Weekend winners: Tales of punting heroes and big winning bets

Punting really is a game of two halves

Three football punters struck gold at the weekend thanks to audaciously big accumulators in the 'goal in both halves' market.

The first, Mr Padda from Birmingham, combined nine matches from the international programme with six from the EFL to build a £10 15-fold acca which won him a staggering £48,742.11!

We'd usually take the opportunity to tell you how he relied on a dozen goals in stoppage time to bring home the bet, but perhaps more remarkably, all 15 picks were pretty safe.

The only three matches to give him some jitters were Portugal's 4-2 victory in Serbia, where the visitors broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute - as did Uruguay in a 2-1 triumph against Costa Rica - while AFC Wimbledon's 83rd minute strike in a 2-1 defeat at MK Dons was also a little too close for comfort.

Meanwhile, Mr Swain from Bristol should also be very much a glass half full man after his much smaller stake of 50p on 19 selections scooped him £22,095.06!

Eleven of his picks overlapped with those of Mr Swain - including the aforementioned dicey trio - and seven others were also relatively comfortable, but there was drama in Barrow's 2-1 victory at Aldershot.

With score still goalless with 45 minutes on the clock, the bet looked dead in the water until John Rooney popped up for the visitors. Remember the name and all that.

The third, Marian from Ayrshire, threw in selections from Portugal and Romania in her £10 12-team acca which won her £10421.49.

Matthew from Wiltshire attempted a different strategy as he put together a 50p 10-fold on teams he thought would score two goals or more and it paid off to the tune of £3270.

Again, it was pretty plain sailing except for needing an 88th minute goal from Doncaster in their 2-1 victory over Rotherham.

Customer One Selections

Stake: £10
Bet: 'Goal in Both Halves' 15-fold
Winnings: £48,742.11

• Kosovo 2-1 Czech Republic
• England 4-0 Bulgaria
• Iceland 3-0 Moldova
• Lithuania 0-3 Ukraine
• France 4-1 Albania
• Serbia 2-4 Portugal
• Brazil 2-2 Colombia
• USA 0-3 Mexico
• Costa Rica 1-2 Uruguay
• MK Dons 2-1 AFC Wimbledon
• Doncaster 2-1 Rotherham
• Bristol Rovers 3-3 Accrington
• Coventry 3-2 Blackpool
• Fleetwood 2-1 Oxford
• Tranmere 2-2 Gillingham

Customer two selections

Stake: 50p
Bet: 'Goal in Both Halves' 19-fold
Winnings: £22,095.06

• Kosovo 2-1 Czech Republic
• England 4-0 Bulgaria
• Iceland 3-0 Moldova
• France 4-1 Albania
• Serbia 2-4 Portugal
• Brazil 2-2 Colombia
• USA 0-3 Mexico
• Costa Rica 1-2 Uruguay
• MK Dons 2-1 AFC Wimbledon
• Bristol Rovers 3-3 Accrington
• Tranmere 2-2 Gillingham
• Bradford 2-1 Northampton
• Cheltenham 4-2 Stevenage
• Leyton Orient 1-3 Swindon
• Morecambe 2-2 Salford
• Aldershot 1-2 Barrow
• Ebbsfleet United 1-1 Eastleigh
• Sutton 1-1 Notts County
• Airdrie 3-2 Bohemians

Customer three selections

Stake: £10
Bet: 'Goal in Both Halves' 12-fold
Winnings: £10421.49

• Lithuania 0-3 Ukraine
• Tranmere 2-2 Gillingham
• Leyton Orient 1-3 Swindon
• Wycombe v Lincoln
• Morecambe 2-2 Salford
• Boreham Wood 3-1 Dover
• Sutton 1-1 Notts County
• Maidstone United 2-2 Havant & Waterlooville
• Airdrie 3-2 Bohemians
• Forfar 1-2 East Fife
• Camara de Lobos 0-4 Felgueiras 1932
• Rapid Bucuresti 1-2 ACS Viitorul Pandurii Targu

Customer four selections

Stake: 50p
Bet: 'To score 2+ goals' 10-fold (selected team in bold)
Winnings: £3270

• Doncaster 2-1 Rotherham
• MK Dons 2-1 AFC Wimbledon
• Bristol Rovers 3-3 Accrington
• Plymouth 2-2 Oldham
• Leyton Orient 1-3 Swindon
• Morecambe 2-2 Salford
• Cheltenham 4-2 Stevenage
• Carlisle 1-3 Exeter
• Halifax 0-2 Yeovil
• Airdrie 3-2 Bohemians

Holt too hot to stop

Sporting Life tipster Simon Holt is enjoying a fine end to the summer on the tipping front and he was it again on Saturday, finding 16/1 and 8/1 winners at Haydock in his weekend column.

Ranch Hand and Great Scot were the two horses in question while later on the same card, Time To Study knuckled down well to provide Oli Bell with a tasty 12/1 winner.

Not to be outdone, Ben Linfoot and David Ord both nominated successful selections in our weekly Saturday Bets of the Day column.

American Dream

As another two weeks of Grand Slam action draws to a close, our resident tennis tipster Scott Ferguson can toast a job well done having advised 14/1 chance Bianca Andreescu in the women's singles in his pre-tournament preview.

Andreescu played beautifully throughout the tournament before defeating Serena Williams 6-3 7-5 in Saturday's final, continuing Scott's excellent tipping following strong returns at Wimbledon and the French Open.

Champagne supernova for Australia in Manchester

Perhaps the biggest winners of the weekend were Australia, victorious in the fourth Test at Old Trafford and now assured of retaining the Ashes regardless of next week's result at The Oval.

Events in Manchester were also good news for cricket tipster Richard Mann who made Australia a strong bet in his fourth Test preview.

Unlike fellow musician Ed Sheeran, Manchester's two most famous sons, the Gallagher brothers, weren't in attendance at Old Trafford but Sky Bet customer Mr Gallagher (no relation) is entitled to have enjoyed his cigarettes and alcohol on Saturday after scooping £3,400 on the afternoon's racing.

His 10 pence Super Heinz had 12/1, 8/1, 6/1, 7/2 and 7/2 winners from seven selections, netting him a very nice pay day indeed.

Elsewhere, a Mr Costello - to continue the musical theme - from Dublin won £3.8k from a £10 each-way acca that included Kasbaan, Zingaro Bay, Time To Study and Hello Youmzain.

In Rochdale, Sky Bet punter Mrs Madden enjoyed an ever bigger win on Saturday's racing when turning £6 into £4,900!

Her £3 each-way accumulator on Great Scot, Time To Study, Hello Youmzain, and Pact Of Steel proved to be an absolute tipping masterstroke.

Champagne all round!