78
(^) Daily Mail, Tuesday, March 3, 2020
jack boulder’s poolsmail
top tips
KEY: Figure in M column is the match number and the figure under S shows
the number of weeks since that number gave a score draw. Home-away
form sequences cover each team’s last five matches, with the latest result
on the right. X = score draw; O = 0-0 draw. Figures in brackets show per-
centage of games resulting in a score draw so far. The R column gives the
current form rating of the teams in each match, with the home team’s
rating first. The H-D-A figures are the percentage chance of home-draw-
away. Jack Boulder’s forecast is in the final column.
M S Home form Away form R H-D-A F
PREMIER LEAGUE
1 0 WXLWW ARSENAL (39) v WEST HAM (16) WLLLL 54-46 51-28-21 1
2 2 WWLOW BURNLEY (10) v TOTTENHAM (22) XOXWL 53-50 41-31-28 1
3 3 WWXLW CHELSEA (19) v EVERTON (19) LLXWL 54-53 55-27-19 X
4 2 LXLLW CRYSTAL P. (21) v WATFORD (17) XWLXL 46-46 51-25-24 X
5 8 WWWWW LIVERPOOL (11) v BOURNEMTH (13) LLWLL 53-50 59-23-18 1
6 6 WWLOW MAN. UTD. (25) v MAN. CITY (11) WWLWW 62-51 49-24-27 X
7 0 WWLWX SHEFF. UTD (29) v NORWICH (10) LLWOL 55-50 59-23-18 1
8 0 WLXLW SOUTHAMPTN (12) v NEWCASTLE (22) XXWLL 40-45 48-27-26 1
9 5 OXLOW WOLVES (31) v BRIGHTON (29) LLLXX 55-45 53-26-21 1
SKYBET CHAMPIONSHIP
10 3 WLXLW BARNSLEY (21) v CARDIFF (37) XXWWL 55-47 33-32-35 X
11 1 XWXXX BIRMINGHM (28) v R EADING (30) XXXWL 51-46 50-28-22 1
12 0 LLWXX BRENTFORD (22) v SHEFF. WED (18) WLXLX 48-43 50-27-23 1
13 20 XWLWL BRISTOL C. (23) v FULHAM (18) OLWXX 43-50 41-29-30 2
14 0 XOWLW CHARLTON (21) v MIDDLESBRO (34) LLLXL 45-39 50-27-23 X
15 0 WWWXX DERBY (27) v BLACKBURN (21) LWXWX 48-56 41-29-30 1
16 4 LWLWW LEEDS (21) v HUDDERSFLD (18) LWLXL 67-49 63-20-16 1
17 - ——- NOTTM F. (—) v MILLWALL (—) ——- ——- ——- V
18 3 LWXLW PRESTON (20) v QPR (18) LLLOO 44-57 54-27-19 1
19 7 OWWLW STOKE (10) v HULL (23) WLXLL 48-37 49-24-27 1
20 12 WWLOW SWANSEA (21) v WBA (32) WLWWW 51-55 41-28-31 2
21 10 LWLXW WIGAN (21) v LUTON (10) LLLWL 63-54 51-28-21 1
LEAGUE ONE
22 0 LLWWL ACCRINGTN (22) v TRANMERE (19) LOLLW 48-44 50-27-23 1
23 6 WXLOO AFC WIMBLN (24) v BOLTON (12) LLLLL 49-40 50-27-23 1
24 6 XOWWW FLEETWOOD (19) v BLACKPOOL (24) LLLLO 63-50 54-26-20 1
25 5 WWLWL IPSWICH (18) v COVENTRY (26) OWXWW 47-61 35-28-37 2
26 3 WLLXO LINCOLN (13) v BURTON (20) WXLLW 43-48 41-28-31 X
27 5 WLWWW MILTON K. (18) v DONCASTER (22) OLWLL 52-48 43-26-31 X
28 0 OWWWW PETERBORO (18) v PORTSMOUTH (18) WWWLL 62-54 44-30-27 X
29 2 XWXWL ROCHDALE (14) v ROTHERHAM (18) WLWWX 43-55 37-28-36 2
30 6 XXLWL SHREWSBRY (22) v OXFORD U. (18) XOLXW 45-60 35-28-37 2
31 10 OWLLL SOUTHEND (16) v BRISTOL R. (17) LXLOL 35-42 40-29-31 2
