Road woe to continue

DONCASTER host Middlesbrough tonight, assuming that the game in Yorkshire survives the weather, and the hosts could reward punters who put confidence in them at 13/10. Middlesbrough have pulled themselves out of the bottom three under new boss Tony Mowbray, highlighted by Saturday’s 1-0 win over Cardiff City at the Riverside, but that win is not necessarily the sign of some great turnaround in form. The visitors have recorded only one away victory all season in the league, an inauspicious 2-0 win at Scunthorpe in November, and have lost eight other away matches. Prior to Saturday’s win over Cardiff, Mowbray’s men had lost matches away at Coventry and Swansea, a home game against Millwall, and earned only a 2-2 draw at home to Hull in a game where they were behind twice. To say that Middlesbrough’s recent form has been improvement on their form under Gordon Strachan is not saying much and any belief that they have somehow ‘turned the corner’ is based more on an inflated expectation of the squad’s performances than any actual evidence on the pitch.

While Middlesbrough have moved away from the base of the league, however, thanks to their win over Cardiff, Doncaster have slipped down to 16^th in the table after suffering a 5-1 battering at Leicester last Saturday. Billy Sharp had put Donny ahead, but in front of a bumper crowd Leicester scored 4 second half goals to win in convincing fashion. However, two penalties may have inflated the scoreline, and while Doncaster did also lose 1-0 at Crystal Palace, a return home may do them the world of good. Since a 2-0 win over Sheffield United in October, Doncaster have had only two home games,  a 2-1 win over Millwall and a 1-1 draw with Swansea (where Doncaster conceded a stoppage-time leveller). Throwing out the aberration of last Saturday, Doncaster’s form is nothing if not steady and there is no reason to expect a prolonged dip in form for a team who stabilised their position in the Championship last season, to the surprise of many.

In Billy Sharp (7 goals), Hayter (6 goals) and Coppinger (6 goals), the team from South Yorkshire have the firepower to justify a price of 13/10 and continue to inflict more road misery on Middlesbrough.

SUGGESTIONS:

Doncaster WIN (13/10 @ Blue Square, Coral and others)