy are three points behind the Mariners having played a game fewer with both in-mid-table.

Despite that Stanley boss John Coleman called it a "massive game" with Accrington determined to finish the campaign in the top half.

Accrington had some shocking luck early in the season when performances suggested they should have been much nearer the top six rather than the bottom six.

They have now gone nine games unbeaten with four wins in their last five. Nothing has changed other than the bad fortune has finally disappeared.

Goalkeeper Marek Rodak is among those missing for Accy but Grimsby also have absentees even though manager Marcus Bignot refused to say which players would be sidelined.

The suspended Danny Collins is one confirmed non-runner and Town have lost eight of the 12 matches the veteran has failed to start this season, keeping just one clean sheet in the process.

Grimsby have also failed to score in four of their five away matches since selling leading scorer Omar Bogle to Wigan and last week's low-key 1-1 home draw with Crawley suggests their first campaign back in the Football League is fizzling out.

Recommendation
Accrington
1pt 10-11 general

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