And Onto Swindon…

By BoroGuide

BottomThis is all beginning to get a little bit disconcerting now. Losing at Oldham at the weekend has left us four points adrift at the bottom of the table and – if we’re honest – has put us in a position that we’re not all that familiar with. Our FA Cup run has given us games to catch up with, but not enough to worry the teams currently on the sunnier side of the dotted line just yet. A win, therefore, would be most welcome on Tuesday.

Swindon Town are the visitors and we naffed this fixture up last season, losing 4-0 if you’ll trouble yourself to recall. Since that famous day down at the County Ground in ’97, scoring against the Robins has been a trial. In the three league games between us and them, you’re not going to see much greater disparity between another pair – we’ve shipped eight, they’ve conceded none. You see the extent of the task on our hands here?

Our visitors come into this game off the back of a win against Peterborough United, but we can see from the table that the Posh are losing for fun at the moment. And us? Well, is it so necessary for us to point out that one league win in the last 10 is less than ideal? It may not so hysterical to suggest that we’re approaching a make-or-break situation here. If Boro’ are in need of 10 wins, we’d rather they came sooner rather than later.

[expand title=”WE’VE MET BEFORE…”]

10 Dec 2013 A Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Semi-Final (South) 1-1
10 Aug 2013 A Sky Bet League One 0-1
20 Apr 2013 A npower League One 0-3
27 Oct 2012 H npower League One 0-4
18 Oct 2005 A LDV Trophy R1 0-2
03 Jan 1998 A FA Cup R3 2-1

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[expand title=”REFEREE WATCH”]
For the Swindon game, the man in the middle with the cards and the whistle and things like that is Lee Collins. Don’t be too concerned if the name doesn’t sound familiar – we haven’t crossed paths much before. And to be honest, it’s probably a good thing that he’s something of a stranger to us – our record when Mr Collins has been in the middle won’t be making you feel warm inside.

To look over his 2013/4 to date, you’ll find that Lee Collins has done most of his decision making here in League One. That’s not to say that he hasn’t had some variety in his work this term. Anyway, he’s had five matches in which the cards remained in his pocket and a total of six games where one team has failed to find the back of the net. That means we’re on the right side of the probabilities with Mr Collins. We think.

This season for Lee Collins:
Games: 16 — Yellow: 32 (2pg), Red: 2

Our record under Lee Collins:
P2 W0 D1 L1 F2 A3 — Yellow: 2, Red: 1
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[expand title=”FIFA14 VERDICT”]
Team:
Day; Smith, Jones, Ashton, Hartley; Morais, Parrett, Doughty, Freeman; Charles, Zoko

One team gunning for the playoffs, the other battling for dear life at the foot of the table. It was one-way traffic, but not how you might expect. After Filipe Morais was gifted a goal on 14′, there was no looking back. Luke Freeman added a second 11 minutes after the interval; the midfielder capping off a fine sweeping team move. And the woodwork took a pounding too – three times in fact, as we showed what we’re capable of.

FT: Stevenage 2-0 Swindon Town (Morais 14′, Freeman 56′)


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[expand title=”BOOKIE BASHING”]
Don’t forget the opportunity to take up a risk-free £10 wager with Titan Bet as you plot the way to betting success against Swindon Town. We’ve got 72 markets on this fixture, but we can’t see one that allows you bet on us conceding after 12 minutes. Probably for the best. It is 9/4 on the home win and 6/5 for the away win. Over 3.5 goals is 39/20 if you’re feeling a) brave or b) morbid. And do remember that other bookies are available.
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