Accrington Web - 2011 Prediction League; Game 15

Shrewsbury Town

Accrington Stanley

2011 Prediction League – Game 15; v Shrewsbury (away)

They signed Terry Gornell and Joe Jacobson from us :mad:; we signed Kevin McIntyre from them :o. Jury’s still out ..........…..…. I think they maybe got the better overall deal ……...........…..:(

Seven others left Greenhous Meadow over the summer; strikers Nathan Elder (26) to Hayes and Yeading (now on loan at the Bulls); ex-Brighton player Jake Robinson (24) – who, you might remember, went on loan to Torquay last season and promptly notched a hat trick – against Shrewsbury! :D – and who’s now joined Northampton; Matt Harrold (27) who – despite scoring 8 in 35 games last season, was sold to Bristol Rovers (his 10th club, if you include loan spells). Also on their way were defender Dave Raven, an England u20 and u23 international, now at Tranmere; Harry Hooman, another defender, who joined Cheltenham, but who wasn’t in the squad to play us yesterday; midfielder Craig Disley, formerly of Mansfield and Bristol Rovers, who played over 400 games for those teams (scoring 45) before being released and signing for Grimsby; and Danny Taylor, a 20 year-old defender who managed 2 appearances for the Shrews (the second – his full debut – being against us (in Jan 10) at their place – the sole away win we’ve had there in the League :)) – and who, on release, signed for Airbus (UK); anyone know the Welsh for, “Over ‘ere, Son, on me ‘ead!”? ;) Winger Steve Leslie has recently gone back on loan again to Hereford, for whom he got 2 in 11 last season.

In came Gornell and Jacobson, Joe missing the first 3 games following his red card against Stevenage in the Play-offs (the last thing he kicked in anger in an Accrington shirt being Lawrie Wilson :D:D:D) and Terry getting a red card in September at home to Hereford :(; also new to the Shrews came defender Reuben Hazell, the 32 year-old former captain of Oldham (now out with a knee injury until the New Year some time); Carl Regan (31), a right back from Bristol Rovers, who previously played for Hull, Chester, Macclesfield and the MK Dons; ex-Ipswich 26 year-old central midfielder Matt Richards, signed from Walsall; and 6’5” Marvin Morgan (he of the Twitter thread to Aldershot fans :p) who arrived from the Shots via a loan spell (“Never darken our doors ……..”) at Dagenham and Redbridge.

Our record against them since we returned to the League is pants, frankly :o; P10 W2 D2 L6 F10 A17. We did do them 2-0 in the JPT in 2009, but our only League victories have been by 2-1 at our place in 08/09 (Terry Gornell and Paul Mullin scoring in the first 6 minutes) and by 1-0 (Bobby Grant) away in the 09/10 season. In fact, in 5 League games at their ground in the 5 seasons we’ve taken 4 points and only scored two goals :cool:; happily, they haven’t scored against us on our last two visits :D.

Incidentally, if you look at the teams for the win at Fortress Crown back on 21st October 2008, only one of the 16 involved still plays for the Stanley; our squad that night was:

Arthur, Edwards, Williams, Charnock, King, Ryan, John Mullin, Griffiths, Miles, Gornell and Paul Mullin, the subs being Speare, Murdock, Higginbotham, Clarke and Procter.

They’re out of the Carling; having beaten Derby 3-2 away and Swansea 3-1 at home, they then fell to Woolwich Arsenal at the Emirates by 3-1; the JPT was less kind to them, losing a first rounder 2-1 at Walsall (probably on a wet Tuesday – they have a lot of them in Walsall! :p). In the League, it’s P14 W7 D3 L4 F20 A17 for 24 points and 6th place; more worryingly, at home it’s P6 W5 D1 L0 F13 A5. After a 1-1 draw with Plymouth they’ve won five on the bounce – Crewe 2-0, Swindon 2-1, Hereford 3-1, Torquay 2-0 and Barnet 3-2. 28 goals scored in their 18 matches (incl Cup games); they’ve hit 3 goals five times, two goals three times, one goal seven times, and three times they haven’t scored at all; we haven’t scored at all seven times (if you count cup games), but three of those have been our last three outings; worrying ……………… :eek::eek::eek:

Leading scorers are Marvin Morgan with 7, James Collins with 5, Mark Wright (no, the other one) with 4, and Nicky Wroe (ex Torquay) and Terry Gornell :), each with three; four other scorers, plus an OG, make up the total.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 25th October. “Play them off the Park and lose 1-0”? Another draw? Can we actually hit the net again, not having done so in our last 304 minutes of competitive football? :o Spectacular hammering (either way)? Robbed by a winner that was obviously offside? Who’d like to put their money where their mouth is? Get your predictions down, Ladies and Gents………….

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

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