[Div3North]

Hartlepool United

V

Accrington Stanley

2014/15 Prediction League; Game 43 v Hartlepool (away)

Has anybody else noticed how quickly “not won in eight” becomes “unbeaten in three”? Just a thought ....

Ronnie “20-1 bar” Moore waxed lyrical on Easter Monday’s performance by the MonkeyHangers at home to Southend, saying things like, “Hartlepool were magnificent in their defeat by Southend” and

• "I thought second half we did everything but win the game . They were magnificent and have given everything. The lads got a standing ovation even though we lost because the fans appreciate the effort they put in."

He added:

• “Phil Brown knows he is a very lucky man to get away from here with the three points because I honestly believe that if we'd scored he'd have gone away with nothing."

Great, Ronnie ..........how about Saturday’s defeat (also by 1-0) at York; how “magnificent” were you then?

Truth is, it’s not very long ago they were dead in the water; back in October, before an appalling crowd of 947 on a Tuesday night, we did them 3-1 – two from Shay McCartan, one from Rob Atkinson ..............then more recently they bridged the gap, by winning four and drawing one .......now they’ve burned the same bridge by losing two on the spin, leaving the, 22nd (P42 W11 D7 L24 F33 A62 for 40 points – one point above Tranmere (who’ve taken just 5 points in their last 10 games ) and three above Cheltenham (who’ve taken 6 points in 10 ), each with just the one win in those games .........Hartlepool’s problems are that they’ve got the worst goal difference (by -3, which can be worth another point ), and their 33 scored is the fewest in the League – Mansfield have 34, Cheltenham 36, and then it’s Tranmere, York and Oxford on 43 .............But it isn’t all gloom and doom, because the MHs have actually won 7 and drawn one of their last 15, and won 5 of their last 8 at home – losing only to Southend (1-0), Burton (1-0) and Stevenage (3-1)

They’ve brought some in recently – to what effect we’ll maybe never know; free agent utility player (as in gas, electric and water) Ebby Nelson-Addy (22), once of Villa’s Academy signed on the dotted; striker Ryan Bird (27) from Cambridge, Plymouth’s striker Marvin Morgan, Middlesbrough’s Jordan Jones (MF), Scunthorpe’s AMF David Mirfin (once of the Terriers), and PNE’s striker Jordan Hugill (22) all came in on loan, and ex Darlo Scott Harrison – on loan for a while at Victoria Park – ProperSigned .......Hugill was recently on loan at Tranmere, and scored 0 in 6 (good plan, lads!). Leading goal scorers are MF Jonathan Franks with 6 (4 of them in the Cup), fellow MF Brad Walker with 5, and striker Scott Fenwick, also with a nap hand ...................

I haven’t done they “if they beat them and these draw with those, and Team X beats Team Z by 24-0 or better, we’re mathematically safe”. Reality is, we’ve safe; one more point and you can all go into the Shopping Centre, rip off your clothes and celebrate ......or maybe not!

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 14th April ..........ten years, eh? And more power to our collective elbow!

Good luck to everyone ..............Keep the brick! .............and thanks for playing!