Salford City will round off their 2021-22 League Two campaign with a trip to Stevenage on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors saw their playoff hopes end last time out courtesy of a 2-2 draw with Mansfield Town, while 22nd-placed Stevenage will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 loss to Carlisle United.
Match preview
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Stevenage have struggled in League Two this season, picking up just 44 points from their 45 matches, which has left them in 22nd spot in the table; they cannot be relegated, though, with seven points separating them from 23rd-placed Oldham Athletic heading into the final weekend.
The Boro will be looking to reset this summer ahead of next season and will be hoping to give their supporters something to cheer as the campaign draws to a close.
Stevenage will enter this contest off the back of a 2-1 loss at Carlisle United last weekend, but they have won their last two home matches, overcoming Rochdale and Tranmere Rovers on April 15 and April 23 respectively without conceding a goal.
Steve Evans's side suffered a 1-0 defeat to Salford in the reverse match earlier this season, though, and also lost 1-0 when the two teams last locked horns in Hertfordshire back in October 2020.
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Salford have again fallen short in their attempts to escape League Two, with last weekend's 2-2 home draw with Mansfield ending their hopes of making the playoffs on the final weekend.
Gary Bowyer's side scored inside 90 seconds against Mansfield through Jordan Turnbull but ultimately had to come from behind to secure a share of the spoils in their final home match of the campaign.
The result left Salford in 10th spot in the table, four points behind seventh-placed Swindon Town, and they could actually end the season in 11th depending on other results on the final weekend.
The Ammies will play in League Two for the fourth straight season in 2022-23, and it remains to be seen whether Bowyer will be given the chance to manage the team again next term, with former Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton currently being linked with the position.
Salford have won nine, drawn four and lost nine of their 22 away league matches this term and will be travelling to a Stevenage outfit that have picked up 30 home points during the 2021-22 campaign.
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Team News
Chris Lines and Charlie Carter both appeared off the bench in Stevenage's loss to Carlisle last time out and will be pushing for starting roles this weekend.
The home side did not suffer any fresh fitness issues in their 2-1 defeat in Cumbria, and Luke Prosser, Bradley Barry and Ed Upson will all be hoping to retain their starting roles.
As for Salford, Matthew Lund is facing a three-match suspension, having been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association following an incident against Mansfield.
Lund's position in the side could be taken by Ashley Hunter, but there are unlikely to be many changes to the XI that took to the field for the first whistle last time out.
Indeed, Matt Smith and Brandon Thomas-Asante should continue as the front two, with Ryan Watson and Donald Love operating in the wide midfield areas for the visitors.
Stevenage possible starting lineup:
Pym; James-Wildin, Cuthbert, Prosser, Barry; Taylor, Bostwick, Upson; Reid, Norris, List
Salford City possible starting lineup:
King; Lowe, Vassell, Turnbull, Touray; Love, Kelly, Watson, Hunter; Smith, Thomas-Asante
We say: Stevenage 1-2 Salford City
Salford will be determined to end their season on a high, and we are expecting the visitors to collect all three points here. Stevenage have won their last two at home but could come up short against a Salford outfit that can call upon a lot of talent across the pitch.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Salford City win with a probability of 41.05%. A win for Stevenage had a probability of 30.4% and a draw had a probability of 28.5%.
The most likely scoreline for a Salford City win was 0-1 with a probability of 12.99%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.14%) and 0-2 (8%). The likeliest Stevenage win was 1-0 (10.73%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.22%). The actual scoreline of 4-2 was predicted with a 0.4% likelihood.
Top tip
Matt Law
