2011 Prediction League; Game 39 Dagenham and Redbridge (away)

Div3North · 23-03-2012, 00:23

Dagenham and Redbridge

V

Accrington Stanley

2011 Prediction League – Game 39; v Dagenham and Redbridge (away)

The Daggers – who play at the snappily-named “London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium"

- were formed, if you don’t remember, back in 1992 after a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham. Their recent home gates are rubbish

; 1446 v Macclesfield, 1516 v Cheltenham, 1732 v Hereford, 1744 v Rotherham; how, then, can they afford a squad of 37 (which is what they’ve got)? And how on earth have they managed to bring in 9 new players since the New Year – more, even, than Coley’s signed for Rochdale

(although none of John Still’s additions have played for the Stanley, unlike Coley’s signings, none of whom have not played for Stanley; if you missed the news tonight, Sean McConville now plays for the Dale alongside Kev Long, Phil Edwards, and Michael Symes …………

)

Striker Gavin Tomlin left for Gillingham; defender Exodus Geohaghon came and went (as he’s done for stacks of sides – currently he’s on loan with Mansfield from the Quakers

), and West Ham’s Republic of Ireland u19 defender Eoin Wearen (19) did too. All the others are still there; defender Charlie Wassmer (20) - who was at Fleetwood at one time – joined from Crawley; Bournemouth and ex Troyes French centre half Mathieu Baudry (24) is in on loan, as are Oldham and ex QPR winger Josh Parker (21) ) and Southampton midfielder Ben Reeves (20); Watford’s 18 year-old Jonathan Bond was added to the list of keeper (which still includes Tony Roberts

); ex Ebbsfleet (“Buy the Club and Pick the Team” – in your dreams!

) striker John Akinde, who the fans voted to sell to Bristol City for £140,000 (didn’t we, guys!

), moved on to Crawley last summer, got 1 goal in 25 games there, and is now with the Daggers on loan – as he was for a while last season too …….. Former West Ham defender Ahmed Abdulla (20) signed up; Brentford’s defender Michael Spillane turned a loan into a contract; and former Fulham midfielder Matt Saunders (22) was added to the squad.

You’d wonder, with that sort of numerical strength in depth, how they come to be bottom of the League

; well, basically, it's because they’re rubbish ……….

. Between 1st September and 16th December they played 15 league games; they lost 14 of them ……….

Their League record – P38 W10 D5 L23 F38 A66 gives them 35 points and 24th place; they’re actually on a better run of form than some (notably Macclesfield

), and prop the table up only on goal difference, but they aren’t by any means out of the fertiliser yet. They’ve conceded 5 goals no less than four times, as well as losing 4-1 at Crewe and 4-0 at Swindon; the best they’ve managed in return is 3 threes (3-1 in a Cup Replay against Bath City - who you’ll probably know are last in the Blue Square Conference – plus home wins by 3-0 against Barnet and 3-2 over Rotherham; no wonder they sacked Andy Scott!

), and by my maths they’ve hit no goals at all 15 times so far this season ……….

Home League record is better than away; home it’s W7 D1 L11; away it’s W3 D4 L12; their 9 Cup games (they drew the FA Cup games at home to Bath, Walsall and Millwall, wining the first two replays and gettting thrashed 5-0 at the New Den (as they had earlier at Bournemouth in the Carling)). In all competitions they’ve hit a total of 45 goals (in 47 games)

; leading scorers are Barbadian international striker Jon Nurse (31) – ex Stevenage, Woking and Sutton – with 8; striker Brian Woodall (24), who they bought from East Midlands Counties League side Gresley, with 7; Congolese-born winger Medy Elito (22), who managed 25 appearances for Colchester in 4 seasons, has 4, as has 23 years old ex Weymouth defender Scott Doe – I think I know his brother John – as well; 4 others have 3 each, and seven or so have one or two each…….

We shade the bragging rights

; in 2007/8 we won twice – 3-1 away and 1-0 at home; in 2008/9 we managed two goalless draws (although we’d have won the home game if Proccie had kicked the last minute penalty instead of passing it to Tony Roberts

); in 2009/10 we lost both games, 1-0 at home and 3-1 away; on 26th November 2011 we won comfortably 3-0 at Fortress Crown (one for Craig, and two in two minutes for Padraig); P6 W3 D2 L2 F8 A5. Average; Could Do Better; See Me!

As always the deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 24th March. We surely have to start favourites here? They haven't recovered from last season's relegation from League One; we're unbeaten in 5

, but we’d like to win a few more ……….. “Ball. Net. In. Stick”. I still think someone’s going to cop for it soon; is this the week? Will Wynonie

finally get it right? Gotta happen one day ……………. Well, no – maybe it hasn’t …..

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