[Div3North]

Barnet FC

V

Accrington Stanley

2011 Prediction League – Game 6; v Barnet (away)

Now managed by Lawrie Sanchez, Barnet had a much less busy summer this year than last; 6 left this time round, instead of 2010’s 14; those 6 included keeper Jake Cole (25), who was the second-string keeper at QPR between 2003 and 2009, playing just 6 times in those 6 seasons; he then joined Barnet and made 77 appearances in his 2 years with them; when he left, he took the risky step of signing for Plymouth (hope he’s got a good overdraft facility ); ex-manager Mark Stimson’s son Charlie, who followed dad from Gillingham and then followed him out of Barnet, currently without a club ; and last season’s skipper Glen Southam (31), who signed in 2010 from Histon, scored once (from the spot, at Morecambe) during the season, and is now back in non-league, playing for Dover Athletic.

In came ex Luton and Oldham keeper Dean Brill (we'll see how aptly named he is! ); Sam Deering, a 20 year old midfielder from Oxford Utd; former Wycombe, Millwall and Torquay right back Danny Senda, signed from Bristol Rovers; 6’ 5” defender Exodus Geohaghon, whose Peterborough contract was cancelled by agreement (he played against us last season, twice, for Rotherham (getting the equaliser at our place, the precursor of a winner by Ryan Cresswell in time added on) and for Port Vale; he had a loan spell at Shrewsbury last season as well); so far his Barnet career has been sub appearances; and last but not least, 34 year old ex Carlisle striker Jason Price, who – oddly – also went on loan last season to three different places, in his case Hereford, Walsall and (currently managerless) Bradford City. (Note to Bradford City; No you can’t have our manager! )

They had a good win at Portsmouth in the Carling First Round (1-0), before they went out in Round Two at Burnley, 3-2 in extra time; they’d been 2-0 down, Steve Kabba on 73 and Holmes on 90 + 3 forcing the extra 30 mins. In the League their record is P5 W1 D2 L2 F8 A11 for 5 points and 17th place; a 1-0 win at Morecambe, a home loss 3-1 against Port Vale followed by a 2-2 Underhill draw against Gillingham, and a 2-2 draw away at Rotherham; today they came up against managerless Bradford at Valley Parade (Colin Cooper holding the reins) who had two goals and one point in their opening four league games, and who promptly thrashed them 4-2, despite McLeod opening the scoring on 15 and closing it on 90+3.

If you add the Cup games, they’ve hit the net 11 times in 7 games – 8 of them in the second half of their matches, and 5 of them to Izale McLeod, with one each to 6 others. McLeod (26) – who has an u21 cap against Norway - joined in late September 2010, having left Charlton at the end of the previous season, and promptly notched 17 in 33 games, including the penalty against Port Vale on the final day of the season that retained the Bees’ league status and helped send Lincoln into the BSP in their place ……………. I suspect he’ll need very close marking ………..Won’t he, lads …………

Our record against them in the League is ok; P10 W5 D2 L3 F14 A13. in 2009/10 we won both games – 2-1 at their place, with goals from Sunbeds and Billy Kee (now of Burton Albion, if you weren’t at the game today ), and 1-0 at Fortress Crown, with the winner once again scored by Kee; you may remember that we also played them in Round 2 of the FA Cup that year – a disappointing 2-2 draw at home being followed by a 1-0 away win in the replay in London, Bobby Grant getting an early and decisive strike, which opened the door to home ties against Gillingham and Fulham. In 2010 – 11 we lost 2-0 away, but did them 3-1 at our place, a Jimmy Ryan hat trick giving us the win, and a place in the Playoffs …………… You might want to know that Bobby and Jimmy both started for The Iron today ……….but they still lost, and are in a bit of early-season trouble just at the moment

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 3rd September. In their first three games of the season they scored once each time (two 1-0 wins, League and Carling, and a 3 -1 loss); in their last four they’ve scored two in each game (and in three of them they’ve scored in “90+” time), but they’ve conceded 2, 2, 3 and 4 ; who fancies us for a 5-2 win (Wynonie? DaveinGermany? ) Although we’re 15th at this moment, please remember that we’re only two points outside the playoff places …………. Enlighten us with your predictions, please do; points make prizes!

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!