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2011 Prediction League; Game 5 Burton Albion (home)

Accrington Stanley

Burton Albion

2011 Prediction League – Game 5; v Burton Albion (home)

Apart from the (probably) expected smacking in the Carling Cup, Burton haven’t lost this season. Yet. :D

They might have gone to Turf Moor with a certain foreboding, since Burnley put them out of the FA Cup last year, and since Burton have never reached Round 2 of the Carling anyway (Reading and Cardiff dumping them out in the previous seasons); 6-3 was a tad unkind, even after extra time :(; never ahead, Burton levelled the game three times – the third time on 90+2 – before Burnley doubled their score without reply; four from Jay Rodriquez led the blitz. Their next Cup test is the Blades in the JPT; good luck with that one lads, but I think you’re second favourites in a field of two …..

Having never been in front in the Cup game, Burton haven’t – so far – been behind at any time in any of their four League games; their problem, certainly up to last Saturday, was holding a lead :o ……. They were 2-0 up at Torquay, both goals by Justin Richards in the opening 10 minutes of the second half but conceded 2 later in the half; 1-0 up at home to Shrewsbury on 14, before one Terry Gornell :p snatched the equaliser on 83 minutes; 1-0 up at home against local rivals Port Vale with a goal by defender Aaron Webster, a lead that lasted less than 20 minutes; and finally, away to Southend last week, they scored through a 25 yarder from Calvin Zola and managed to hold on; P4 W1 D3 L0 F5 A4 Pts 6 for 11th place.

Only Zola remains of those who joined in the transfer window in January last; Simon Whaley is now at Chorley, who top the Evo Stick Premier League with 3 wins out of 3 and a goal difference of +8 (F9 A1) (alongside Lee McEvilly :D); Nialle Rodney went to Bradford City; Sam Winnall went back to Wolves; and Lewis Young, who they’d bought from Watford the previous summer was quickly shipped out on loan to Forest Green, and has now signed for Northampton. It seems that being Ashley Young’s brother counts for little in League 2!

The other major departure was keeper Adam Legzdins who joined from Crewe in 2010 but left in the close season for (Championship) rivals Derby County, where he seems to be sitting on the bench watching Blackburn (and England) keeper Frank Fielding. That left Burton with a slight problem – their only keeper left was 48 year old goalkeeping coach Kevin Poole – the oldest registered League player, as far as I know :). Fair exchange being no robbery, Burton signed Derby keeper Ross Atkins on loan, as well as acquiring ex-Foxes striker Adi Yussuf (19) and 23 year old ex Crewe centre back Danny Blanchett, who had just the one season at Gresty Road, although he played 44 games; they also went back to Leicester for defender Tom Parkes, who they’d had on loan twice before, but sadly he broke his ankle in the Port Vale game, and will be out until at least Christmas. Completing the arrivals was one Justin Richards (a Brummie, by the way) in respect of whom please see last week’s thread re the Port Vale away game ……… which I won’t mention again. Honest. :D

We’ve a better than decent record against them in the League; in 09/10 we won 2-0 at their place (Billy Kee and Michael Symes getting the goals :D) but lost at home by the same score; last season we beat them 3-1 at Fortress Crown (Sunbeds, Craney and Captain Marvel scoring :D), and then drew 1-1 at the Pirelli in our final league game of the season (excluding Playoff games …….. which I won’t mention again. Honest :D) with a first (and so far only) League goal from Dean Winnard. :)

They’ve hit the net 8 times in 5; Zola has 3 and Richards 2 (both in the first game of the season); the others have come from the respective boots (or heads) of Jacques Maghoma, 27 year old Jamaican midfielder Cleveland Taylor (who sounds like he should be in the NFL), who played for the Brewers on loan in 09/10 but spent last year at St Johnstone, and 30 year old defender Aaron Webster, now in his 14th season as a first team player for the Albion, and who, from the back, has notched up 46 goals in the last 6 seasons.

For those who like trivia; there have been teams from Burton in the Football League before Albion won the Conference in 2009; Burton Swifts played in Division 2 from 1892 to 1901 (never managing to cover themselves in glory :p); Burton Wanderers also played in the same Division from 1893/4 to 1896/7, with similar lack of success :p; they merged in 1901 into Burton Utd, who lasted 6 years before they were also voted out of League 2 :o, but not before they’d inflicted what is still Newcastle’s worst defeat (9-0 on 15th April 1895 :D); Burton Utd are also, apparently, the only team with a winning head-to-head record against Manchester Utd ………………:D:D:D

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 27th August. On League form, they don’t score after the opposing team scores against them, so if we get the opener, we’ve cracked it :). Maybe by now our lads will have had time to shake hands and introduce themselves, so who knows…………..? Huge win? Huge loss? We’re only three points and a few goals off the playoffs, don’t forget. Get those entries rolling in, Mesdames et Messieurs; the worst you can be is wrong :confused: ………or in my case, wrong again ;)!

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

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