Competition: National League
Market: Southend United win
Odds: 20/21 @ BetUS
Looking to take a giant leap towards punching their play-off ticket on Tuesday night, Southend will travel to Hampshire when they meet Aldershot.
Starting with the hosts, while Aldershot might have signed off March with a 2-0 victory away at fellow strugglers Morecambe, that result appears to have been nothing more than a minor boost for John Coleman’s squad. Despite opening Tuesday’s showdown holding a commanding seven-point buffer over the drop zone, the Shots find themselves at the heart of what has become a real rut. Last seen over the weekend putting in a toothless display as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home against Gateshead, the Hampshire-based outfit have registered just a single victory from any of their previous 10 consecutive National League appearances – a rut that stems back to the end of February. Getting April underway with a routine 3-0 drumming at the hands of Wealdstone, Aldershot have also shown some glaring issues on home soil. Pencilled in as a real underdog contender at the Recreation Ground in midweek, Tuesday’s hosts have remarkably claimed just one-point from any of their last six straight showdowns in front of their own supporters.
As for the visitors, suffering the most public of play-off heartbreak last season, Southend are desperate to go one-step further this time around. Sat firmly in the driving seat to punch another top-seven finish over the next couple of weeks, Kevin Maher’s side will be smelling a golden opportunity when they travel to Hampshire on Tuesday night. Last seen away from Roots Hall putting in a dominant display as they cruised their way to a 3-0 victory against Sutton, the Shrimpers find the mood in their camp at a real high. In fact, Southend have registered 10 points from their previous four National League appearances. Likewise, punching their spot in the final of this year’s FA Trophy thanks to a 3-1 win against Southport on March 28th, Maher’s men have suffered just a single defeat from any of their last 13 straight matchups across all competitions – a purple patch that stems back to February 24th. Given what has been a huge recent gulf in class, we are backing an away victory in Hampshire.
Bet: Southend United 20/21 to beat Aldershot Town in Tuesday’s National League matchup @ BetUS
