2011 Prediction League; Game 1 Northampton (away)

Div3North · 28-07-2011, 22:48

Northampton Town

V

Accrington Stanley

2011 Prediction League – Game 1; v Northampton (away)

So; for the third time in 3 seasons we play the Cobblers in August ………. In 09/10, you’ll remember, we lost 3-0 at home (Tuesday 18th August) and then 4-0 away; last season we drew 0-0 away on Saturday 14th August , but we finally laid the demon by sorting them 3-1 chez nous in April

; two for Craney, one for Sean McStockportCounty

As for the summer activity at Sixfields, the policy seems to have been “Revolving Doors” ; 13 out, and – so far – at least 12 in. Departures include out-of-contract keeper Chris Dunn, who went to Coventry; 26 year old Spaniard Guillem Bauza, a one-time Espanyol, Swansea and Hereford (and Spanish under-19 international) striker, who signed for Exeter earlier in the summer; central defender Dean Beckwith (to Luton), ex leading scorer Leon McKenzie (33), who left in the summer, is currently without a club, and faces charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice (in relation to fiddling speeding tickets, it seems) at Northampton Crown Court

, French striker Francis Laurent, who played for Sochaux, Southend, and then AFC Compiegne before joining Northampton, and – an interesting one, this - striker Billy McKay, whose contract was cancelled “by mutual consent” and who promptly signed for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, presumably in place of another striker – can’t remember his name - who didn’t sign for Inverness Caledonian Thistle

. Interestingly he wasn’t in the squad for the season-opener loss 3-0 at Motherwell ………….

New arrivals include Man U’s Ashley Young’s brother Lewis, a 21 year old winger who spent last year at Burton; Chelsea’s 19 year-old, 6’ 6” keeper Sam Walker, who will take on Freddy Hall – a Bermudan International, whose last team was American minor league team Bermuda Hogges - for the gloves (you’d love to hear what songs the Ultra’s could come up with if we were the “Accrington Hogges”, wouldn’t you?

). Also in; ex Chelsea and Peterborough full back Nana Ofori-Twumasi, who played for England from u16 to u21 level and who was at Sixfields on loan last season; Doncaster’s former centre back Byron Webster, whose previous teams include Czech Republic side FK Siad Most (I wonder what the Czech is for “Over ‘ere son, on me ‘ead”?

); Ben Tozer from Newcastle; Stockport County’s ex captain Paul Turnbull; and Welsh International midfielder Arron Davies (who also played for Gary J at Peterborough, as well as at Yeovil and Notts Forest).

Maybe the most interesting signings, though, were ex Shrewsbury and Brighton striker Jake Robinson (24) who scored 9 last year for the Shrews (including 2 against Northampton) before going on loan at Torquay, for whom he scored 7 (including 3 against Shrewsbury - talk about biting the hand that feeds!

) and the re-signing of one Adebayo Saheed Akinfenwa

, now 29, who started out with FK Atlantas in Lithuania, and who apparently managed to play for 5 teams (Barry Town, Boston Utd, Leyton Orient, Rushden and Diamonds and Doncaster Rovers) in the same season (I didn’t think you could, but there we are ………)

Their danger men must be up front, you’d think; Tadhg Purcell, who did his cruciate and lateral knee ligaments in early September 2010, and spent last season on the injured list, looks like being sent out on loan for at least the early part of the season (probably back to Darlington); they have, though, a fairly scary strike force of Shaun Harrad, Jake Robinson and Akinfenwa, who – rather delightfully - is described on Wikipedia as “a large and imposing forward with a sometimes physical style”, which means, to you and me, that he eats more than his share of the pies and then tries to run through you

………….. he got 11 for Gillingham last season; Harrad (26) got 19 for Burton/Northampton; Robinson managed 16 in total for the Gulls and the Shrews (sounds like something out of the Wind in the Willows!)

Last season – for what relevance it may have, in view of the massive changes of personnel – they finished 16th (having had some really sweaty moments towards the end of the season) with a record of P46 W11 D19 L16 F63 A71 Pts 52. Nobody drew more games than them, although two teams – Aldershot and ourselves – drew 19 as well; for the record, we only lost 9 of our 46 league games, better than the whole division apart from Chesterfield

(who lost 8).

So there it is; perhaps they’ll have their minds on their trip to Ipswich on Tuesday 9th August in the Carling Cup? Certainly their first two pre-season games resulted in some embarrassment; a 1-0 defeat at Brackley was followed by a 2-2 draw against Oxford – City, that is, not League 2 Oxford Utd; last Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Reading you might have expected …….. Losing 2-0 to Blue Square Premier side Cambridge Utd probably takes you right back to ‘embarrassed’ again. Gary Johnson isn’t a happy bunny; "We had a few who didn't look at the races and we didn't look the force that we think we're going to be”. Yeah, right ……………..

On the theme of embarrassment, by the way, did you see that Sunbeds missed a penalty for Stevenage in a 1-0 defeat at Dover last week, putting it wide of the post?

And then followed that up by sticking one through his own goal in a 1-0 defeat by Hampton and Richmond

(WHO?) …………………. Come home Phil, all is forgiven!

The deadline for entries is, in case you’ve forgotten, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 6th August. Who’s going to win – and by how many? Or will it end in stalemate? 7-4? 5-5? 0-0? Or will it perhaps be some out-of-left-field, Wynonie-and-DaveinGermany-couldn’t-make-it-up-if-they-tried kind of score? Kindly get your crystal balls out and give them a rub, Ladies and Gentlemen …….

Good luck to everyone

………… Welcome back

……….and thanks for playing

!