Accrington Web - 2011 Prediction League; Game 14

Accrington Stanley

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! :p

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 :o – 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 :eek: (anyone know the Greek for “Are you blind, Ref, he was a mile offside!” ? :p).

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 :confused:. 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” :D (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 ………….:o:o:o

To replace the departed, they signed up every man and his dog, although you’ve probably never heard of any of them :rolleyes:; 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? :confused:

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 :D; 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 :D

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 :p, and Forest Green :p:p) – also with 4 – and Huddersfield loanee Jamie Spencer, who got 8 in 33 games on loan at Morecambe :mad: 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! :D). 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! :o

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

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