- Barwell FC have lost their last five matches, including their last three at home (L3).
- Spalding Utd have won their last 3 H2H league meetings, including a 3-0 success just three months ago.
- Spalding Utd average an impressive 2.33 goals per away league game, while Barwell FC average 1.44 goals per home league game.
Opposing styles should make for an open contest
Spalding United are 17/50 favourites to beat 148/25 long shots Barwell FC in the early kick-off game on Monday, and the price on offer for the visitors is simply too low for what should be a routine away win.
United are sitting second in the Southern League Premier Division Central with 80 points from 38 games, while Barwell are languishing 20th with 32 points from the same number of games. United have been strong on the road, winning 11 and drawing four of their 18 away matches, and they have dominated the last three meetings between the clubs.
Spalding are in mixed form with just two wins, one draw and two defeats from their last five league fixtures, but they were very comfortable against Stourbridge last time out, where they claimed a 3-1 victory with a dominant display. Jack Roberts was again on the scoresheet for the third time in Spalding’s last seven league games, and the forward is a consistent threat in the penalty area when he gets into the wide channels, which United do a lot.
Barwell must keep things tight if they’re to cause an upset
Barwell FC play a different game to Spalding and their coaching staff like to keep things simple and compact. They want to be solid defensively, keep their shape and frustrate their opponents by sticking together and playing the long ball or breaking quickly when they win possession. Jevin Seaton provides the team with some spark in the final third and has netted two of Barwell’s six goals in their last five.
The difference between these two clubs is clear in both league position and recent results, but also in their approach to the game. Spalding are a high-energy side that play a high-tempo game, using the width of the pitch to try and break the opposition down and pressing relentlessly to recover the ball quickly. Barwell are the opposite, they like to sit in a low block and play at a much slower tempo with the odd bit of pressing here and there.
The clash of styles should lead to an interesting match and one that could suit the visitors much more. There will be battles for space in the wide areas and the onus will be on Spalding to pin Barwell back and win it through quick transitions and sustained pressure, but Barwell will surely get chances from set pieces.
With odds of 9/25 for over 2.5 goals and 14/25 for both teams to score, the bookies are predicting an open, high-scoring game and we think that could well be the case, but the superior league position, superior recent H2H record and greater attacking firepower of Spalding Utd leads us to believe that they can dominate and get another win against their struggling hosts.
