14 Days to GO

We have 14 days to go now folks as the tension mounts for South Africa and here's some World Cup news - 

Madjid Bougherra has declared himself fit for Algeria's World Cup campaign despite missing the end of the Scottish Premier League season with a calf injury.

England manager Fabio Capello is "very confident" Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry will be fit for the World Cup despite his current ankle injury.

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien has been ruled out of the World Cup with knee and ankle injuries which led to him missing the last six months of the season.

enmark defender Simon Kjaer suffered a World Cup scare in a challenge with Mame Biram Diouf during his side's 2-0 win against Senegal in Aalborg on Thursday.

Spain and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has trained for the first time since undergoing knee surgery on damaged cartilage last month.

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott believes he will reap the benefits of David Beckham's involvement with the England squad at the World Cup.

The Friday Nag: Crown Choice (4.05 Newmarket)

Weekend Soccer

We have the League One and Two Play-Off finals at Wembley this weekend and both games look hard to call as try and get a few quid in the coffers for our assault on the World Cup.

Millwall face Swindon who ousted Charlton on penalties in the League One final on Saturday and on Sunday we have Rotherham taking on easy semi-final winners Dagenham & Redbridge.

So after studying both finals we have come with a 11/2 double and taking Millwall and Rotherham to win at the weekend.

Tight games in both though and 2-1 scorelines both stick out at around 9/1  and we think 2 singles and a double in the correct score bet.

We are siding with in-form punter Martin Miller and taking Steve Morison and Adam Le Fondre for first goals at the weekend again we think 2 singles and a double in this particular bet.

Don’t forget those scorecasts - you never know.

GAA

Tyrone are now as low as 9/2 for All-Ireland glory after they overcame a battling Antrim side at Casement Park on Sunday, with Micky Bradley’s backdoor-bound Saffrons priced at 300/1.

Micky Harte’s side are also 5/4 to retain the Ulster Championship with Armagh next best at 7/2, and what a match we have in store on June 6th when the Orchard County face Monaghan, who for me could be the surprise package this season. 

This Sunday Down take on Donegal at Ballybofey and this is another tough one to call. Sean Graham bookmakers are  finding it hard to split the teams and a draw at 13/2 could be the value bet in this one – it’s that tight.

Overall, Cork edge the football betting at 9/4 and they face the old enemy Kerry on Sunday week, seeking revenge after losing out in the final last year to their fierce rivals.

It’s a game that will give punters the first real and reliable clue as to what shape the All-Ireland champions are in this year and what a game it promises to be in Killarney.

BET OF THE WEEK

Quite a few bets to get through this week and we start off with a winning one from a Glen Road punter who took Sean Grahams for quite a few quid at the weekend.

The punter in question placed a £20 five-timer last Tuesday week. He had MILLWALL to overcome Huddersfield at 10/11 in the second-leg play-off game and they did just that, winning 2-0.

ROTHERHAM (11/10) were the next team down and they duly put Aldershot to the sword in the League Two play-off  second leg, again 2-0.

He took SEVILLE (13/10) on the same night and they got the better of Atletico Madrid in the Copa Del Rey final – yet another 2-0. Our punter now had a £200 double running on the big weekend games, so the sweat was well and truly on.

He took Blackpool (21/10) to cause a Wembley upset in the Championship play-off final, and Ian Holloway’s men did just that, winning a 3-2 thriller. 

On to the Champions League final and our punter now had close to £650 riding on Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan and he wasn’t to be let down with the Italians grabbing a 2-0 win  to the delight of the Glen Road punter, who scooped £1,412.95 in an end-of-season cracker.

Martin Miller, the £1 punter who recently scooped  £315 with his four first goalscorers, is at it again and has his first two up in the same bet.

He took Diego Milito to open the scoring in the Champions League final at 11/2 and Michael Chopra in the Championship play-off at 9/2 and the sweat is on for the weekend. He has told the PG he is banking on Rotherham striker Adam Le Fondre and Millwall’s Steve Morison doing the business for him – best of luck to Martin at the weekend.

We end with a real betting heartbreaker that has put Lisburn punter Aaron Macken off gambling for life.

Aaron placed his usual £10 quad on the horses and then it was out for a few pints with his mates.

Sitting in his local, Aaron watched his first selection BALDUCCI win the 2.30 at Haydock and his bet became a live £200 double when Kingsgate Native won  the Temple Stales 30 minutes later.

Word got round the bar of the sweat and Aaron’s next selection  was Hamish McGonagall in the big sprint at York at 7/2 and our now sweating punter found himself with a massive £900 riding on his final pick.

He had to wait 30 minutes for the 4.15 from York and he was pacing the floor and smoked about 20 cigarettes as the race time loomed.

He was on the Alan Bailey-trained Love’s Theme in the six-furlong dash and his horse drifted from 4s to 9/2 before the off and Aaron was in with a chance of scooping close to five grand for his tenner.

It wasn’t to be Aaron’s day as Love’s Theme finished second and this is how Sporting Life described it: ‘ Led early, pressed leader, led over 2f out, ridden over 1f out, headed well inside final furlong.’

Absolutely gutting for the punter who has turned his back on gambling, but maybe he’ll have one last go at the weekend as he gets a consolation £50 Sean Graham betting voucher which is in the post for the deflated punter.