Easter's double headers explored

With Eddie Howe already stating that this weekend's double header games can be season defining in that  two wins can transform your season and two defeats can leave it in ruins, Cherry Chimes has decided to take a closer look at the games involving the top sides in League One to see where the points are likely to be won and lost.

Before you get too agitated, this is just a bit of fun and I am the world's worst football score predictor, but let's give it a go.

The key fixtures for the Cherries are away to Colchester Utd on Good Friday and at home to Scunthorpe on Easter Monday. Some might say that we have the easiest fixtures of the top six over the Easter period but league positions don't really tell you how well a team will play on the day and I think both games will be hard fought.

While six points would be tremendous, I feel that four points from these games would still be a very good return, so I am going for a 1:1 draw at Colchester and a 2:1 home win against Scunthorpe.

Now for our competitors:
Friday's games
Coventry 1 v 3 Doncaster
Swindon 2 v 0 Oldham
Brentford 0 v 0 Notts Co
Tranmere 0 v 1 Sheff Utd
Yeovil 1 v 3 Walsall
Scunthorpe 2 v 1 Orient

Monday's games
Doncaster 0 v 1 Swindon  
MK Dons 2 v 0 Brentford
Portsmouth 1 v 1 Tranmere
Sheff Utd 3 v 0 Carlise
Notts Co 2 v 1 Yeovil
Walsall 1 v 1 Coventry
Leyton Orient 2 v 0 Bury

Now I have to get my slide rule and abacus out to see how the table might look on Monday night. Here goes - I am sure one of you will tell me if I need a new calculator.

                                        P        GD       Points
1. Doncaster                 41         19        75
2. Swindon                    41         37        73
3. Sheff Utd                   39         21        71
4. Bournemouth            42         15        71
5. Brentford                   40         12        68
6. Tranmere                  42         14        67
7. Walsall                      42          7         65
8. Yeovil                        41          9         64
9. Oreint                       42           5         64
10. *Coventry                42         11        61

*Please note Coventry are likely to have a 10 point deduction which would rule them out of promotion contention for this season.


In this scenario it would be difficult for AFCB to get automatic promotion, but stranger things have happened and there would still be enough points to play for. Still, it shows you how two wins for anyone in the top six would be massive now. I have only given that honour to Swindon here, but I am sure at least one team in the top six will do it, while someone is likely to lose two - I picked on Yeovil.

Well let's hope I have it slightly wrong and AFCB are sitting in second place or even top on 73 points on Monday night.

Why don't you have a go at this as well?

For those who haven't yet worked out their three teams to get promoted see the side bar and cast or change your vote before it's too late.