Coca-Cola Final To Fizz

Preston and West Ham meet on Bank holiday Monday in a fascinating finale to the Coca Cola League season to determine who will be joining Sunderland and Wigan as the third club to be promoted to the Barclays Premiership next season.

For the winners, a £20 million bounty awaits plus the opportunity to pit their wits against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and of course the Champions League winners Liverpool. The losers go home with nothing.

The Hammers made the Play-Off final last season, only to be beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace in disappointing match. Preston were last involved at this stage of the play-offs the first time the final was staged in Cardiff.

Even without the prize of a Premiership place, tensions between the clubs is sure to be high following their last meeting when police were required to prevent a bust-up in the tunnel. Thomas Repka was shown red in the game along with five other cautions.

Monday’s official Mike Riley may well have one of his most demanding games of the season. The Yorkshire official isn’t quite so card happy nowadays, although is still capable of throwing in the occasional high make-up.

Traditionally play-off finals haven’t seen too many bad tempered matches. That said last year another established Premiership referee booked eight players in the Championship showpiece game.

A similar outcome wouldn’t be a total surprise and so the advice is an investment in there being fifty booking points (yellow/10ps, red/25pts) or more. Bet365 offer the best price available of 11/8.

Correct score enthusiasts may well be tempted by the 2-1 scoreline, the final result in each of the previous four meetings.