32 3 OWWWX SUNDERLND (25) v GILLINGHAM (28) XOWWO 58-53 50-27-23 1
LEAGUE TWO
33 0 LWXLX CARLISLE (21) v COLCHESTER (19) XOLLW 50-45 41-30-30 X
34 9 WWWWW CHELTENHM (26) v PORT VALE (31) LLWWX 64-60 50-27-23 X
35 4 WWWOW CRAWLEY (29) v OLDHAM (28) OXLLX 51-48 50-27-23 1
36 3 WWWWW CREWE (20) v STEVENAGE (13) WLLLL 55-35 68-22-10 1
37 1 XWXWX LEYTON O. (27) v CAMBRIDGE (15) LXWWO 54-57 41-28-31 1
38 0 WWLOW NEWPORT (23) v MORECAMBE (28) LWLLX 41-50 46-28-26 1
39 3 OWLLW NORTHAMPTN (17) v MANSFIELD (26) LLXLL 54-48 57-25-17 1
40 0 WXWWO PLYMOUTH (20) v MACCLESFLD (34) LLXLL 53-37 68-20-12 1
41 11 LXOLL SALFORD C. (26) v BRADFORD (23) OLLLL 49-51 41-28-31 1
42 6 LXWLW SCUNTHORPE (24) v GRIMSBY (21) XLXWL 50-48 41-31-28 X
43 8 XWWWW SWINDON (19) v FOREST G. (18) WLXXL 57-44 54-26-20 1
LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
44 1 LLOLL ABERDEEN (18) v HIBERNIAN (29) XOLWW 5 6-65 46-28-26 1
45 2 WLWWW CELTIC (3) v ST MIRREN (15) LXLXW 68-47 71-13-16 1
46 27 LLLLO HAMILTON (20) v KILMARNOCK (6) LLWOL 42-42 42-23-35 X
47 3 WWLXW HEARTS (24) v MOTHERWELL (6) WLXLO 44-45 34-27-38 X
48 1 WLOWX ROSS CO. (15) v RANGERS (9) LWLXL 52-54 34-27-38 2
49 1 LXWXL ST JOHNSTN (26) v LIVINGSTON (17) WLLLX 52-44 37-28-35 1
INDIVIDUAL ODDS
Leicester v Aston Villa 1; Walsall v Exeter X; Alloa v Inverness 2;Ayr Utd v Dundee X; Dundee
Utd v Partick 1; Dunfermline v Queen of S 1; Morton v Arbroath X; Airdrie v East Fife X; Clyde
v Dumbarton 1; Falkirk v Peterhead 1; Montrose v Stranraer 1; Raith v Forfar 1; Annan v
Cowdenbeath X; Cove v Brechin 1; Edinburgh v Albion 1; Elgin v Stirling X; Stenhousemuir v
Queen’s Park 1.
TOP DRAWS: In order of
preference, Coupon Nos 17,
34, 10, 47, 3, 46, 4, 42, 28, 6,
26, 27, 33, 14, 44, 37.
SURPRISE DRAWS: 11, 22, 23,
38, 18.
TOP AWAYS: 48, 30, 29, 20,
25, 13, 28 (Five up last week)
TOP HOMES: 45, 36, 43, 40,
19, 24, 16, 9, 2, 35.
HOT NUMBERS with the best
Treble Chance record over
the past 20 weeks (best
first): 38, 26, 49, 37, 24, 42,
39, 23.
COLD NUMBERS with the
worst Treble Chance record
over the past 20 weeks
(worst first): 46, 13, 28, 16, 17,
31, 44, 2.
FANCY WINNING 30K A YEAR? GO TO:
SheBelieves Cup
England’s Demi Stokes
fought back tears on
orders of her mum as
she began journey to top
TouGH
loVe
d
on’t you dare cry.
t ho s e w e r e t h e
words Demi Stokes
recalls being whis-
pered sternly in her
ear when her mum marched
on to the pitch midway
through a game. She was 13
and playing for a girls’ side
in South Shields.
‘I got kicked in my knee and it
really hurt, then I got kicked in
it again soon after and it was
bleeding. I really wanted to cry.
