Millwall v Blackburn, Tuesday, 7.45pm
MILLWALL culd secure their Championship survival with victory in this game in hand, despite falling to a disappointing 3-0 loss at fellow strugglers Huddersfield last Saturday afternoon.
It was a second defeat in three for the Lions, who have now tasted victory only once in their last five league outings, but a decent run earlier in the season means they still have a four-point gap to the bottom three as it stands.
Shane Lowry serves the middle match of his three-game ban on Tuesday night while winger Chris Taylor will miss the rest of the campaign through a groin problem and both Sean St Ledger and Liam Trotter are doubtful to line-up for this one.
Blackburn were hammered by four goals at Watford on Saturday afternoon with Leon Best's late sending-off compounding the defeat and leaving them just two points above the relegation spots with two weeks to go.
Rovers won two matches at Ewood Park prior to that weekend defeat but that pair of victories remain their only three-point returns from their last 13 league attempts, with seven defeats now included in that run.
Striker Best will now miss the rest of the campaign through a three-match suspension after the weekend's dismissal but Colin Kazim-Richards and Grant Hanley return from their own bans and can feature in midweek.
This will be the fourth meeting between the sides this term, with Millwall winning the Championship encounter at Ewood Park 2-0, while an initial FA Cup tie ended 0-0 and the replay resulting in a 1-0 Lions victory at Blackburn.
Millwall have held the upper hand on their opponents this season and should secure their place in the Championship on Tuesday evening with a narrow win, leaving Rovers with a nervy fortnight ahead.
Recommended Bet
Back Millwall @ 13-10
Milesey (Betfair)
Resident football tipster at Scotland's most read newspaper, the Daily Record, for over 20 years and proud host of one the best betting communities on the web with daily betting tips.
TODAYS FOOTBALL TIPS
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ENGLAND: League One
Shrewsbury V Oldham
OLDHAM WIN @ 2/1
———————
ENGLAND: League One
Crewe V Sheffield Utd
SHEFF UTD WIN @ 5/4
———————-
ENGLAND: Blue Square North
Hinckley V Stortford
OVER 3.5 GOALS
———————-
HUNGARY: NB I
Kecskemeti V Gyor
GYOR WIN @ 10/11
———————–
DOUBLE
——
BAYERN MUNICH
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
6.28/1
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IPL CRICKET TIPS
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Royal Challengers Bangalore v Pune Warriors India
Start Time: 11:30 BST
FINCH top PUNE batsman @ 4.0
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Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils
Start Time: BST 15:30
Back Kings XI Punjab @ 2.5 (Back to lay)
—————————————-
Milesey
Avoid Kidderminster for play-off promotion
They might have finished eight points ahead of third-placed Newport in the final Conference Premier standings, but it will take a huge effort ffrom Kidderminster to pick themselves up ahead of the play-offs after missing out on automatic promotion on Saturday evening. Harriers easily saw off, and relegated, Stockport County at Aggborough, but victory for Mansfield over Wrexham at Field Mill ensured the Stags claimed the title.
Their second chance in the play-offs begin on Tuesday night with a trip to Wales to face Wrexham, giving them minimal time to wallow in self-pity before having to go again in the end-of-season lottery. Add to that the fact that Wrexham rested a large number of the first-choice starters at the weekend, and the task looks a lot tougher than the 13 point gap between the sides suggests.
Indeed, the Dragons, Newport and Grimsby have all been preparing for these games for several weeks, while Steve Burr’s men have had their hands full in their tussle at the top with the rampant Stags and the psychological impact could cost them dear. Despite possessing a stronger squad than their rivals, they also have to cope with the immense pressure of being chalked up as favourites to start next term in League Two. If they suffer a hangover in midweek, they could find themselves with too much to do by next Sunday’s return leg.
Wrexham to beat Kidderminster at 2.62
Milesey
D O U B L E
————
Millwall welcome Blackburn Rovers to the New Den.
Kenny Jackett’s side currently sit in 17th place in the table – just four points outside the relegation zone – and a win here would see them secure safety this campaign.
The Lions have been out of sorts recently, but a 1-0 win in their last clash on their own patch will give them confidence, and they will be desperate to take maximum points here, practically condemning their opponents to relegation.
Rovers make the trip south having failed to secure a win in their last seven games, and a 4-0 thrashing by Watford on Saturday showed just how far off the pace the Lancashire side have been of late.
Gary Bowyer’s side have only managed to score in one of those outings, and that suggests that their misfiring forward line may struggle against a home side which has kept three clean sheets from five outings at the New Den.
With just a two point gap between Blackburn and the relegation zone, they will be keen to move away from the danger places in this game in hand, but unfortunately for them, I can’t see them taking any points back up the M1 – and I’ve a feeling their fate will come down to the last game or two.
Bet 1: Millwall (HOME) @ 2.34
Dropping a few leagues to the Conference South now, as Dover Athletic travel to Staines Town – with the visitors desperate to cement their place in the top six.
Chris Kinnear’s Kent side have lost just one from their last 15 – and that will give them a massive confidence boost as they engineer the final lap of this campaign.
Six unbeaten on the road shows just how hard to beat the Crabble Athletic Ground side have been of late, and that makes just three losses on the road since December 2011.
