[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Cheltenham Town

2011 Prediction League – Game 14; v Cheltenham Town (home)

A challenge this week; without looking further down this post, name me anyone who plays for CheltenhamTown! ………. No, nor could I!

At least seven released, including former Irish u21 midfielder JJ (John) Melligan, who played for the Robins between 2004 and 2007, but whose return lasted just one season (currently without a club, it appears), midfielders Frankie Artus (who scored 3 in 29 before moving on to Grimsby) and ex Swindon player (3 goals in 109 games) Michael Pook, who was released a week before the window closed despite 6 goals in 64 at the Abbey Business Stadium; defenders Martin Riley (now at Mansfield) and Jake Lee (20) who doubled as a striker, but who now plays for Bishops Cleeve FC in the South and West Division of the Evo Stik League Division One – and if you think that’s a come-down, what about keeper Daniel Lloyd-Weston, who signed for Kalloni FC in the Greek Second Division (anyone know the Greek for “Are you blind, Ref, he was a mile offside!” ? ).

Most disappointing for the home fans might well have been the loss of leading scorer Wes Thomas (24), who hit 18 in 41 last season, and then signed for Crawley . Good bit of business, that – Crawley signed Wes (actually, Wesley Alexander Nevada Thomas) on 31st May on a Bosman Free, and on 9th September (having only played 6 times for his new club) he moved on to Bournemouth on loan until the next transfer window, when he’ll sign permanently – the offer was “too good for the Crawley Board to turn down” (and since he’s got 4 in 7 for the Cherries you can see why they might want him.) You might wonder why they didn’t just sign him in May, though, and save themselves a shedload of money ………….

To replace the departed, they signed up every man and his dog, although you’ve probably never heard of any of them ; midfielders Luke Summerfield (23) from Plymouth, Russell Penn from Burton and Marlon Pack (20) from Portsmouth; defenders Harry Hooman from Shrewsbury, and ex Wycombe and Brentford Republic of Ireland international Alan Bennett (29), plus Portuguese-born full back Sido Jombati; 18 year-old QPR winger Bagasan Graham, and former Bath City (26 in 65) and AFC Wimbledon striker Kaid Mohamed; add recent loan signings Luke Garbutt, an 18 year-old England u19 defender who cost Everton £600,000 (tribunal valuation) when they signed him from Leeds, and Jack Butland, also 18, who came from Birmingham, having already played for the England u21 team; go on then - anyone heard of any of them?

They exited the Carling 4-1 at home to MK Dons in Round 1, but still grace the JPT, having seen off Torquay 2-1 at home and then Wycombe 3-1 away. In the League, P13 W7 D2 L4 F20 A15 for 23 points and 4th place ; away, it’s W3 D1 L3, 11 scored and 11 conceded – wins at Burton 2-0, Bristol Rovers 3-1 and the Cobblers 3-2, a 2-2 draw at Torquay, and defeats at Aldershot (1-0), the Gills by the same score, and AFC Wombles by 4-1 as well. They’ve won their last 4 games, though, and three of those have been away; bit of a form team ………..

We hold the whip hand on games between us ; a 4-0 thumping in 09/10 – Chris Turner (currently with Clitheroe, who are 18th in Div One North of the Northern Premier League) with his first League goal, plus a penalty from Sunbeds and two from Bobby Grant – and a 1-1 draw in the return (Chris Turner with his second League goal); in 10/11 they won 4-2 chez nous (Gornell, and Sunbeds from the spot again), but we returned thanks at their ground, winning 2-1 with goals from Terry G and Liam Richardson. P4 W2 D1 L1 F9 A6

They’ve managed 26 goals in 16 games so far; three goals in a match four times, two goals five times, one goal four times and no goals thrice; 21 conceded – four goals in two separate games. Leading scorers are Scottish-born striker Darryl Duffy – ex Falkirk, Hull, Swansea and Bristol Rovers – with 5, former Bournemouth frontman Jeff Goulding (4), Kaid Mohamed (who – in addition to the teams above, also played for various Welsh sides with unpronounceable names , and Forest Green ) – also with 4 – and Huddersfield loanee Jamie Spencer, who got 8 in 33 games on loan at Morecambe last season, who has four as well; there are 6 others on the scoresheet. The odd thing about that is that – apart from Spencer, who’s 19 – the other three are all 27; must be something in the water down there (unless all their strikers are 27 ………?)

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Friday 21st October. Another draw? A win (that’d be nice! ). 0-0? 7-4? 26-0? Who knows what might happen on a Friday night at Fortress Crown; you might even get a Share Prospectus!

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