BILLY TACKLES...
MATTHEW SNODDY
IF a wore a hat, and I don’t because I look like Benny from Crossroads when I do (ask your parents, kids), then I would doff it in the general direction of Ross Redman this week.
The Glentoran defender may be out injured at the moment but there’s nothing wrong with his mind as he set an eye-popping season’s best of nine points last Saturday, predicting all five outcomes and getting Coleraine’s 3-1 win at Carrick and Ards’ 2-0 defeat by Glenavon right on the button.
I didn’t. Three points was all I could muster, so before I pull the hat over my eyes and slope off in a huff, it is the turn of Matthew Snoddy this week to heap further misery upon me. Usual rules apply, Matthew can’t predict Crusaders’ clash with Warrenpoint and it’s three points for an exact scoreline and one for the correct outcome.
Cliftonville v Glenavon
Saturday (3.00pm)
I can see this being a tight game and not many goals in it. Cliftonville are in good form at the minute and they’re not conceding a lot of goals which was their Achilles’ heel at the start of the season. They’ve tightened up at the back and they’re reaping the rewards with their results. But Glenavon are flying too, and it’ll be a good game, so I’ll go for a draw, which would suit us.
Snoddy prediction: 1-1
Weir prediction: 3-2
Coleraine v Dungannon Swifts
Saturday (3.00pm)
I’ve been impressed with Dungannon when we’ve played them this season and they play some really good football, as do Coleraine, and I think that will be another good game to watch. But I can’t see anything other than a Coleraine win to be honest, they’ve looked really strong this year.
Snoddy prediction: 3-1
Weir prediction: 2-2
Carrick Rangers v Linfield
Saturday (3.00pm)
Linfield are starting to hit similar form to last year when they won the league, but to be fair to Carrick they’ve put in some good steady performances in the last few games. I think us beating Linfield at Windsor kicked them into action because they’ve reacted well to that. It’s going to be a really exciting league this year and we just have to keep in the mix. Snoddy prediction: 0-2
Weir prediction: 1-4
Glentoran v Ballinamallard United
Saturday (3.00pm)
I was really impressed with Glentoran last week. They received a lot of negatives in the press in the build-up but I thought they were fantastic and played some really good football and it was a tight game.
Snoddy prediction: 1-0
Weir prediction: 1-1
Ards v Ballymena United
Saturday (3.00pm)
Ards are a bit up and down at the minute, they seem to get a really good result and then a disappointing one last week when against 10 men you’d expect them to get something off Glenavon. Ballymena were similar, although they’re hitting a good run of form now, to be fair, and I think there will be a lot of goals in this.
Snoddy prediction: 2-3
Weir prediction: 1-2
Season’s standings: Players 8 Weir 5