Accrington Web - 2016/17 Prediction League; Game 31 v Cambridge United (home)

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Cambridge United

2016/17 Prediction League; Game 31 v Cambridge (home)

You may remember the 1st October 2016, especially if you were at the Abbey (Road Studios) Football Stadium for the game between Cambridge and the Stanley .......... that was the game where Billy Whizz equalised on 51, Piero Mingoia gave them back the lead, and then their Captain (Leon Legge) and their def/MF Brad Halliday both conceded penalties in Time Added On, Legge being red carded for upending El Tel in the box, and Brad for punching Matty Pearson’s header off the goal line .............. they were both sent off, and – as only we can do – we missed both penalties! Take a bow Chris Eagles and Terry Gornell ................. Brad, by the way, has only played once since the end of December, and is currently out injured “for a few weeks” following some problem from the Luton game

Nearly as bizarre are their results sequences for the season to date; they won on Saturday (see “Cambridge 3 Newport 2” below); before that they’d drawn two and lost four out of 6, and prior to that they’d won 6 and drawn 1 of the preceding 7 games .......overall they’re showing a record of 12 wins, seven draws, and twelve losses out of 31 played, with 40 scored and 37 conceded for 43 points and 13th place; away, they’ve won 6, drawn 4 and lost 5, doing Notts Co 1-0, Stevenage, Exeter and Newport (all 2-1), Crawley 3-1, and Hartlepool 5-0; they ended last season 9th with 68 points from 46, 7 points off the play-off places

They haven’t done massive amounts in the transfer window; they’ve ProperSigned H/pool LB Jake Carroll (I think I know his brother Lewis), and CMs Paul Lewis from Macclesfield and Liam O’Neil from the Spireites, and on loan they’ve added Blackburn’s CB Scott Wharton and Notts Forest CF Gerry McDonagh ................... The Down Train took Irish DM Keith Keane to Rochdale, RB Elliot Omozusi to the JobCentre (Plus!), and Blair Adams – who doubled as a trainer of bears under the pseudonym “Grizzly” and as Prime Minister as well – departed for Hamilton Academicals, although why he’d want to give up football for teaching completely escapes me .......................

This, of course, is one of our Games In Hand; apart from us v Cambridge, Tuesday features only Colchester v Wycombe and Newport v Morecambe; I’ve no strong views about the Colchester game, but a Morecambe win at the Newport Mudpatch would be very handy. Newport might be a bit pi55ed off about Saturday’s game (at Cambridge!); looking for only their second win in 17 (the first was v Hartlepool), they were 2-0 ahead just before the hour, conceded one on 63, and then shipped an equaliser on 72 .............and then they conceded a penalty on 90 (losing Mitch Rose to a red card into the bargain), which penalty was saved by the Newport GK, only for the rebound to go straight to a Cambridge player, and then straight past the GK into the net ......... it might be relevant to point out that Cambridge had 27 shots (10 on target) to Newport’s 7 (6), and also won the Corners Contest 8-1 ...............but a 93rd minute winner against you, and a defeat snatched from the jaws of at least one point ...........I tell you, when you’re down, everyone kicks you ...... and speaking of red cards, did you see that that Nice Mr Evans was sent to the stands by the fourth official, where (according to the Press Association) he “clashed with the Blundell Park Security staff” ................ not that he accepts that he did, you understand ..... and even if he did, it was better than the last time he got into bother there (reported as 2006) when – as Manager of Boston, and following a protest about a decision by the Ref – he was apparently ejected from the ground altogether!

So; approaching the Business End of the Season (whatever that means) how are things looking? Well, three points was a pleasant surprise on Saturday; of the other strugglers, Notts County went to Leyton Baines, let slip a two-goal lead, and got an 84th minute winner from the boot of Journeyman Jon Stead, Hartlepool drew 1-1 with Plymouth, and Cheltenham beat Yeovil 2-0 ..........oh, and Crewe snook a Desmond at Blackpool (Tom Aldred on the score sheet there) ............that leaves Crewe tailed off, with 25 points from 31; Orient have 29 from 32; Hartlepool have 32/32, as have Cheltenham; Notts County have 33/32, we’ve got 33/30, and Alexandra has 36/32. All to play for, then ......... We’ll no doubt have a few Games of Two Halves coming up!

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 21st February. Our defeat on 1st October was the first time we’ve lost to them since they re-joined the League – before that it was two draws and two wins for the Stanley (3-2 and 2-1) – and hopefully will be the last, at least for this season ...........we need the points more than them! Their leading scorer, by the way, is MF Luke Berry (wears no 8, product of their Youth System, all apart from one season that he played for Barnsley) with 15; he was also last season’s leading scorer (with 13) ...........and – just an idea, this ............. shall we all ring up and vote for Morecambe to win tomorrow, just to stretch the gap between Newport and the rest of Civilisation a little further?

Good luck to everyone! .......... Keep the Faith! .......... And thanks for playing!

:alright::alright::alright: