Altrincham v Weymouth 

There will have been a few nerves in the Altrincham end at King’s Lynn Town last Saturday.  

The visitors had not won in 12 in the National League, not kept a clean sheet in 18 and knew that defeat would leave just nine points between them and their opposition, who sit second from bottom in the league table. Phil Parkinson’s side got the all-important three points and a clean sheet to boot, a 1-0 victory secured thanks to Ryan Colclough’s brilliant effort. Despite the midweek defeat at Boreham Wood, which was wholly expected, they go into this weekend with renewed confidence as they bid to see off another one of the division’s favourites for the drop.  

Weymouth are currently 21^st in the table but picked up their first victory in 14 in midweek, seeing off Eastleigh 1-0 to cut the gap to safety to six points. It was David Oldfield’s first victory since taking the managerial reins from Brian Stock in mid-January with results otherwise being a mixed bag so far, impressive draws against Boreham Wood and Chesterfield coming either side of a disappointing 3-0 loss against King’s Lynn Town. Their sole victory came against a side struggling for results, goals and style at the moment and Saturday will be a tougher test.  

Altrincham have played six games against the bottom four sides and won all six, including a thumping 4-1 victory at Weymouth in November. The squad is in better shape, experience has been recalled to the backline and their attack is playing with more confidence of late. They’ll fancy their chances of getting the three points.  

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King’s Lynn Town v Bromley 

Last Saturday was tough to take for King’s Lynn Town.  

They were riding high after a 3-0 victory against Weymouth and 0-0 draw against Grimsby Town, the Linnets’ first clean sheets of the National League campaign and results that cut the gap to Weymouth to two points, the first side they need to catch if they are to make the great escape. However, they huffed and puffed against Altrincham, losing 1-0 and the gap to Weymouth is now six points and 12 points to safety. Tommy Widdrington has three matches left to serve on his four-match touchline ban for comments about officials following their 2-1 defeat against Southend United too, which doesn’t help matters.  

Bromley, meanwhile, are in the top five and few would bet against them finishing in the play-offs at this stage. They come into this game having lost back-to-back matches but those defeats came against the most in-form sides in the division. The Ravens should be back in their element for this one having won ten and lost one, predictably against Maidenhead United, of their 11 matches against sides in the bottom ten.  

Bromley will have the technical and physical advantage in this game and have a tendency to find a way to win matches against the division’s lesser outfits.  

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Notts County v Eastleigh  

Eastleigh come into one of their toughest games of the season, on paper at least, winless in seven matches, picking up just two points and failing to score in six of them. 

Ben Strevens’ departure came as something of a shock to National League followers, even if it did come on the back of a defeat to relegation certainties Dover Athletic. Jason Bristow has since taken the reins but results haven’t followed. They came from behind to lead against Maidenhead United only to draw and lost at lowly Weymouth in midweek. 

They take on a Notts County side that have bounced back from three winless matches by putting six past Barnet and beating FC Halifax Town away from home in the FA Trophy. Their game against Dover Athletic was postponed during the week, which may give them the benefit of coming into this one a little fresher. Their home record reads 13 games played, nine wins, two draws and two losses – the complete opposite of Eastleigh’s 2-2-9 record on the road.  

Aside from the numbers and difficulties experienced by Eastleigh lately, there is also a stylistic issue. Eastleigh managed victory against Notts County playing a 3-4-1-2 on one of the rare occasions they had close to a fully fit squad. However, Bristow only has two senior centre-backs to call upon for this one, so they are likely to stick to 4-4-2 and it isn’t the most athletic of squads, meaning Notts County should be able to play higher up the pitch. It could be a long afternoon for Eastleigh trying to stop whoever starts out of Rodrigues, Roberts, Palmer, Brunt, Vincent and Francis in the middle of the park.  

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Stockport County v Woking

Stockport County were due to play ten games in February and March, having just taken top spot in the league table. Seven of those games were to be played against bottom half sides and six would be played at home. It’s a golden chance to potentially put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack.

They have now played three of those matches and come away with seven points. Most impressively, two of those matches came in two of the three matches they are due to play against fellow promotion chasing sides in this period. They have a three-point lead at the top of the table and that could extend further by 5pm this Saturday.  

Woking are next in their path and it’s hard to find reasons to bet against Dave Challinor’s side. They have won five of their seven home matches since the ex-Hartlepool United man took the reins, being held only by Bromley in Challinor’s first match in charge and Chesterfield, a game in which they came from 2-0 down to earn a point.  

Woking, meanwhile, are struggling. They have won just two of their last 11 matches and five of their last 19. Of those five victories, four came against sides in the bottom six and the other against a Southend United side that, at the time, had 11 points from 13 matches. They have lost their last six matches against top 10 sides.  

Stockport have a perfect record against sides in the bottom half since Challinor took the reins and that should continue on Saturday. Their odds to win are understandably small. However, they are a bit more reasonable to score two or more, something they have done in eight of their last ten matches, while Woking have conceded two or more in 13 of their last 18 matches.  

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Torquay United v Barnet

A game between two sides in very different form. 

Torquay United are performing well. They have won seven of their last ten matches, including being the only side to beat Dave Challinor’s Stockport County and Wrexham. Barnet, meanwhile, have won one of their last nine, losing six and seeing their record of conceding more than one goal once in Dean Brennan’s first 14 matches being blown out of the water.  

Key to the form of both sides has been goals. Torquay United have found some much-needed balance in their side thanks to the return of some key personnel and the loan signings of Stephen Duke-McKenna and Stephen Wearne. They have scored in nine of their last ten matches and scored twice in seven of those. With Danny Wright fit again, there is little reason why that can’t continue. Notably, they have also conceded in eight of those ten matches and have kept just two clean sheets in their last 15. 

Barnet, meanwhile, have well and truly been opened up defensively. The Bees have conceded in each of their last seven matches, conceding more than once in five of those. Captain Jamie Turley is likely to remain absent for this one too. They have scored in six of their last seven matches, however, and with Adam Marriott fit enough to start games, Louis Walsh being added and potentially another two players joining the club, they should come into this one with a bit more belief.  

Because of the potential additions at Barnet, I’m loath to write them off. However, this is a game between two sides that have found their goalscoring boots recently and kept eight clean sheets between them all season. There should be goals.  

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