Jack Wright’s Weekend 22/1 Fivefold

Aston Villa got back to winning ways in front of their home fans last weekend with a comfortable 2-0 success over local rivals Wolves. An 18th win of the campaign which matches their total from the entire 2022/23 season. Built around their form at Villa Park with only the three title challengers having picked up more than their 34 points on home soil. All of which leaves them in firm control of the much-coveted 4th position in the table.

Brentford fans remain perched on the edge of their seat as their side’s struggles continue. With Ivan Toney looking a pale shadow of the striker we have seen over the last two seasons the Bees lack a cutting edge in front of goal and that means their flirtation with relegation is set to continue.

The revival under Martí Cifuentes continues apace for QPR. A 1-0 win at Swansea meant back-to-back wins for the West Londoners who have now only lost once in their last eight league games. Up to 16th in the table and with a six-point cushion to the relegation places a win here against second bottom Wednesday will all but guarantee Championship football at Loftus Road again next season.

The Owls own run of good form seems a distant memory after a timid defeat at Middlesbrough meaning they have taken only one point from their last four league games scoring just once in the process. That was a sixth away defeat in eight a run of games which has seen them ship an alarming 22 goals.

The pressure is well and truly off mid-table Northampton. Victory over Port Vale on Easter Monday meant achieving their points target of 54 but manager Jon Brady stressed the importance of finishing the season strong. Also hinting at his desire to look at a few different players over the final games of the season so we should see a group who are out to impress. A home fixture with rock-bottom Carlisle United represents the perfect opportunity to do just that.

The Cumbrians are the worst travellers in the division having picked up just 12 points from their 20 road trips and have lost 11 of their last 14 away games in the league. After the 3-1 loss to Lincoln manager Paul Simpson said the performance highlighted why his side are on the brink of relegation. In particular falling short at both ends of the pitch.

Despite Reading being no mugs especially on home soil I must take the opportunity to add Lincoln City to the Fivefold. The Royals are six points clear of the drop zone so not mathematically safe yet, but it would be a shock to see them dragged back into a battle now. A 5-2 humbling at promotion chasing Bolton showed that the better sides in the division are just a bit too strong for Rubén Sellés’ young team.

Lincoln dominated from the first whistle in a 3-1 defeat of Carlisle on Monday. A win which extended Michael Skubala’s play-off chasers unbeaten run to an impressive 15 games. The Imps have now won their last five games across all venues scoring 20 goals with eight coming in their last two away wins. Now up into 6th on goal difference their fate is in their own hands so their desire for a win here should prove decisive in this clash.

Defeat at Morecambe on Easter Monday ended a six-game unbeaten run for Barrow. However, it is their strong home form which is keeping them firmly in the play-off hunt as the season reaches its climax. Unbeaten in their last five fixtures at Holker Street Pete Wild’s side have won four of those games and only conceded once.

Not a surprise for an outfit that boast the meanest home defence in the fourth-tier shipping just 14 goals across their 20 games on home soil. I am happy to get the Bluebirds onside here against a Swindon team that have lost seven of their last nine on the road and won just twice away from home all season.

No side in League Two has picked up fewer than the Robins 13 away points and with four defeats from their last five across all venues Gavin Gunning’s men are bottom of the form table. The latest defeat coming at Sutton who moved out of the relegation zone as a result and led Gunning to label the performance as embarrassing.