Normally, the Monday of the August bank holiday weekend is not regarded as a highlight of the football calendar. Mind you, 2025 was a different kettle of fish thanks to the slobberknocker between Newcastle United and Liverpool. These two teams, on bad terms given the Alexander Isak debacle, served up a contest for the ages at St James’s Park with five goals, six cards and a staggering 32 fouls.
There was a full card of non-league football too, enabling those who love the beautiful game to perhaps take a trip to their local club on a day in which they might otherwise be dragged around Ikea or forced to watch Indiana Jones for the 300th time. And for one Betfair punter, that non-league action provided the foundation for a day of betting that they are unlikely to forget in a hurry – a 2,144/1 winning acca no less, despite two of their selections actually going on to lose…
Winning Ways
Carlisle United (Credit: Jameboy, Wikipedia.org)
The Betfair customer in question had plundered the standard match result betting market, backing five teams to win their respective games plus a further five matches to end in a draw. A couple of the punter’s selections could not have landed any more easily. They had backed Carlisle United, now managed by Manchester United legend Mark Hughes, to beat Braintree Town… and watched on with glee as the Cumbrians ran out handsome 5-0 victors.
Meanwhile, around 320 miles away, Aldershot – another of our punter’s ‘to win’ selections – were entertaining Morecambe, whose mere existence as a football club is nothing short of a miracle given that they were saved from the brink of extinction this month.
But Aldershot were not in a charitable mood, and neither was our punter – they backed the Shots to get the win, which they duly did by a 4-0 margin… despite the game being goalless at half time. Rochdale saw off Sutton United 1-0, while Kahrel Reddin’s 19th minute goal set Altrincham on their way to a 2-0 victory over Solihull Moors.
And with Forest Green – managed by Robbie Savage – defeating Eastleigh thanks to an injury time goal, our punter, despite being made to sweat, had all of their win selections home. The draws, on the other hand, would prove to be a different matter entirely…
Quick on the Draw
Southend United (Credit: Tubes44, Wikipedia.org)
Betting on draws is not always good for the nerves; if a goal goes in, your bet is now losing… irrespective of which team scores it. But fortune can sometimes favour the brave; and it certainly did at Scunthorpe on Bank Holiday Monday. The Iron found themselves reduced to ten men when Branden Horton was sent off just before half time, however they still somehow took the lead early in the second period through Callum Roberts.
Opponents Halifax Town threw the kitchen sink at them in reply, with David Kawa netting a quick response for the Yorkshiremen. Halifax then threw the metaphorical kitchen sink at Scunthorpe, but through wasteful finishing and gutsy defending, the Iron clung on to the 1-1 draw.
Elsewhere in the National League, Hartlepool were the visitors to Southend United. The game was level at 1-1 with 20 minutes to go with Hartlepool pushing hard for a winner – it was somewhat telling that Southend’s goalkeeper, Collin Andeng-Ndi, won the Man of the Match award for a string of fine saves in that closing chapter of the game.
York were unbeaten in the National League heading into their Monday clash with Woking, who themselves were yet to win this term. Our punter was taking a chance on the underdogs enjoying an improvement in fortunes then, but things got off to the best possible start when Aaron Dree fired Woking ahead in the 21st minute.
York’s greater class generally shone through over the course of the rest of the game, with Alex Newby levelling in the second half. Alas, the Minstermen couldn’t find a winner, so our punter enjoyed another 1-1 draw. They also backed the stalemate in the remaining two games on their coupon… in both cases, one of the teams ran out as the winner.
However, thanks to Betfair’s 90 Minute Guarantee, the firm’s customer was paid out as a winner, as both games were level as the clock ticked past 90. Boreham Wood’s home date with Truro City was also locked in a 1-1 stalemate as the game moved into extra time… before Matt Rush popped up with a dramatic winner for the hosts.
Yeovil Town and Gateshead put on a Bank Holiday slobberknocker at Huish Park, with Yeovil leading 3-0 at half time – our punter’s pick of draw seemingly dead in the water. But Gateshead rallied in the second period, scoring in the 48th, 58th and 73rd minutes to set up a grandstand finish.
The game was still poised at 3-3 in the 90th minute, before Kain Adom secured the most unlikely of wins for Gateshead eight minutes later. Not that our punter cared. Thanks to the 90 Minute Guarantee, their bet was settled as a 3-3 draw – meaning that all ten selections had landed. From a stake of £1, they were now £2,145.19 to the good! As Bank Holiday Mondays go, that was a cracking outcome.
