League Two Betting: Back Oxford to maintain unbeaten run

John Coleman seems delighted to have his old job back at Accrington

Oxford, five games unbeaten, now have some momentum and won't be third bottom for long, while things should be looking up again for Accrington with their old manager back in charge, says Ian Lamont...

Oxford 2.35/4 v Stevenage 3.613/5; the draw 3.412/5

Oxford can consider themselves up and running this season after their midweek victory, by a two-goal margin, a cushion they should aim for if they want to beat Stevenage, who represent a stiffer test.

Odds of 2.35/4 on Oxford reflect not only the strength of the opposition, but that the U's are in better condition than their league position of third from bottom suggests.

That lowly position should be only temporary, now that Tyrone Barnett is off the mark. Fans are quick to write off players, if one supporter's view that he was 'the worst signing ever' after one game - the draw at Exeter - is anything to go by. Perhaps it is only the vocal minority who take to message boards and reply forums. Return all the loanees to their parent club, the critic added. Babies, bathwater and throwing come to mind.

Danny Hylton scoring from open play - rather than the penalty spot - is also a plus. He has five goals, three of them penalties, this season.

Stevenage have yet to live up to Graham Westley's billing as the best team from the club ever. Maybe he was talking about potential. He could be right, in time, but relegated sides rarely find the first half of the season in League Two easy.

They will find it less so without Ryan Johnson, sent off at Bury, even if Adam Marriott, who scored 45 goals for Cambridge last season, is now off the mark so has a bit of confidence.

Oxford's five games unbeaten, demonstrating a bit of grit, should prove decisive.

Recommended Bet
Back Oxford @ 2.35/4

Mansfield 2.0621/20 v Carlisle 4.03/1; the draw 3.711/4

The Stags have not featured regularly in this column because they are hard to predict. But the stats add up to a home win.

Paul Cox's men have some quality, especially in the shape of Matt Rhead up front, plus Rakish Bingham, formerly of Wigan. Cox can't believe he has secured the 20-year-old, saying he is lucky to have him and saying the striker should be playing much higher, but stating the player is only half fit.

Combine that youthfulness with the crucial pointer that the Stags always seem to score at home and there is much potential for a home win. They might have only done so once in three matches (losing one of them) and twice in a fourth, but that might be enough to beat Carlisle, who have scored just once on their travels and indeed have failed ot find the net in five of their eight games.

The odds offer slim pickings, but are worth taking the chance especially as the visitors have now set a club record 14 games without a win. It could be a long season for the Cumbrians.

Recommended Bet
Back Mansfield @ 2.0621/20

Northampton 1.768/11 v Accrington 5.59/2; the draw 3.9n/a

Would anyone give Accrington, who have the division's smallest budget, crowd and squad, a real prayer at Northampton, who should be aiming for automatic promotion under Chris Wilder?

That's the joy of being a Stanley fan and a gambler: they strike when it seems most unlikely and, let's not forget, they have survived in League Two for several years, even reaching the play-offs.

That was under John Coleman, who president over a decade of success and won several promotions. He has this week returned as manager with his long-term assistant Jimmy Bell, both leaving Sligo Rovers in Ireland to return to the Football League. Frankly, I had thought that return would happen at the earliest opportunity, but the Lancashire club have had two managers since he left.

Coleman continually demonstrated the knack of putting a squad together for next to nothing and getting the best out of them on no more than year-long deals, mostly. He will even recognise some faces, such as Andrew Proctor.

He will also inherit a cute acquisition in Kai Naismith and, if he sets Accrington up right, can bring Northampton back down to earth after their 5-1 win over Hartlepool in midweek. The Cobblers had only scored once in each of three home games before that.

That will give Coleman enough of a hint of a chink in their armour to inspire his men. While it might be better to wait a week - when Stanley host Plymouth - for an outright win, doing things the 'Betfair' way with by laying Northampton here could prove beneficial.

Recommended Bet
Lay Northampton @ 1.768/11

York 2.89/5 v Southend 2.915/8; the draw 3.39/4

These teams drew 0-0 at Bootham Crescent in February and you would remain hard pressed to put a fag paper between them, York drawing six of their eight games so far and the visitors drawing just twice but averaging exactly a goal a game.

It seems strange that York have not actually scored in three of their past four games. It is like they were saving all their goals up to beat Stevenage. Perhaps you need to. You certainly need all the firepower you can muster against Southend's defence, which has registered four clean sheets.

A low-scoring game looks in prospect, with under 2.5 goals tempting at 1.84/5. Phil Brown, the Southend manager, said he feared for  his hair colour during their 1-0 win at Cheltenham. (No, he didn't think someone had slipped dye into his ice bucket challenge.) I am sure a point at York would not send him grey. It would be a good one.

Recommended Bet
Back York and Southend to draw @ 3.39/4

League Two P/L 2014-15

-0.4pt