Saturday Lunchtime Double Header – Saints Take on Coventry as West Ham Welcome Hull
The battle for second place in The Championship has reached the final game of the season, with Southampton and West Ham vying for the automatic promotion spot into the Premier League next season. Southampton are very much favourites to fill the spot come 2.15 pm; they need just a draw at home to already relegated Coventry, but West Ham will be battling for their lives against Hull City at Upton Park in the hope that Coventry can perform a minor miracle. Here are previews of both games, which are live on TV.
Southampton v Coventry Live on BBC1 12.30pm
Southampton need just a point to guarantee automatic promotion into the Premier League next season, and Saturday’s visitors Coventry may be powerless to prevent The Saints from marching on.
Coventry will be plying their trade in League 1 next season, as relegation was confirmed last weekend. The most they can do is make a nuisance of themselves, but that is unlikely to be enough to prevent the Championship’s best home scoring team from taking all 3 points.
The Sky Blues have won just 1 of their 22 games on the road this season, scoring on just 13 occasions and conceding 35.
Southampton on the other hand have tucked away 45 goals at St. Marys, making them the most potent attacking force in the league.
It’s very unlikely that Southampton will play for the draw, but there is every chance that Coventry will attempt ot go out with a bang and with their pride intact, which could make things very messy for them.
The quality difference between these two is immense, and provided nerves don’t get in the way too much, Saints should confirm their place in the top flight with a comfortable victory.
West Ham v Hull City Live on Sky Sports 2 12.30pm
The Hammers know full well that they are up against it in terms of their position in relation to Southampton’s, but the most they can do is beat their opponents and put the rest into fates hands.
West Ham have really come alight in the last few weeks, looking better than they have all season, and should have too much for Hull City, who must already be thinking of their summer holidays.
Hull don’t tend to score too many goals on their travels, and West Ham have the form and quality to beat a side that had a run of 5 defeats and just 1 win in 7 games which scuppered all hopes of a play off position for The Tigers.
This isn’t a walk over by any means for West Ham, but all they can do is win it, and I’m predicting they will do just that, although they will have to settle for 3rd place and the play offs.
