DARTFORD v GRIMSBY – Pick: 2 AH-0.25 – 10 April 2014

Darts to be sunk by Mariners

National League Tips

DARTFORD v GRIMSBY TOWN

Football – England – Skrill Premier

Thursday 10th April 2014 – Kickoff:  1945hrs

Thursday night brings us a couple of important Skrill Premier fixtures and I’ll be focusing on Dartford’s fight against relegation tonight when they take on play-off candidates Grimsby Town at Princes Park.

With just five league matches remaining, Dartford are in a race against time as they currently occupy one of the bottom four relegation places four points adrift of Hereford United who scored an unexpected away win at Welling United on Tuesday night which didn’t help The Darts’ cause. However, Dartford have improved their form of late having lost just once in their last five which was a 1-2 home loss to virtually promoted Luton Town.

Recent wins over Hyde and Macclesfield Town along with a point against Cambridge United and Lincoln City respectively have kept them in the running to avoid relegation. Dartford’s overall home record stands at  7-3-10  29/31 but they’ve won just once in their last four at Princes Park.

Visitors Grimsby Town make the trip to Kent looking to cement their play-off position as they currently reside in third place four points above sixth placed Alfreton Town with two games in hand. The Mariners are therefore in a strong position to claim a play-off place but their focus will be on attaining a favourable first leg with home advantage I daresay, so they will go in search of getting something at Dartford tonight.

The Mariners have won three of their last four with wins over Hereford United, Wrexham and Kidderminster (all by 1-0 scorelines away from home) along with a point against improving Woking in a 2-2 draw on Tuesday night. Grimsby actually equalised deep into injury time through striker John-Lewis to earn them a precious point, but this underlines the character in the team under manager Paul Hurst.

Grimsby’s overall away record stands at  11-3-6  22/16 and they’ve won their last four on the trot (the other win was at Nuneaton Town by, yes you’ve guessed it, 1-0!)

Possible team line-ups:

Dartford: Julian, Sterling, Mitchell-King, McAuley, Stevenson,  Burns, Woodyard, Bradbrook, Cornhill, D Harris, Suarez.

Grimsby Town: McKeown, Hatton, Pearson, McDonald, Fyfield, Rodney, Disley, Kerr, McLaughlin, John-Lewis, Tounkara.

Dartford are fighting for Skrill Premier survival but Grimsby Town appear to have more options in the attacking department and have also kept four clean sheets on the trot away from home in their last four, making it ten in total on their travels. I’ll therefore give the quarter ball on the visitors here with a view that The Mariners may win this one 1-0.

Pick:  Grimsby Town AH-0.25 @ 1.77 Ladbrokes