2014 Prediction League; Game 7 v AFC Wimbledon (home)

Div3North · 11-09-2014, 23:59

Accrington Stanley

V

AFC Wimbledon

2014/15 Prediction League; Game 7 v Wimbledon (home)

My favourite Wombles statistic is the one that reads “P6 W5 D1 L0 F14 A5 Pts 16”

; that, may I remind you, is our record against AFC Wimbledon since they won promotion to the Football League back in 2011 (courtesy of the playoffs) by beating Fleetwood 8-1 on aggregate

(I’ll just repeat that, since it has such a nice ring …… “by beating Fleetwood 8-1 on aggregate”), and then winning a penalty shoot-out against Luton 4-3 after a goalless game ………… and long may it continue!

They were formed back in 2002, and achieved – as I recall it – 5 promotions in 9 years

; they hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in league games in senior football (nowt to do with age, before you ask), which lasted from February 2003 until December 2004 and comprised 78 games

; their current mascot is a Womble known as Haydon (from Haydon’s Road, the nearest train station to Plough Lane, so it seems); and your starter for 10 this week is …………………… Who was their leading goal scorer in 2006/7, our first season back? Answer is ….. one Roscoe d’Sane

, with 17 in the Isthmian Premier League; Roscoe, you may recall, was linked with Torquay at the end of that season but joined us instead, scoring 7 in 22 before joining Torquay after all on 25th January 2008 …………

They got rid of 10 in the summer – well, nine really, because having released 24 year-old LB Callum Kennedy, they re-signed him when Andy Frampton broke his ankle pre-season in training; just to be safe, they also signed ex Swindon and Watford LB Jack Smith (now 30) on his release by Millwall ………………..well, a girl can’t have too many left backs, can she?

Others to take the walk of shame included striker Charlie (“Son of Teddie”) Sheringham (26), who washed up at Ebbsfleet in the Conference South

; GK Seb Brown (24) moved on to Bromley; striker Charlie Strutton, who they signed from Chalfont St Peter (wasn’t he a singer back in the 60s?

) where he’d scored 242 goals in 204 games, now plays for Braintree Town in the Conference; Welsh international defender Rhys Weston (33), ex Cardiff, Walsall and Dundee is “currently without a club” (ie not playing), as is fellow defender Will Antwi (31) who boasts spells at Palace, Aldershot and Wycombe; striker Luke Moore (26) – after 123 games for Ebbsfleet and 168 for the Wombles – now plies his trade up front in a 4-3-3 formation for Margate (the other two are Chas and Dave

); and – biggest of all (but cut because he was too expensive, I suspect

) is striker Jack Midson – 31 today (Happy Birthday Jack – I know you read this thread) – who joined East –“LetsBuyPromotion” – Leigh in sunny Hampshire (who are currently 7th between Macclesfield and Kidderminster) – as did several other journeymen lower league “names”; and much good may it do them!

They bought some decent “name” players to replace them; my mate You Fat Bastard

(32) – aka the Horizontal Hero

– to name but one; Bayo turned Gillingham down, and will – if he gets the chance – create another bomb crater

when he lands after his flying header; there’s a little old man in Haslingden whose cups and saucers have only just stopped shaking on his dresser after his last effort

; his former employers were Gillingham, the Cobblers, Millwall, Swansea, Doncaster, Torquay, Leyton Orient and Boston Utd; he was joined, among others, by ex Oxford winger Sean Rigg (25); former Addicks’ striker Adebayo Azeez (20) signed on (I wonder how many clubs have two players called Adebayo? ); Arsenal GK (he never played for the First Eleven – which, considering some of the bozos who did, is quite surprising) James Shea (23) did too; the marquee signing, though, has to be Bournemouth’s striker Matt Tubbs (29), whose career went from Salisbury to Crawley (where he scored 58 in 78) before Dean’s Court beckoned. It looks like he’s stalled somewhat, since the loan from the Cherries is for the whole season ………..

At the moment they lie 13th with a record of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, 11 goals scored but 11 conceded, and 8 points; they’re above Southend on goals scored, but below Cambridge and York on goal difference. 11 scored makes them joint leading scorers in League Two, alongside Shrewsbury; 11 conceded – the same as Stevenage – puts them ahead of just two teams; one is Carlisle (14), and one isn’t (13) ……….Actually, they won 2 and drew 1 of their first 3 (1-0 wins at Luton and Southend, and a 2-2 draw with the Shrews at home); since then they’ve lost (at home) 2-1 to Hartlepool and 3-2 to Stevenage, and scraped a draw (4-4) at Carlisle last time out. They left the League Cup 3-1 at MK Dons (who they haven’t beaten yet – but wait for the cheers when they do) but beat Southend (again) 4-2 on pens after a ‘Desmond’ draw in the PaintBox. Leading scorers are the aforementioned Matt Tubbs with 7, and Azeez and Rigg have 2 each

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 13th September ……….Now we’re off and running things look loads better, don’t you think?

(DAV007 probably won’t

) and this looks a winnable fixture – provided that we get a firm grip on Akinfenwa and Tubb(y)

Good luck to everyone!

…………………. Remember; Keep the Faith!

…….And thanks for playing!