Grand Slam Sunday

Last updated : 23 March 2007 By Gary Moss

Five sides are still battling for a place in the League's top three automatic promotion places. Two of this weekend's games brings four of those sides together.


Wins for any of these teams could give a psychological edge but defeat could leave a team with the play-off's as the only hope of reaching League One football next season.


McLeod...A deadly threat
Walsall have led the table for most of the season but are in second at the moment having failed to win six of their last eight league games. They travel to the National Hockey Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on third placed MK Dons.


Boss Martin Allen will be confident his side can leapfrog the Saddlers with a win over their promotion rivals. The Dons have lost just one of their last eight games and will be confident of killing off Walsall, as strikers Clive Platt and Izale McLeod look to be in good form, both netting last weekend.


On the other side of things, Walsall have now gone over six hours without keeper Clayton Ince picking the ball out of his net. Barnet's Olly Allen was last to break the Saddler's solid back-line four games ago.


In the other top of the table clash, fourth placed Lincoln City take on Swindon Town in fifth, at Sincil Bank.


Schofield's men have a knack for the big games so it seems, already beating the Robins this season with a 1-0 win at the County Ground earlier this season, courtesy of Jamie Forrester.

They also knocked over Walsall and took precious points from both Hartlepool and the MK Dons this campaign.


Recent home slip-ups at the hands of Mansfield and Hereford give the Robin's hope of returning from Lincoln with all three points though.


But, without an away in four, Sturrock's men certainly don't look comfortable on their travel's. Defeat at Sincil Bank would see them seven points away from a top three finish. It really is a must win game.


Tough test for Danny's leaders
Table toppers Hartlepool don't have an easy game either, as they go to eighth placed Darlington.


The Quaker's themselves are only a point from the play-off's and have not suffered a defeat this year in the league. A win would heap pressure on seventh placed Wycombe and Dave Penny has shown himself to be one of the League's best manager's this season. He comes up against the experts of Danny Wilson, who has led his side to 21 games without defeats. But something's got to give but both side's will be geared up as the teams chase the play-off's and the title respectively.



Moss' prediction:


Home advantage to prevail….


Darlington 1-1 Hartlepool

MK Dons 1-0 Walsall

Lincoln 2-1 Swindon


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