The Whites have only failed to score once in 22 on their travels, and that suggests that they are well placed to notch in this game, against a home side which has shipped 10 in their last five.
Staines haven’t kept a clean sheet on their own patch since October, and will be hoping to weigh in with a positive performance in this – their last home game of the season – but recent form suggests that a win is unlikely, and the home side go into this one sitting 16th in the table.
The last time these two sides met at Wheatsheaf Park, Dover ran out 3-0 winners – and I’m backing the visitors to go home happy today, too.
Bet 2: Dover Athletic (AWAY) @ 1.7
Milesey
( betfair )
SuperSport United have won 4/4 South African PSL home games this year, while Maritzburg United are W0-D3-L2 away from home, scoring only three times in those five games.
Recommended Bet: Back SuperSport United @ 2.0 to beat Maritzburg United
Milesey
Milesy what are your thoughts on a Messi Ronaldo anytime double? Pays around 2.5/1
Stevo, just about to post his Bayern-Barca tips. my tip tops will be up in the morning when I have a clear head!
Anyone follow the IPL ?
Who saw that amazing 175 performance by Chris Gayle ? AMAZING ! RCB 263 IN 20 OVERS :) An Innings like that by Gayle will never be seen again in the 20 over format of the game, that was amazing ! Most teams haven’t even scored 175 as a team and one man put on the performance of a lifetime.
Milesey
66 balls, 175 runs , WOW ;) ;)
Milesey
Chris Gayle set a new record for the fastest century in professional cricket by reaching 100 off 30 balls.
The West Indies batsman, 33, beat Australian Andrew Symonds’s 34-ball ton in 2004 and he went on to record the highest Twenty20 score of 175 not out.
Gayle smashed 17 sixes and 13 fours in a 66-ball knock, beating Brendan McCullum of New Zealand’s 158 not out.
His Royal Challengers Bangalore side hit a T20 record 263-5 and beat Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.
That score eclipsed the previous best of 260, set by Sri Lanka against Kenya in Johannesburg in September 2007.
Gayle also took two wickets late in the Pune innings as they scored 133-9 in reply, with Royal Challengers winning by 130 runs.
Milesey
CELTIC STRIKER GARY HOOPER COMING TO STEVENAGE !
Celtic striker Gary Hooper is the latest player to add his name to the line-up for the Mitchell Cole benefit game.
Hooper, who has been linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, played with Cole at both Southend United and Grays Athletic.
Four other players were announced today, all of whom are ex-Stevenage players: Charlie Griffin, Lawrie Wilson, Steve Guppy and Michael Bostwick.
They join the likes of former Boro players David Bridges and Peter Vincenti in agreeing to play in the game between a Stevenage XI and a Mitchell Cole XI, with the match set to take place on Tuesday, May 7 at The Lamex Stadium with a 7pm kick-off.
Milesey
what’s that Millwall sh*t doing up there ? Mr F got it wrong, MUST BE THEM GREMLINS PLAYING UP AGAIN ;) this was the bet of the day……….
“””””Avoid Kidderminster for play-off promotion
They might have finished eight points ahead of third-placed Newport in the final Conference Premier standings, but it will take a huge effort ffrom Kidderminster to pick themselves up ahead of the play-offs after missing out on automatic promotion on Saturday evening. Harriers easily saw off, and relegated, Stockport County at Aggborough, but victory for Mansfield over Wrexham at Field Mill ensured the Stags claimed the title.
Their second chance in the play-offs begin on Tuesday night with a trip to Wales to face Wrexham, giving them minimal time to wallow in self-pity before having to go again in the end-of-season lottery. Add to that the fact that Wrexham rested a large number of the first-choice starters at the weekend, and the task looks a lot tougher than the 13 point gap between the sides suggests.
Indeed, the Dragons, Newport and Grimsby have all been preparing for these games for several weeks, while Steve Burr’s men have had their hands full in their tussle at the top with the rampant Stags and the psychological impact could cost them dear. Despite possessing a stronger squad than their rivals, they also have to cope with the immense pressure of being chalked up as favourites to start next term in League Two. If they suffer a hangover in midweek, they could find themselves with too much to do by next Sunday’s return leg.
Wrexham to beat Kidderminster at 2.62″””””
OR EVEN THIS ONE…………….
“”””” Dropping a few leagues to the Conference South now, as Dover Athletic travel to Staines Town – with the visitors desperate to cement their place in the top six.
Chris Kinnear’s Kent side have lost just one from their last 15 – and that will give them a massive confidence boost as they engineer the final lap of this campaign.
Six unbeaten on the road shows just how hard to beat the Crabble Athletic Ground side have been of late, and that makes just three losses on the road since December 2011.
The Whites have only failed to score once in 22 on their travels, and that suggests that they are well placed to notch in this game, against a home side which has shipped 10 in their last five.
Staines haven’t kept a clean sheet on their own patch since October, and will be hoping to weigh in with a positive performance in this – their last home game of the season – but recent form suggests that a win is unlikely, and the home side go into this one sitting 16th in the table.
The last time these two sides met at Wheatsheaf Park, Dover ran out 3-0 winners – and I’m backing the visitors to go home happy today, too.
Dover Athletic @ 1.7 “””””””
**ENGLAND: Blue Sq North
Hinckley V Stortford
OVER 3.5 GOALS
RESULT 1 – 5**
Milesey