GW 21 – Ones to Watch

Ally: My first tip this weekend takes me to the National League, where big spending Salford City take on Dagenham & Redbridge. The hosts were expected to run away with the league following their summer spending spree as their ambitious owners seek promotion into the riches of the Football League, but they haven’t had it all their own way as they currently sit in second place behind Leyton Orient who themselves were a Football League side for many years. Salford have however been in superb form at Moor Lane, having scored in every league and cup game there this season, and while the visiting Daggers have been in good recent form raising themselves from the foot of the table to 14th place courtesy of 6 wins in their last 8 league games, this should hold no fear for Salford as 7th placed Gateshead were comfortably dispatched 3-0 there in midweek.

My second tip is a little less obvious, but League Two’s Bury have caught my eye recently with some impressive goalscoring, particularly at their Gigg Lane home, which on Saturday sees the visit of Tranmere Rovers. Bury have only failed to score twice on home soil this season in all competitions, and have hit 4 goals on no fewer than 4 occasions so far, plus a 5 goal haul in the first round of the FA Cup. Tranmere’s away form of late has been nothing short of abysmal, shipping 14 goals in 4 league games at fairly mediocre opposition, conceding 5 goals at shot shy Grimsby, and 3 each at Notts County, Crewe and Forest Green, and so I fancy the Shakers to give us some earlt Christmas cheer and maintain their good home form with a comfortable victory here.