League Two games tonight

[Bessie Red]

Quite happy if the Vale v Notts Co game stays as it is at 0-0. Otherwise prefer a county win to keep Vale at arms length.

McCann just been spotted in the stands at the game

Vale just taken the lead

Sh*t. Me and my big gob!

I’m happy that County haven’t pulled further away from us.

Draw or a Vale win were the best outcomes of tonights game for us. Obviously a draw would have been preferable.

[mushRTID]

This table is crazy tight and as I said last week, goal difference won’t be getting us over the line.

We simply have to go on a run now.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Quite happy if the Vale v Notts Co game stays as it is at 0-0. Otherwise prefer a county win to keep Vale at arms length.

McCann just been spotted in the stands at the game

Vale just taken the lead

Sh*t. Me and my big gob!

I’m happy that County haven’t pulled further away from us.

Same nil nil or the one nil win for Portugal vale pity no one sent off for each team

Maybe a silver lining...

"This could be a real worry for Port Vale.

Lorent Tolaj is down and receiving treatment.

He's the third to come off injured tonight, including his partner up top Jayden Stockley"

[drfchound]

Well, all teams around us have now played the same amount of matches, except of course for Wimbledon who have played one less.
We are still in the play off places when some posters were suggesting we might have slipped to mid table when everyone caught up on games against in hand.

[roversdude]

Talk of retrospective punishment for Jatta

[drfchound]

What has Jatta done wrong?

[Pancho Regan]

It's such fine margins now but other than a draw last night, a Port Vale win was my preference.
I think they are less of a threat than Notts County in terms of the battle for automatic promotion.

As hound says above, the games played have almost levelled out now and we're left in a good position, probably better than I feared we might be.

Generally speaking, the results of our promotion rivals have gone well for us over the last few weeks, but it's down to us now - we can't rely on other results and just have to continue our winning run (leaving aside the Chesterfield 'blip').

[roversdude]

What has Jatta done wrong?

Apparently elbowed someone ref missed it but it was on camera (so I have read never watched the game)

[drfchound]

What has Jatta done wrong?

Apparently elbowed someone ref missed it but it was on camera (so I have read never watched the game)

I just did a quick search but can’t find anything about this.

[roversdude]

What has Jatta done wrong?

Apparently elbowed someone ref missed it but it was on camera (so I have read never watched the game)

I just did a quick search but can’t find anything about this.

It was in the 19th minute Jatta on Smith - Sky commentator asked for a closer look at it

[karldew]

Wimbledon v Salford - Draw (12:30 kick off)
Gills v Crewe - Home win
Newport v Bradford - Home win
Walsall v Chesterfield - Away win

Would that be the best results for us in todays fixtures?

[NickDRFC]

Wimbledon v Salford - Draw (12:30 kick off)
Gills v Crewe - Home win
Newport v Bradford - Home win
Walsall v Chesterfield - Away win

Would that be the best results for us in todays fixtures?

You could probably make a case for a Walsall Chessie draw as that’s 4 points dropped rather than 3 but I’m still looking up rather than down so would agree with that.

[pib]

In the last 10 seasons (not counting the one decided on PPG), the average points needed for 3rd place has been 82.7, so lets say 83.

Lowest: 79
Highest: 86

So we need probably 31-35 points from 16 games to be almost sure. It looks unlikely that the points required will be at the higher end this season.

Probably need a minimum of 9 wins (plus some draws). Repeating our current 50% win rate would give us 8 wins, which would mean to get to 83 we'd have to draw 7 and lose 1 of the other 8. So a slight improvement in PPG required to meet the average 83 point mark, if that's what is required.

If we win 10 and pick up a few draws, we shouldn't need to worry about the results of others.

Going to be an interesting couple of months!

Up to now only Walsall have won more games in L2 than us.

That's true. However Bradford, Notts County and Wimbledon have won the same number of games, the latter two having played fewer matches in total.

PPG of the teams currently in the top 5 places is as follows:

1st - 2.00 PPG (92 points over a season)
2nd - 1.83 PPG (84 points over a season)
3rd - 1.77 PPG (81 points over a season)
4th - 1.79 PPG (82 points over a season) (side currently in 4th, Wimbledon, have played fewer games than 3rd placed Bradford)
5th - 1.73 PPG (79-80 points over a season)

So it could end up being that the average of 82-83 points is about right for 3rd place.

All points to it being really close and probably going to the wire. The odd point or GD could end up being the difference between automatics and play-offs, so a slight uplift in points/wins from our current rate could be crucial.

Update:
1st: 2.03 PPG (93 over a season)
2nd: 1.83 PPG (84)
3rd: 1.74 PPG (80)
4th: 1.76 PPG (81)
5th: 1.73 PPG (79-80)
6th: 1.68 PPG (77)

81-82 might do it. From 15 games that'd be 30 points needed if that turns out to be the case. As near as damn it title form between now and the end of the season.

So 10 wins
or 9 wins 3 draws, 3 losses.
or 8 wins 6 draws 1 loss.