Accrington Web - 2011 Prediction League; Game 21 Torquay Utd (home)

Accrington Stanley

Torquay United

2011 Prediction League – Game 21; v Torquay (home)

Last season’s beaten Play-off Finalists, of course; if they hadn't been docked that one point for playing an ineligible player they'd have finished 6th on goal-difference and played us in the Semis, rather than Shrewsbury - and what might have happened then? :) Following that defeat to Stevenage Nil :o (as they’re rapidly becoming known), Paul Buckle jumped ship to Bristol Rovers (why would you want to do that? :confused:), and was replaced, eventually, by journeyman player and ex Cambridge and Leyton Orient manager Martin Ling; amongst various departures they lost keeper Scott Bevan and striker Chris Zebroski to the Pirates (following their former Boss), 32 year-old defender Guy Branston to Bradford City (his 15th club, counting loans) and one Billy Kee (who scored 10 in 46 games for them last year, is a Northern Irish u19 and u21 international – scoring a hat trick in a 4-0 win against the Faroe Islands u21s in August :p – and who suffered from home-sickness for the Midlands :o, so signed for Burton ;), where he's just won League 2 Player of the Month :D).

Half a squad signed up; two keepers (former player Martin Rice, re-signed as cover from Truro, and Austrian u21 keeper Robert Olejnik, released after four years at Falkirk in which he played 102 games); defenders Brian Saah – who previously played under Ling at both Cambridge and Leyton Orient – and Daniel Leadbitter from Newcastle; midfielders Chris McPhee (28), in his second spell at Plainmoor via Kidderminster, ex QPR midfielder Joe Oastler (20), who had a loan spell with the Gulls last season, and “24 year-old left sided Irishman” :confused: Ian Morris (you couldn’t make it up, could you? :p:p), who left the Iron after 5 seasons; finally, strikers Rene Howe (24) from Peterborough and Taiwo Atieno (25) from Stevenage (for whom he played just the once); it seems Atieno has played for 11 English and 3 American teams since 2004 (the latter being Puerto Rico Islanders, Charleston Battery (although technically he didn’t play for them) and Rochester Rhinos) :eek:; presumably he doesn’t bother unpacking …….:)

In on loan came Swindon’s Welsh u21 cap Billy Bodin (variously described as a midfielder and as a striker), whose dad Paul – a legend at the Robins - is a good friend of Ling’s, joined very recently by Colchester Utd’s ex Watford defender Tom Aldred.

They didn’t fare amazingly in the Cups (so who did?); the Carling resulted in a 4-1 loss at Southampton, the JPT in a 2-1 defeat at Chesterfield, and the FA Cup in a second round loss 3-2 at the Blades, having got some revenge on Chesterfield – who look like they’ll be back in League 2 next season :rolleyes: – by winning 3-1 at their place. In the League, it’s been a Season of Two Halves (correctly, Half a Season of Two Halves :cool:); their last 6 League fixtures have seen them draw 0-0 at Port Vale and beat the Wombles 4-0, Crewe 3-0 away, Hereford 2-0, Barnet 1-0 on Friday gone (with a 90-somethingth minute winner), and Plymouth 3-1; overall, P6 W5 D1 L0 F13 A1 :( (yes, ONE :() for 16 points. The 8 League fixtures before that run, though, resulted in 4 draws and 4 losses, including being smacked 5-2 at home by Gillingham and 4-1 at Southend.;)

Their current League record overall is P20 W8 D7 L5 F32 A26 for 31 points (5 more than us) and 9th place; away, they’ve won 3, drawn 3 and lost 3 of 9, but have only scored 8 :p (as against 24 at home) while conceding 9. Their “whole-season” record is 24 games, 9 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats, scoring 39 and conceding 36. They’ve scored 4 once, 3 five times, 2 six times, one on eight occasions and drawn 4 blanks, and conceded one 5, 2 fours, 3 threes, 4 twos, six ones and kept 8 clean sheets – including, of course, 5 of their last 6 in the League. Main scorers are Rene Howe (9), skipper and midfielder Lee Mansell with 7 (as many as he scored in his previous 5 years with the Club :)), defender Kevin Nicholson – who’s in his 5th season there – with 5, as has midfielder Danny Stevens (who’s also in his 5th year there, having started out (football) life aged 8 with Spurs); midfielder Eunan O’Kane and Billy Bodin have 4 each, and 5 others each have a singleton.

We’ve certainly got the evil eye over them :D; two wins in 06/07 (1-0 at Fortress Fruit Juice :o and 2-0 away); a 4-2 win at home :) in 09/10 (goals from Sunbeds (penalty), Proccie, Luke Joyce and Bobby Grant) but a 2-1 defeat away (Symes with ours, Kempson in the 95th minute with their winner – he got a couple in his own net that season, one at least of them quite spectacular :o); last season we followed up a goalless draw away with a 1-0 home win, Ian Craney getting it. Played 6, won 4, drawn 1, lost 1, scored 9, conceded 4; spiffin’ …….:D:D

As always the deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 17th December. Two form teams ;); they’ve got a poor away record (ok, it’s better than ours :o) ….. and can’t score on the road, but have taken 16 points out of the last 18 :D; we’ve not lost in 5 :), and seem to have found someone who can stick the ball in the back of the net :D. Christmas round the corner. Think Presents. :) Stuffing. :):) Turnips. :p What d’you reckon, Wynonie? 7-2? 5-0?

Good luck to everyone …… Happy Christmas :D …… and thanks for playing!

:alright: