Crawley Town v Grimsby Town:
One of the games of the day in the Blue Square Bet Premier pitches the second and third favourites for the title up against each other.
Grimsby get their first taste of non-league football with a difficult trip to Sussex to face Steve Evans’ big spending outfit. The Mariners were only successful five times on the road last season as they were relegated from League Two and receive a quote of 9/4 from the league sponsors to get off to a winning start here. Crawley are the 11/10 favourites with Blue Square for the match and all eyes will be on their starting line-up which should include a raft of summer signings. Last season’s top scorer in the division, Matt Tubbs, has joined the Red Devils from Salisbury City and he is the 9/2 favourite to score first and pick up where he left off in the spring.
Charles Ademeno made way for Tubbs with Evans expressing his desire to keep the forward, who must be cursing this immediate return to his old club thrown up by the fixture list. Ademeno is 7/1 to score first on his competitive debut for the away side. Neil Woods takes over in the Blundell Park hotseat and his side are also quoted at 9/4 to gain a point from this difficult trip with a draw. Woods leads out a team much changed from the one that had five goalless games on the road last season, it’s 8/1 that this match ends 0-0. Crawley’s most popular home scoreline last season was a 2-1 victory and that eventuality is also 8/1.
Crawley manager Steve Evans – “I think Ademeno made the wrong choice and I think we will finish above them. “They are a huge side and they were in the Championship not so long ago. “I know they will come here looking for a win but that’s exactly what we want too, it will be a humdinger.”
Grimsby manager Neil Woods – “It’s an interesting opening game, they’ll be direct whereas we like to work the ball around the pitch a bit more. “We’ll have to be careful not to be bullied out of games this season. “I’ll set my team up to play football.”
Darlington v Newport County:
The runaway Blue Square South champions, Newport, have been handed a difficult trip to one of last season’s relegated sides from League 2. Darlington were champions of this division twenty years ago and now find themselves trying to emulate that immediate return to the Football League. Former Kettering and Peterborough manager Mark Cooper has been tasked with the job and the Quakers are the odds-on favourites with Blue Square at 10/11 to start as they mean to go on. Dean Holdsworth’s Newport team will be high on confidence and belief after a campaign which featured only three defeats last term. The Welsh side are 11/4 to claim three points here, with the draw priced at 23/10. The home side should feature former Altrincham striker Chris Senior in their starting eleven and he brings divisional experience to the team after finding the net fifteen times last season. Senior is the 5/1 favourite with the league sponsors to score first with Newport’s top scorer from last season, Craig Reid, a 13/2 shot in the same market. Reid contributed to his teams’ average of two goals per away game in their title winning season but there is no doubt this will be a tougher test from the start. Newport are 11/1 to secure a 2-1 away victory and it’s 13/2 that Darlington can claim a 2-0 success.
Darlington manager Mark Cooper – “We’ve failed to find the net a few times in pre-season and I’ve addressed that by telling the players to take more care in the opposition box. “Too many times we are hitting the first man and not deciding on the right pass. “Our defence has been great though and we need to keep that up for the visit of Newport.”
Newport manager Dean Holdsworth – “This is a stern test, but the season is not won or lost on the opening day. “However I’m not hiding the fact that a win on the opening day of the season would be very nice. “Like every manager I wanted to be injury-free in pre-season but we have three or four doubts for the game.”
Wrexham v Cambridge United:
These two former Football League sides finished just one point and one place from each other in last season’s table. Cambridge secured tenth spot with a late run after briefly flirting with relegation at the wrong end of the table. Wrexham battled to an eleventh placed finish, one behind the previous season, as they tried to make a significant impact on the promotion race. Whilst both teams will look to the last campaign as disappointing there are glimmers of hope for both sets of fans. Cambridge only lost three of their last 17 matches as Martin Ling got to grips with an unsettled squad. The former Leyton Orient boss will want to carry that form into this new season and return a season of title ambition to the Abbey Stadium after recent runners-up finishes. The U’s will need to improve against the better teams in the division, having only won two of 18 matches against the sides finishing above them in the table last term. Wrexham featured in a number of low scoring matches last year as their defence stood strong but their forwards failed to deliver. The Red Dragons are 11/10 favourites with Blue Square to win on the opening day for the third successive season. Cambridge are 11/5 with the draw priced at 23/10. Andy Mangan was signed by Wrexham manager Dean Saunders last season in order to address their attacking woes. A fully fit Mangan after the benefit of a full pre-season is 4/1 favourite to score first in this match. Conference stalwart Daryl Clare lines up for Cambridge if he passes a late fitness test and the proven striker is 7/1 with the league sponsors to score first for the away side.
Wrexham manager Dean Saunders – “We haven’t got as big a squad, probably five or six bodies lighter, but I definitely think we have got a better team than we had last year. “I am trying to get promotion and if we have to do it through the play-offs, we have to do it through the play-offs. “Let’s see how the team clicks but I am looking to get into the play-offs at least. “I don’t want to work in this league, we don’t want to be here too long.”
Cambridge manager Martin Ling – “I think Dean Saunders is in a situation where they’ve been out of the league too long and they’re expected to do well this time. He’ll be under pressure because he has spent decent money there and changed things around over the summer. "I’ve got everybody fit apart from Rory McAuley, and Daryl Clare is obviously behind in his fitness work, but it’s a case there will be selection posers, which is always good."
Other matches:
Gateshead’s switch to full-time has led to them being quoted as 7/5 match favourites as they welcome Kettering Town to the International Stadium. Ian Bogie’s team narrowly avoided relegation last season but will be hoping the switch makes it more comfortable this time. Hayes & Yeading United have made plenty of changes since the end of last season and they host Blue Square South play-off winners Bath City. A home win is priced at 6/5 with a opening day win for Bath offered at 2/1. Another team with wholesale summer changes were Histon and manager John Beck has an unenviable task to keep the Cambridgeshire outfit competitive on the pitch. FA Trophy winners Barrow are the opening day visitors to the Glassworld Stadium and have been very well backed to add to Histon’s woes at 5/4. Title favourites Luton Town will have to overcome an Altrincham side that would surely settle for a point at Kenilworth Road, the draw is offered at 3/1. Mansfield Town would no doubt be disappointed with last season’s ninth place and are the very short 4/7 favourites to start with a win at home to Forest Green Rovers. Blue Square North play-off winners Fleetwood Town begin with a hard game at Rushden & Diamonds who lost out in the Premier equivalent last term. Justin Edinburgh’s team are offered at Evens to begin with a home win. AFC Wimbledon make the long trip to Southport as the slight outsiders at 13/8 to beat the Blue Square North champions from last season. Tamworth look a decent bet at Evens to start with a home win against poor travelers Eastbourne Borough. Losing play-off finalists York City begin the campaign as one of the longest serving clubs in the division and face Kidderminster Harriers at Bootham Crescent. Harriers are 3/1 to secure a shock away win.
