EFL 5/1 Acca – Gab Sutton

Middlesbrough’s top two hopes were dealt a blow in Monday night’s 3-1 loss at promotion rivals Coventry, which ended a run of six straight wins for Kim Hellberg’s side.

The usually impeccable Adilson Malanda and Aidan Morris, and others, had off nights against an excellent Sky Blues press, but normal service should be resumed for the visit of Oxford, who are opponents unlikely to match that level of intensity.

The Yellows have shown some signs of life under Matt Bloomfield, taking six points from a tough seven games with some improved performances, but they’ll be keen to get to the more favourable run-in after Saturday's trip to Teesside.

Middlesbrough have the likes of Finley Munroe, Jeremy Sarmiento and David Strelec to bring into the side, as they look to initiate another winning run.

A return of one point from five games has dropped Leyton Orient into League One’s relegation zone, in such a tightly bunched bottom half of the table, with Richie Wellens’ side hampered by a lack of spinal consistency.

The O’s have one of the best managers in the league, though, albeit this rebuilding campaign has been difficult to navigate, and have quality players like Dom Ballard and Ollie O’Neill.

Hosts Northampton, on the other hand, look bound for the drop with just one win in their last 12 league games since Christmas, failing to score in seven of those encounters.

After a 4-0 drubbing at Lincoln in midweek left the Cobblers inside the drop zone, having played more games than the teams around them, fans are fearing the worst.

Since going nine winless across November and December, Grimsby have flipped to the other extreme in January and February, unbeaten in their last 10 league games.

Jackson Smith arrived on an emergency loan just before the window opened, and the goalkeeper has made an instant impact on the Mariners, who have kept clean sheets in eight of those encounters.

After Andy Cook got his first goals of his second spell at the club in the midweek 2-2 draw with Walsall, David Artell’s side should have the firepower, as well as the creativity they’ve had all season, to defeat underachieving Bristol Rovers.

Steve Evans’ side have lost their last three league games, with the improved form of Newport and Harrogate doing nothing to quell the nerves of Gasheads.