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Prediction League Game 45; Barnet (home)

Accrington Stanley

Barnet FC

Prediction League – Game 45; v Barnet (home)

When you’re staring down the barrel of the gun marked “relegation from the League” you probably would look to change the team by bringing new faces in; that’s what Barnet did. Some were enforced – no, Martin Allen’s stay at Underhill wasn’t the shortest managerial career ever (that honour (?) belongs to Leroy Rosenior, who was manager of Torquay for 10 minutes back in 2007 :confused: - yes, seriously), but it’s on the list somewhere; the rest weren’t. Seven new arrivals between January and March; Sam Walker from Chelsea; 28 year old Jude Stirling, now at his 13th club, a defender loaned from MK Dons; Matty Parsons, a 19 year old left back from Crystal Palace; John Dunleavy, also 19, a right back from Wolves (ex Republic of Ireland Youth Captain), who’s made 5 appearances, 2 of them from the bench; midfielder Tommy Fraser (23), ex Brighton, ex Port Vale captain, who played 64 games there before falling out of favour with Jim Gannon and moving on; Liam O’Brien, a keeper from Portsmouth and an ex England u19 international; and much-travelled striker Jack Midson, now 27, and formerly of Stevenage and Oxford; he’s scored 9 times this season, but unfortunately 7 of them were before he left Oxford, and the other 2 were while on loan at Southend. Mind you, one start and two games off the bench isn’t the best way to keep banging them in ……………

The Bees currently lie 23rd; P44 W11 D12 L21 F56 A74 for 45 points. Ahead of them lie Northampton (by 1 point), Lincoln (by 2), Hereford (by 3) and Burton (by 4); Barnet have a better goal difference than Lincoln. Their away record is W4 D7 L11 F27 A39; their ‘games won’ (11) is better than only Stockport and Northampton (9 each), and their forays into the 3 Cup competitions resulted in just 4 games, and one goal scored; their best achievement there was a goalless draw at home to Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup.

That said, they’re probably currently one of the form teams – at least down the foot of the table (and at just the right time); their last 6 games have resulted in 11 points; 3 wins (4-2 at Gillingham – for which we thank them profusely – 4-1 at Burton and 2-1 at home to Crewe), two draws (2-2 against Chesterfield, having been 2-0 down but coming back with goals in the 52nd and 94th minutes, and today’s 2-2 draw at home to Oxford – which they led twice) and a single defeat, 2-0 at Bury. Dead and buried a few weeks ago, they end their season – after us - at home to Port Vale, who now have nothing to play for, and against whom they got a decent 0-0 draw away from home earlier in the season. 11 points from 6 – if you can do it all season – will surely get you promoted, or certainly into the mix …..

57 goals in 48 games, though, tells its own story; goalless in 16 of those; one scored in 17 more, and 2 on nine occasions; 3-1 v Cheltenham and 3-1 at Bradford, and four scored just four times (three of those being in their last 11 games though) 4-1 at Burton, 4-2 at Gillingham, 4-1 v Northampton and 4-2 over Lincoln at home. Leading scorers are 26 year old striker Izale McLeod (ex Derby, MK Dons, Charlton, and what looks like dozens of loan periods at various places) who has 13, scored it should be noted in just 27 games, 5 of which have been sub appearances; Steve Kabba – now 30, and formerly of Crystal Palace, Sheffield Utd and Watford (amongst others) – has 11 from 25 games; Mark Marshall, a right winger who joined from Swindon last summer, has 6 from his 46 appearances so far this season; and 22 year old Mark Byrne, on loan from Notts Forest for the second time this season and described as “a bundle of energy in central midfield” – whatever that means- also has 6; it’s worth noting that he played for Burscough between 04/05 and 06/07, playing 9 times in the League (scoring 8) and twice in the FA Cup (scoring none); on second thoughts, perhaps it isn’t ………………. Apart from them, they’ve had 3, two or one goal each from a further 13 players!

They beat us 2-0, of course, in the reverse fixture :o, and although overall we still lead the head-to-head, we can’t make any mistakes this time. Please. Pretty please?

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 30th April. We’re in the form of our lives (only 1 defeat in 17) :D; close game? Classy win? We need three points at all costs – cos if we get three and any one of Stevenage, Gillingham of Torquay DON’T get 3, then (whisper it) :hothothotWE CAN’T BE CAUGHT :hothothot. I think anyone would take a scrappy 1-0 in the present circumstances, although the Bees need the points as well, so will, surely, have to come and attack us ….. So; rien ne va plus after 15.00 hours Saturday coming; get your entries in in good time. Even silly guesses accepted at this stage of the season (Wyn and DiG please note! :p)

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

:alright: