As the National League season progresses, teams are beginning to show clear patterns in form, making certain matchups particularly intriguing.
This weekend, three fixtures stand out—Sutton vs Braintree, Forest Green vs Woking, and Altrincham vs AFC Fylde—with each game offering compelling narratives based on recent performances and statistical trends.
Sutton and Braintree have both been involved in high-scoring matches, with each side showing attacking intent but also defensive vulnerabilities. Forest Green have been dominant at home, maintaining an unbeaten record, while Woking have struggled on the road, particularly against stronger opposition. Meanwhile, Altrincham have made their home ground a fortress, scoring consistently, while AFC Fylde have found it difficult to keep opponents at bay, especially in the first half.
With teams pushing for promotion, play-off spots, or simply looking to improve their form, these matches could provide plenty of action. Let’s take a closer look at the key stats and storylines shaping each game.
Forest Green Rovers vs Woking
Forest Green Rovers are in a strong position to claim all three points this weekend, particularly given their formidable home record. They remain unbeaten at home this season, boasting a W10-D5-L0 record while scoring an average of 1.6 goals per game and conceding just 0.67. Their defensive strength is unmatched, as no team has conceded fewer home goals than Forest Green.
Despite failing to win their last two matches, this only increases the urgency for a victory, with promotion rivals Barnet currently seven points although have played one game more than Rovers. Their dominance at home is clear, accumulating 35 points from 15 matches, the third-best home record in the league. They have scored two or more goals in seven of their 10 home wins and have only failed to find the net once in 15 home games—against league leaders Barnet in a tight 0-0 draw.
Woking, on the other hand, have struggled badly on the road. Their away record of W2-D6-L8 highlights their inability to pick up wins, with seven of their away defeats seeing two or more goals conceded. They have only managed to keep two clean sheets on their travels, both coming against teams currently in the bottom eight.
Crucially, Woking have been completely ineffective against the stronger sides in the league. Their record against teams ninth or higher is W0-D0-L6, failing to score a single goal in any of those matches. Their only away wins have come against bottom-placed Ebbsfleet United and 17th-placed Dagenham & Redbridge.
With Forest Green’s exceptional home record and Woking’s struggles against top sides, a home win looks highly likely. Given Woking’s defensive frailties and Forest Green’s strong scoring form at home, the match is also likely to see at least two goals, making a Forest Green win with over 1.5 match goals the most probable outcome.
- Best Bet: Forest Green Rovers to win & over 1.5 goals at 1.91 with Betway
Altrincham vs AFC Fylde
Altrincham are in strong form and look well-positioned to score at least twice while keeping AFC Fylde quiet in the first half. Currently sitting 6th in the National League, Altrincham have been impressive both in attack and defence. Their overall record stands at W14-D10-L7, with 52 goals scored this season—only three teams have found the net more often.
At home, they have been particularly strong, boasting a record of W8-D6-L1, conceding just 10 goals—the joint-best home defensive record in the division. Their only home defeat came back in August against Eastleigh, and since then, they have gone unbeaten in 13 home matches, winning seven. They have only failed to score twice at home all season, while averaging 1.8 goals per home game and conceding just 0.67.
Against bottom-half sides, Altrincham have been dominant, recording W6-D1-L0. In those six wins, they have scored two or more goals on four occasions and have kept four clean sheets, showing both attacking consistency and defensive resilience.
AFC Fylde, by contrast, have struggled badly on the road. Their away record stands at W2-D1-L12, scoring just nine goals while conceding an average of 2.33 goals per game. They have not kept a single clean sheet away from home, and in 10 of their 15 away matches, they have conceded two or more goals. Their record against the top six is even worse, managing just one point, while suffering three defeats by a combined scoreline of 8-2.
One key trend is Altrincham’s ability to keep first-half clean sheets. They have conceded just five goals before half-time all season, with two of those coming in a match against Gateshead back in October. They are currently on a seven-game streak of keeping a first-half clean sheet.
Fylde have been ineffective in the first half, scoring just five first-half goals all season, and three of those came in their first two away matches. That means in their last 13 away fixtures, they have only managed two first-half goals.
Given Altrincham’s strong home form, Fylde’s defensive issues, and the visitors’ lack of early goals, the best bet for this match is Altrincham to score at least twice over 90 minutes while keeping a first-half clean sheet.
- Best Bet: Altrincham to score over 1 goal and Fylde to score under 1 1st half goal at 2.05 with Bet365
Sutton Utd vs Braintree Town
Sutton’s season is effectively winding down, as they sit six points off the play-offs while holding a 12-point cushion above the relegation zone. With little pressure, their matches have been open, particularly at home where they have a W6-D4-L6 record. They have managed six clean sheets at home but have only failed to score in three matches, showing they are consistent in attack.
Nine of their 16 home games have seen over 2.5 goals, and recent form suggests plenty of goal action. In their last five matches, they have won just once, but both teams have scored in four of those games, with matches averaging 2.6 goals. Defensively, they have struggled, keeping just two clean sheets in their last 10 fixtures, meaning they are frequently conceding.
Braintree, meanwhile, had a poor start to the season, but a managerial change has transformed their performances. They have improved both in terms of results and their ability to find the net. Over their last 11 games, they have scored in nine, with their matches averaging 2.73 goals per game.
Their away form has been mixed, with a W3-D3-L9 record, but their matches have averaged 3.13 goals per game. Crucially, they have scored in 12 of their 15 away matches, averaging 1.2 goals per game, yet their defence has been a major weakness, keeping just two clean sheets on the road—one of which came against Ebbsfleet, who sit bottom of the table.
With Sutton scoring in 13 of 16 home matches and Braintree finding the net in 12 of 15 away games, both teams have consistently been involved in games with both teams finding the net. Given both sides’ tendency to score while struggling defensively, this match is likely to see both teams finding the net once again.
- Best Bet: Both teams to score at 1.95 with Bet365
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