[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Stevenage FC

2014/15 Prediction League; Game 44 v Stevenage FC (home)


We’re safe; they’re in the playoff positions; AngeB has won the Prediction League (well done Ange – first lady winner, as I recall), God’s in his heaven and all’s right with the world!

Back in October we travelled to their place; they beat us 2-1, aided by a 1st minute tap-in by Chris Whelpdale, following debutant loanee Fulham GK Jesse Joronen having “made a hash of a punched clearance” ; Moly equalised on 19, and Charlie Lee got the winner just after half time, as they “leap-frogged” us; we’d had 16 points from 13 games , they’d had 14 .........Joronen played 3 games and 50 minutes of fourth before injuring himself tipping over the bar (at that time we were getting through GKs at the rate of about 6 a week )

Their last 10 games have produced 5 wins, 4 draws and a single defeat (a 1-0 home reverse to the Daggers); 6 of those 10 games were at home, four were away ........of the away games they won one (1-0 at Cheltenham) and drew the other three (0-0 at Exeter, and 1-1 at Burton and at Cambridge) ......they’re currently 6th in the table, with a record that goes, “P43 W19 D11 L13 GF59 GA50 Pts 68”; their 50 conceded in the League is far the worst in the top 7 spots , the others having conceded 35, 29, 42 (Wycombe), 39, 35 and 33 – an average of 35.5 goals each .............you’d sort of think that Stevenage are likely to concede too many in the playoffs to worry the other teams , who in turn won’t fall for the “we’re gonna score one more than you” philosophy. After us, they play Carlisle at home (who’ll want the points ) and Luton (away), who still aspire to a playoff spot despite having got just four points from the last possible 30 (and Newport, next to them, similarly stay in and around despite winning only 9 points in their last 10 games ). Stevenage can, mathematically, catch Bury (76 pts) and Southend (75) but they won’t ........they can still be caught by Luton (62), Newport (62) and Exeter (61) ........but they won’t be ; 6th or 7th you’d think – Plymouth being 3 points behind them but with a better GD (+17 to +9)

For the rest of it; they went out of all three Cups in Round One; the Carling was a 1-0 home defeat by Watford (no shame in that); the PaintyThingy was a 1-0 home defeat by Gillingham (not much shame in that); and the FA Cup was by 2-1 (away) after a goalless home draw ................ to Maidstone United ..........now THAT one is shame a-plenty! Four Cup games, one goal scored ......

They’ve brought a few in – all but one on loan, and most of them MFs ........QPR’s Bruno Andrade (21); Arsenal’s Jack Jebb (19); PNE and ex-Luton Keith Keane (28); Cardiff forward Danny Johnson (21, once of Guisborough) broke the MF mould, as did ex Charlton, Colchester, Ipswich (and six loans periods) and current Leyton Orient striker Kevin Lisbie, a 10-time Jamaican international striker who’s only managed to get picked for 8 games all season, which – at 36 – may be 8 too many ; David Martin (29, and another MF) ProperSigned from Millwall (having also done the tour of Crystal Palace and Luton)

Leading scorers are all MFs; in fact, their top six scorers don’t include a single striker .......Charlie Lee has 9, Tom Pett (known to his mates as “Teacher’s”) has 7, and so does Chris “Tap-In” Whelpdale.

Only six teams are now at any theoretical risk of the trapdoor; Tranmere (39 with 3 to play) could catch Cambridge (48), Mansfield (48) or Carlisle (46); Cheltenham (with 40) and Hartlepool (with 41) could too, but it’s a long-shot .......in reality it seriously looks like Tranmere, Cheltenham and Hartlepool Utd ; Cheltenham’s 3 points was a life-line; Hartlepool’s goal conceded in the 97th minute at Burton was a hammer –blow (how valuable would three points have been instead of just the one? ); Tranmere, as the saying goes, are up to their necks in muck and nettles . We wish none of them any harm .........we’re just glad that, for the ninth time in a row, it isn’t us!

Deadline for entering (there’s still second and third to play for!) is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 18th April; Barnet have a one-point lead over Brizzle Rovers with two to play (and a better GD – 46 plays 32) ; Yeovil are down (37 pts), Colchester are in trouble (44) , and then it’s probably two from Crawley (47 pts, -26 GD), Notts Co (47, -13, Orient (47, -4), Crewe 48, and Port Vale 50; Colchester, County and Orient have a game in hand, but on season-long form that’s only worth, at best, a point ........not many local derbies among that lot! Mind you, Blackpool should be with us the season after ................

Good luck to everyone (Ange doesn’t actually need it any more! ) ......Keep the Faith and Bung Another Brick in the Wall ...........and thanks for playing!

And am I the only person who's slightly troubled by the fact that St Piero apparently doesn't want to discuss a new contract until the end of the season?