Accrington Web - 2011 Prediction League; Game 18 Macclesfield Town (away)

Macclesfield Town

Accrington Stanley

2011 Prediction League – Game 18; v Macclesfield (away)

If you lose your goalscorers, I suppose you need to replace them with other goalscorers. QED! :p

Out, in the summer, went Tyrone Barnett (who contributed 13 in 45 last season) to Crawley, midfielder Hamza Bencharif, an Algerian u20 international who averaged almost a goal every four games (16/60) and who moved on to Notts County, defender Izak Reid to Morecambe, and experienced midfielder Paul Bolland (31), who has over 400 appearances with Bradford City, Notts Co and Grimsby as well as Macc, who chose to go to Mansfield rather than stay at Moss Rose.

They signed ex Posh keeper Steve Collis (30) as cover for Jose Veiga, former Man City midfielder Scott Kay, and one Jon Bateson :), a defender quite a few up here rather liked (one day, perhaps, we’ll find out the whole story – it can’t have been the red card, or Murph and Proccie would be on their way as well! :(); they signed him, but aren’t playing him regularly – 8 starts (one from the bench) as far as I know; they’ve just brought back on loan Chesterfield’s full back/midfielder Dan Gray, who played there last season.

The rest of their signings have been strikers; loan signings Scott Boden (21) from Chesterfield, Jon Grant (29) from Barrow and 21 year-old George Donnelly from Fleetwood (ex Skem, Plymouth – for whom he played just twice, before signing for the Cod Army in January 2011 for £50k; some folk have more money than sense, methinks …… why buy him if you’re going to lend him out? Surely he doesn’t need the experience?) In on contract came Doncaster’s Waide Fairhurst (22), ex Stockport striker Tom Fisher (19), and Ben Tomlinson, aged 21, who cost an undisclosed 5-figure fee from WorksopTown.

With six new strikers to choose from, you’d expect a hatful of goals ;). Wrong! :mad: Their League record is P17 W7 D3 L7 F19 A17 for 24 points and 13th place, sandwiched between Torquay (GD of +3) and Rotherham (GD of +1). At home it’s W4 D3 L2 F12 A6; away, W3 L5 F7 A11. If you add in the Cup competitions (the won their Carling first round game at home to Hull 2-0 before going out 2-1 at Bolton, then lost in the JPT 1-0 at Crewe, before “strolling into the second round of the FA Cup with a comprehensive (3-0) win at Ryman League Premier side East Thurrock”) they’ve actually scored 25 in 21 games; 4-0 wins over Hereford away and the Wombles at home; a 3-1 win against the Cobblers at Moss Rose, and 3-0 at East Thurrock on Saturday (which gives them an away tie at Chelmsford in Round 2). Their other 17 games have resulted in just 11 goals scored – two hit three times, one five times and 9 games where they haven’t scored at all. :o

Compare that with our record; in the League we’ve got three goals once (Aldershot), two on three occasions (Bristol Rovers and Burton at home, winning both 2-1, and Plymouth 2-2 away), a single goal 7 times and no goals 6 times; add in the cups and it becomes 2 threes, three twos, 8 ones and 8 without scoring; we’ve played 21 as well, and scored 20 but conceded 31. Not pretty …………….:confused:

We have the evil eye on them in the League, that said; 06/07 we drew 3-3 away (McGivern (now at Vauxhall Motors), Jacobson (Shrewsbury) and Mangan (Fleetwood) getting the goals), before winning the return 3-2 (their goals coming from one John Miles - probably his best game ever at Fortress Crown :D); 07/08 we won 3-2 again at home, but lost 2-1 away; 08/09 it was 2-0 to us in both games; 90/10 it was 1-1 chez nous and 0-0 chez eux; last season we drew 2-2 away and won 3-0 (a hat trick from Sean McStockportCounty :p:p:p) at home. Ten games, five wins, four draws and just one defeat – 20 scored, 12 conceded ………… :D

Their 25 goals have come from 11 players; Ben Tomlinson (the Worksop Wonder) has 5, ex Hednesford Town (from whom they previously signed Tyrone Barnett) midfielder Ross Draper has 4, as has Emile Sinclair, who got 4 in his first seven games of the season, then signed for Peterborough on Transfer deadline day (with 17 in 86 games overall you can see why); the afore-mentioned George Donnelly has 3 (in just 8 games), as has defender Tony Diagne (ex Notts Forest); French by birth, he had been playing back in Paris for FC Municipal d’Aubervilliers :confused: until Macclesfield signed him last season; 6 others have one goal each.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 19th November. Home win? Unthinkable! Away win? Essential! Draw? Oh please, no …….. We’re still going to give someone a real thumping when it all comes together; is this the game? :) Get your entries in, please; points still to be earned, and what do points make? ………… Happy managers, mostly ..........:D

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

:alright: