By Mark Stillman
Five games will receive extra coverage this weekend in the National League, with five of the top seven featured.
Barnet v Oldham Athletic
This late-evening game is at The Hive, which is turning into a fortress for Barnet. They’ve won their last nine at the venue in all competitions.
They’ve lost their last three away including Saturday’s dramatic defeat in the FA Cup at Exeter City. Thirteen conceded in their last four will be a concern for Dean Brennan’s side, their defence have leaked more goals than Braintree Town, who are in the bottom four.
Which doesn’t matter as much with 34 scored, six more than anyone else. Callum Stead and Nicke Kabamba have 17 between them in all competitions.
Oldham have netted in every game this season, including two at Tranmere Rovers last week to knock the League Two side out of the FA Cup. They travel to Leyton Orient in the next round.
One league defeat in 12 has seen them in and around the play-offs all season. If they win at Barnet, as they did 4-1 last November, they’ll move level on points with the Bees.
Striker Mike Fondop was presented with the ‘Vanarama Van-on d’Or’ award on Friday following his performances over the calendar year. He scored in last year’s comprehensive win at the Hive and is one from double figures in all competitions this campaign.
This match will be live on DAZN.
Rochdale v Sutton United
Both sides were edged out in the FA Cup last weekend so will be keen to bounce back in the league.
Rochdale lost a humdinger of a tie to Bromley, conceding twice in the opening three minutes and added time in a seven-goal thriller. They recovered against Blackburn Rovers U21 on Tuesday in the National League Cup but haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last seven in all outings.
In an attacking sense, the evergreen Ian Henderson is still producing the goods. Forty in January, the striker scored his 150th and 151st Rochdale goals in the last week.
Their form has been mixed of late with one league win in their last four, including surrendering a 2-0 lead at home to bottom club Ebbsfleet United. Despite that, they’re near certain to remain in the top seven after Saturday whatever the outcome.
Sutton United have won four of their last five away but are an archetypal mid-table side, sitting in 12th with six wins, four draws, six defeats and same number of goals scored and conceded. Alarmingly for them, 18 of their 24 against in the National League have arrived after half-time.
This is their first away trip to a current top 10 side and their only win against a team currently above them was August’s 5-0 hammering of Altrincham.
Only Dagenham & Redbridge have stopped Sutton from scoring on the road in all competitions this term.
The last meeting here between the two saw Rochdale win 4-1 in April 2023, shortly before their relegation from the EFL. Sutton followed suit last season.
Southend United v Yeovil Town
Fresh from a fortnight off, Yeovil Town make the long journey to Essex where Southend will be in a buoyant mood after events off the pitch.
US-based technology entrepreneur Shivaas Gulati was confirmed as a new director of Southend United yesterday, following a recent investment into the club.
It’s positive news for the Shrimpers, who exited the FA Cup last week against Charlton Athletic, where the League One side netted in the dying seconds of extra-time to eventually prevail 4-3.
That ended a four game unbeaten run in all competitions where Southend hadn’t conceded a goal. Their last four league goals have all arrived in the first half.
Historic giantkillers Yeovil knocked Southend out of the FA Cup last season when a division below, and they’ve adjusted supremely well back in the National League.
Mark Cooper’s men are unbeaten in six in the league, either side of an FA Cup exit at Chesham United. Cooper’s son Charlie scored his first goal for the club in his 73rd appearance two weeks ago in a 3-1 win over Maidenhead United.
One slight concern for the Glovers will be profligacy in front of goal. They’ve failed to net eight times this season in all competitions, including four of their last five away.
Nine of the last 10 meetings between these two have been ‘won to nil’. The only time both sides scored in this fixture since January 2009 was a 2-1 win for Southend in January 2022.
York City v Hartlepool United
Lennie Lawrence, 76, was confirmed as Hartlepool United manager for the remainder of the season after three games in caretaker charge.
His first match since this announcement is a lunchtime trip to league leaders York City. The Minstermen narrowly lost to League One leaders Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup last week, ending a 12-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Adam Hinshelwood’s side have conceded a meagre nine goals in their opening 16 games. At the same stage last year they’d leaked 32 and were just above the relegation trap door.
They finished strongly to avoid the drop and that theme has continued this season. York have scored 21 of their 28 goals after half-time, 13 from the 76th minute onwards.
Hartlepool are similarly stronger after the break, 11 of their 15 from the interval onwards. After four games without a goal in September, they’ve netted in their last six, thought his included an FA Cup exit to Brackley Town which cost Darren Sarll his job.
They’re unbeaten in four in the league either side of that loss. Despite sitting 15th, they’re closer to the play-offs than the bottom four.
A win for the Pools will end York’s 11-match unbeaten run in the National League. They were victorious in their only visit to the LNER Community Stadium, a 3-1 success nearly exactly a year ago.
Solihull Moors v Altrincham
These two know each other rather well – they’ve just met twice in the FA Cup which saw Solihull eventually progress on penalties.
Andy Whing’s side are at home for the fifth time in six games. Their last National League outing ended in defeat at Gateshead, but last year’s play-off finalists are only one point and one place outside the top seven.
They’ll also be looking to add to last Saturday’s clean sheet against Maidstone United in the FA Cup. It was their first at home since April.
Altrincham haven’t beaten anyone currently above them in the league but blew AFC Fylde away in their last fixture, a 5-0 win two weeks ago. It was the first time they’d scored five away at this level since April 2007 at St Albans City.
They’ve scored the same number as Solihull (23) and there’s little between them in other stats – just one place and point, and both have collected 13 points from their last eight games.
Regan Linney will be key for Phil Parkinson’s men. His penalty opened the scoring in the first cup tie between these two last month, and he ended October with a first half hat-trick at Fylde.
Alty have won the last three league contests between the two including a 6-1 demolition job last November. Both sides eventually made the play-offs.
Saturday’s fixtures (all games KO 3pm unless stated):
AFC Fylde v Gateshead
Aldershot Town v Wealdstone (12.30pm)
Barnet v Oldham Athletic (5.30pm)
Boston United v Dagenham & Redbridge
Eastleigh v Braintree Town
FC Halifax Town v Woking
Maidenhead United v Forest Green Rovers
Rochdale v Sutton United
Solihull Moors v Altrincham
Southend United v Yeovil Town
Tamworth v Ebbsfleet United
York City v Hartlepool United (12.30pm)
Read up on all the weekend’s National League matches in Sunday’s NLP!
