Football – England – Skrill Premier Play-Off Final
Sunday 18th May 2014 – Kickoff: 1600hrs
Today marks arguably the biggest day in both Cambridge United and Gateshead’s recent history as they meet on Sunday to determine who joins Luton Town in the football league for next season.
With just three points separating the two sides at the end of the regular season, this should be a cracker at the new Wembley Stadium with so much at stake for both sides – both Cambridge United and Gateshead looking to return to the football league after extended absences.
Looking at Cambridge United first – they managed to overturn a spirited Halifax Town side at the Abbey Stadium in the second leg after going a goal down in the first leg at The Shay, but a brace from striker Sam-Yorke off the bench really turned the game in Cambridge’s favour and he’ll be favourite to start up front for The U’s alongside Tom Elliott.
Cambridge possess an array of players all capable of creating goals and scoring them with personnel such as Elliott, Cunnington, Dunk, Sam-Yorke and Chambers, and I noticed that they basically out-muscled Halifax in the end with the aerial threat of Elliott and Sam-Yorke being a constant nuisance to The Shaymen’s defenders.
Onto Gateshead now and they produced the classic play-off semi final display over the two legs to safely negotiate their way to a Wembley appearance; a 1-1 draw at Blundell Park was swiftly followed up with a 3-1 home win over The Mariners at the Gateshead International Stadium as The Heed produced the old ‘one-two’ to take them to today’s play-off final.
The one thing that I really admire about Gateshead is their squad togetherness and this has been more than evident in not only their impressive run-in to the end of the regular season (where they went unbeaten for the last twelve matches), but also in the semi final as they had to withstand extended periods of heavy pressure from Grimsby Town at Blundell Park in the first leg.
But, the Tyne and Wear outfit stood firm and with players such as Marwood, Chandler, Larkin and Maddison, they will be sure to push Cambridge United all the way here today.
Overall, these two sides are very evenly matched, but for one aspect I feel – I think Cambridge just have the edge over The Heed in terms of physicality, and at this level this is an important factor. We saw the problems that Sam-Yorke and Elliott posed for the Halifax defenders in the air and I have a sneaky feeling we’re in for some more aerial combat from The U’s strikers here today. This might just be the difference this afternoon, so I’ll back The U’s to eventually triumph over a Gateshead side that have achieved so much this season; Cambridge could win this perhaps 2-1.
Pick: Cambridge United straight win @ 2.38 bet365
