[Div3North]

Stockport County

V

Accrington Stanley

Prediction League – Game 9; v Stockport (away)


Quiet over the summer (compared to most); manager Paul Simpson (Carlisle, Preston, Shrewsbury) released 3 on free transfers and brought 4 in; defender Mark Lynch from Rotherham – once of Man U, for whom he only played one game (against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League, would you believe!); 20 year old free agent defender Jordan Rose; striker George Donnelly on loan from Plymouth (he was actually a Liverpool Academy player who also played for Skelmersdale Utd, making him arguably The One Who Got Away); and last but not least another striker in Barry Conlan from Chesterfield; now in his 13th season, and at his 13th club, he enjoyed success at Grimsby before spending half of last season at the Spireites, for whom he scored 7 in 19; this season he’s scored none in their 8 games to date, but don’t count on it continuing that way for too long. County’s danger man, though, is clearly the aforementioned George Donnelly – scorer of 5 of their 8 goals to date.

We’ve met 4 times since we came back to the League – not a happy history, with our record against them being a 1-1 draw at Edgeley Park (on a Friday night in August 06), our goal being “a 40 yard scorcher from Michael Welch” (something of a speciality of his, you may recall) and three defeats; a 1-0 loss at the Fraser Eagle that same season, and two 2-0 defeats the following year (07 – 08), when County went up to League One by winning the playoff final against Rochdale 3-2, having ended the season in 4th place with 82 points. Last season, of course, was a total nightmare for them on every front – relegated in last place, with 25 points from 46 games, only 5 League wins, and a goals deficit of -60 (scored 35, conceded 95).

Two wins in their last 4 (2-0 at Macclesfield and a creditable 1-0 at Oxford), draws away at Southend (1-1) and at home to Wycombe (0-0), Bradford (1-1), and today’s come-back 2-2 against Aldershot, and defeats at Stevenage (1-3) and a bit of a hammering at home to Shrewsbury (0-4) leave them 14th, with 10 points from 8 games, and a goal difference of -3 (eight scored, eleven conceded); out of the Carling Cup in the first round (a thumping 5-0 home defeat by Preston); they haven’t yet played in the JPT, being due (subject to various appeals) to play the Stanley; or it might be Tranmere …………..

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is (apparently) 7.45pm on Tuesday 28th September. We certainly need to improve our scoring record against them – just one goal in four games. Will our very solid defence (still the meanest in the Division with just three goals conceded in 8 League games) shackle Donnelly and snuff out their goalscoring threat? Terry Gornell thinks that we’re going to “give someone a hiding” (see the fishy); is this the game? We’ll know soon enough! Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!