npower Football League One preview
The fight for promotion to the Championship could be as fierce as ever.
Southampton are the favourites to win League One and gain automatic promotion to the second tier of English football, while Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield and Peterborough follow as strong contenders.
Southampton manager Alan Pardew has worked his magic after the club have suffered over the last couple of seasons. Despite being hit with a 10-point deduction because of going into administration, they came close to getting into the play-offs last season, missing out by seven points, and the Saints begin their quest against Plymouth Argyle in a lunchtime kick-off tomorrow.
Southampton will have high hopes of Ricky Lambert, who was the league’s top scorer last season with 31 goals, and was joint highest league-scorer with Simon Cox of Swindon Town in 2009. Bank on Lambert to grab more than 20 goals once again for this season.
League Two winners Notts County, who romped to the title last season, finishing 10 points clear of second-placed Bournemouth, start life in League One with a home game against Huddersfield. Notts County boss Craig Short has League Two top-scorer Lee Hughes (30 goals last season), to lead the line just as Lambert should do at Southampton.
Sheffield Wednesday, who were relegated from the Championship last season after a titanic tussle with Crystal Palace, take on Dagenham and Redbridge. Peterborough, who gained promotion from League One in the 2008/09 season and then came back down from the Championship last season, line up at home to Bristol Rovers.
Dagenham and Redbridge, who defeated Rotherham 3-2 in last year’s play-off final defying all odds, will be high on confidence. As the league smallest club, they are the favourites to be relegated, but manager John Still will want to maintain their momentum from last season. Along with Dagenham and Redbridge for relegation, Rochdale and Hartlepool, who take on one another at Rochdale’s Spotland Stadium, are favourites as well.
Hartlepool were deducted three points last season, and they survived the relegation battle by goal difference over Gillingham. Tranmere Rovers, who finished a point above Hartlepool, play at home to Oldham Athletic.
Charlton, Swindon and Huddersfield lost out in last season’s League One play-offs. Charlton play at the Valley Parade against Bournemouth, and Swindon Town are at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.
In the remaining fixtures, Yeovil Town play Leyton Orient, Carlisle play Brentford, Exeter City play last season’s eighth best team Colchester United and Walsall take on MK Dons.
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