[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Torquay United

2011 Prediction League – Game 21; v Torquay (home)

Last season’s beaten Play-off Finalists, of course; if they hadn't been docked that one point for playing an ineligible player they'd have finished 6th on goal-difference and played us in the Semis, rather than Shrewsbury - and what might have happened then? Following that defeat to Stevenage Nil (as they’re rapidly becoming known), Paul Buckle jumped ship to Bristol Rovers (why would you want to do that? ), and was replaced, eventually, by journeyman player and ex Cambridge and Leyton Orient manager Martin Ling; amongst various departures they lost keeper Scott Bevan and striker Chris Zebroski to the Pirates (following their former Boss), 32 year-old defender Guy Branston to Bradford City (his 15th club, counting loans) and one Billy Kee (who scored 10 in 46 games for them last year, is a Northern Irish u19 and u21 international – scoring a hat trick in a 4-0 win against the Faroe Islands u21s in August – and who suffered from home-sickness for the Midlands , so signed for Burton , where he's just won League 2 Player of the Month ).

Half a squad signed up; two keepers (former player Martin Rice, re-signed as cover from Truro, and Austrian u21 keeper Robert Olejnik, released after four years at Falkirk in which he played 102 games); defenders Brian Saah – who previously played under Ling at both Cambridge and Leyton Orient – and Daniel Leadbitter from Newcastle; midfielders Chris McPhee (28), in his second spell at Plainmoor via Kidderminster, ex QPR midfielder Joe Oastler (20), who had a loan spell with the Gulls last season, and “24 year-old left sided Irishman” Ian Morris (you couldn’t make it up, could you? ), who left the Iron after 5 seasons; finally, strikers Rene Howe (24) from Peterborough and Taiwo Atieno (25) from Stevenage (for whom he played just the once); it seems Atieno has played for 11 English and 3 American teams since 2004 (the latter being Puerto Rico Islanders, Charleston Battery (although technically he didn’t play for them) and Rochester Rhinos) ; presumably he doesn’t bother unpacking …….

In on loan came Swindon’s Welsh u21 cap Billy Bodin (variously described as a midfielder and as a striker), whose dad Paul – a legend at the Robins - is a good friend of Ling’s, joined very recently by Colchester Utd’s ex Watford defender Tom Aldred.

They didn’t fare amazingly in the Cups (so who did?); the Carling resulted in a 4-1 loss at Southampton, the JPT in a 2-1 defeat at Chesterfield, and the FA Cup in a second round loss 3-2 at the Blades, having got some revenge on Chesterfield – who look like they’ll be back in League 2 next season – by winning 3-1 at their place. In the League, it’s been a Season of Two Halves (correctly, Half a Season of Two Halves ); their last 6 League fixtures have seen them draw 0-0 at Port Vale and beat the Wombles 4-0, Crewe 3-0 away, Hereford 2-0, Barnet 1-0 on Friday gone (with a 90-somethingth minute winner), and Plymouth 3-1; overall, P6 W5 D1 L0 F13 A1 (yes, ONE ) for 16 points. The 8 League fixtures before that run, though, resulted in 4 draws and 4 losses, including being smacked 5-2 at home by Gillingham and 4-1 at Southend.

Their current League record overall is P20 W8 D7 L5 F32 A26 for 31 points (5 more than us) and 9th place; away, they’ve won 3, drawn 3 and lost 3 of 9, but have only scored 8 (as against 24 at home) while conceding 9. Their “whole-season” record is 24 games, 9 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats, scoring 39 and conceding 36. They’ve scored 4 once, 3 five times, 2 six times, one on eight occasions and drawn 4 blanks, and conceded one 5, 2 fours, 3 threes, 4 twos, six ones and kept 8 clean sheets – including, of course, 5 of their last 6 in the League. Main scorers are Rene Howe (9), skipper and midfielder Lee Mansell with 7 (as many as he scored in his previous 5 years with the Club ), defender Kevin Nicholson – who’s in his 5th season there – with 5, as has midfielder Danny Stevens (who’s also in his 5th year there, having started out (football) life aged 8 with Spurs); midfielder Eunan O’Kane and Billy Bodin have 4 each, and 5 others each have a singleton.

We’ve certainly got the evil eye over them ; two wins in 06/07 (1-0 at Fortress Fruit Juice and 2-0 away); a 4-2 win at home in 09/10 (goals from Sunbeds (penalty), Proccie, Luke Joyce and Bobby Grant) but a 2-1 defeat away (Symes with ours, Kempson in the 95th minute with their winner – he got a couple in his own net that season, one at least of them quite spectacular ); last season we followed up a goalless draw away with a 1-0 home win, Ian Craney getting it. Played 6, won 4, drawn 1, lost 1, scored 9, conceded 4; spiffin’ …….

As always the deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 17th December. Two form teams ; they’ve got a poor away record (ok, it’s better than ours ) ….. and can’t score on the road, but have taken 16 points out of the last 18 ; we’ve not lost in 5 , and seem to have found someone who can stick the ball in the back of the net . Christmas round the corner. Think Presents. Stuffing. Turnips. What d’you reckon, Wynonie? 7-2? 5-0?

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