When I looked up I could see my
mam coming on to the pitch and
I thought, “Buzzing, she’s coming
to give me a hug”,’ Stokes says,
admitting she doesn’t often talk
publicly about her mum, nicola.
‘She bent down and grabbed my
knee and said, “Don’t you dare
cry” and then she walked off. I will
never forget that. now whenever I
get fouled I always just get up
because I think, “If my mam was
here, I know that’s what she would
be telling me”.’
that tough love was a recurring
theme during the Manchester City
defender’s childhood, at least
where her football career was
concerned.
‘My family were really supportive
and my nan would sometimes take
me to football. But a lot of the
time I’d get the bus or ride my
bike. that’s probably what has
driven me to keep going,’ she says,
admitting she still hasn’t learned
to drive and that bus passengers
are often puzzled when she gets
on board, asking why she’s not
‘driving some big Range Rover’.
But that humble, laid-back
approach is typical of
Stokes.
‘Sometimessay, “I’m in London,
we’ve just had a game”,’
she laughs.
‘I didn’t have people
in my ear saying, “You
should get a job”. the
2017 European Champi-
onship was the first time
I had my family at a
tournament. I found
it quite difficult
to balance the
football and
spend time
w i t h m y
family. they
sometimes haven’t physically
been at games and because
I’m quite oK with that I’m used
to it, it felt weird.’
Stokes, who has 57 senior
caps, is learning to enjoy
seeing her family in the
stands but admits they are
not always the ones she’ll
turn to after a defeat.
‘ S o m e t i m e s i t ’ s h a r d
because your family will
say, “there will be anothertournament”, or “You made us so
proud”,’ she says. But those are
the moments when Stokes turns
to a former primary school
teacher who had a hand in land-
ing her first trials.
Yet, if she hadn’t taken a soccer
scholarship at the University of
South Florida aged 19, having
left Sunderland Ladies, the 2016
Women’s Super League winner
says she may not have realised
her international ambitions.
‘Getting picked for England
came because someone saw me
playing in America. Who knows if
that would have still happened
(without taking the decision to
move to tampa).’
After crediting the professional
and sometimes intense set-up in
the US with helping her bridge the
gap to professionalism in 2015,
Stokes is relishing a return to
t h e S u n s h i n e S t a t e f o r t h e
SheBelieves Cup.
England landed in orlando on
Sunday ahead of the first match of
their title defence against old foes
USA, before facing Japan and
Spain in new Jersey and texas.
After a bruising World Cup semi-
final defeat last summer, Stokes
says the Lionesses want to giveVlatko Andonovski’s side some-
thing to think about, much like
they did in France.
‘We’re not going to twinkle-toe
around the USA and see what
happens. We want to give them a
good game. Although it’s a friendly
tournament, we don’t treat it as
that. If we don’t come away win-
ning we’ll be really disappointed.
‘We are pushing to become world
champions and by putting it out
there you can be held accountable
as a team. that’s where we
probably need to be better. If youlook at the men, they get battered.
We can’t say we want the good
things (that come with the growth
of the game) and not the bad.’
Since England’s last interna-
tional camp in november, Phil
neville has lured Dawn Scott, the
famed high-performance coach for
the USA, back to home soil.
‘It’s not like we’ve taken a magic
pill and now we’re world beaters,’
says Stokes. ‘Dawn has explained
that the coaches are the support
system but, if we don’t put the
hard work in, it’s on us.’EXCLUsi VE
iNTerVieW
by Claire
Bloomfield
in Orlando
parents will
t e x t m e
( a b o u t t h e i r
daughters) and say,
“I want her to do this
or that”, and I’ll say,
“Just let her figure
i t o u t. I f i t ’ s
football she wants
to do then she’ll
do it”,’ adds the
2 8 - y e a r- o l d , w h o
says her own fami-
ly’s relaxed approach
let her pursue her
dream of turning
professional.
‘Sometimes I
would ring me
m a m a n d
s h e ’ d a s k ,
“ W h e r e a r e
you?” and I’dAmerican
dream:
Stokes APPICTURE:
aNdY
HoopereNGlaNd
FiXTures
v USA
March 6,
Midnight
Orlando, Floridav Japan
March 8, 6.15pm
Harrison,
New Jerseyv Spain
March 11,
9.15pm
Frisco, Texas
LIVE on BBC2 LIVE on BBC4 LIVE on BBC4