GW 35 – Ones to Watch

Matt: Those ‘Midweek Bonus Rounds’ never seem to get any easier! You’d think with the addition of the Champions League fixtures in particular, that it would be a lot more straightforward to plot a route to a big score, but it’s quite the opposite. I see I wasn’t the only player to come a cropper with Ajax, who have been so formidable in that competition this season…..not on this occasion, typically! We’re back to our bread and butter this weekend, although we do have the FA Cup Quarter Finals included too, so let’s take a look at a couple of teams that may interest you…..

• Wigan Athletic v Morecambe. League One could well prove to be a fruitful place in GW 35 and nowhere more so than the DW Stadium, where Wigan’s promotion push is in full swing, following a run of three wins and a draw in their past four matches. A 2-0 midweek win at Crewe Alexandra was to be expected, but it was another crucial 3 points that kept The Latics in the top two and with top spot still in their own hands, courtesy of games in hand on leaders Rotherham Utd (who will also prove to be a popular pick I’m sure). Wigan players, officials and fans alike will also take heart from both Morecambe’s current form and their overall form on the road this season; a dismal 5-0 bashing at Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday evening kind of sums up their away performance as a whole – just 10 points have resulted from their 19 away games in League One this season, with 43 goals (the worst in the league) conceded thus far. That figure is surely going to be added to in Greater Manchester on Saturday afternoon.
• Gillingham v Sheffield Wednesday. Sticking with League One, I think this fixture at Priestfields is worth further scrutiny. It’s an intriguing match up between a side desperately fighting to avoid dropping into League Two, against a side desperately trying to regain their Championship status at the first time of asking. Recently appointed Gills manager Neil Harris has overseen a slight upturn in their form, but their results at the Priestfield Stadium remain a major cause for concern – as the most recent scoreline, a 3-0 loss to Bolton Wanderers, proves quite conclusively. In fact, The Gills have only taken a solitary point from the last three matches at home, with a draw against a woefully out of sorts AFC Wimbledon and a 2-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle not helping their cause. Wednesday, meanwhile, have no such concerns, but their worry lies with the threat of missing out on a play-off spot and a shot at promotion. Last weekend The Owls destroyed Cambridge Utd 6-0, but a 1-1 draw against Accrington Stanley in midweek was a rather underwhelming way to follow that huge victory up. Their away form is very ‘hit and miss’, with 3-1 and 2-0 wins at Burton Albion and Doncaster Rovers sandwiched by losses at Oxford Utd and Lincoln City, but Darren Moore’s men are generally good for a goal and they will undoubtedly be targeting maximum points in Kent on Saturday. Good luck to you all.