2011 Prediction League; Game 45 Bristol Rovers (away)

Div3North · 21-04-2012, 22:30

Bristol Rovers

V

Accrington Stanley

2011 Prediction League – Game 45; v Bristol Rovers (away)

Amazing what you learn playing this game ……….. for all these years I’ve pronounced the place “Bristol”, only to find out – courtesy of my mate Chimer – that it’s actually "Brizzle" (see the “results” post on the Shrewsbury thread)

…….. and he should known, bein’ as he lives in Portsmouth. Oooh ahhhh, Jim Lad - Brizzle it shall be …………

Brizzle Rovers have had a season of two halves; after 23 games they had 23 points, and lay 19th, 5 points above the drop zone; they were coming off the back of a run of League games in November and December where they drew two and lost 5 of 7, earning a single point x 2 with 1-1 draws away to Southend and at home to Swindon, but losing 0-2 to Barnet, 2-1 at Fortress Crown, 2-3 to Plymouth, 4-1 at Gillingham and 2-5 to Crewe

; the five defeats gave them a -10 goal difference (F6 A16). The fans were calling for the head of the manager

(the ex Torquay boss Paul Buckle) which they got in early January, (although he got the Luton job in April

) and he was replaced as the Gasheads' Boss by Mark McGhee; since then, they’ve slowly climbed the table, adding a 7-1 thrashing of Burton

to the 5-2 win over Rotherham

earlier in the season and the 6-1 Cup win of AFC Totton.

Their tally in their last dozen games has been 4 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats; in their last 6, W1 D2 L3. At home their record stands at 9 wins, 6 draws and 7 losses, scored 32 conceded 28; away, academically, it’s W5 D6 L11 F23 A37; overall, P44 W14 D12 L18 F55 A65 for 54 points and a comfortable 15th place. Nothing to play for, except pride, and next season’s contract …………

Not much activity in the transfer/loan market; in came Aaron Downes (26), an Australian CB from Chesterfield; Brighton’s ex Southampton GK Michael Poke (26); Stoke midfielder Matthew Lund (21); Palace’s Welsh born (but ex St Mirren) midfielder Andy Dorman – rising 30 on 1st May); and most recently, they’ve signed (short term) Jim Paterson, a 32 year-old left back, who has, in his time, graced the playing fields of Dundee Utd, Motherwell, Plymouth and Shamrock Rovers ………… Out, to make room (or because McGhee didn’t fancy them

, or both

) went defender Byron Anthony (27) to Hereford, Jo Kuffour (30) – a striker, who’s previously been at Torquay, Brentford and Bournemouth, but who wanted to move back London way – who joined Gillingham after a loan spell and a Mexican stand-off

, and 22 year old midfielder Ben Swallow, who was released early from his contract (and who wasn’t getting another one, having got a right hairdryer from Paul Buckle following his sending off against Totton in the FA Cup).

Apparently he was told in December he could go, York tried unsuccessfully to sign him in January, his contract was then cancelled on 31st January, and York signed him on 2nd February before “prematurely releasing him” on 13th April after “an internal issue”; could have been a hernia, but I doubt it …………

Our head-to-head is a sort of ‘score draw’; in Dec 06 we lost 4-0 away

; in the return game, on a 2007 March Tuesday evening, things were going the same way until Shaun Whalley rescued a point with an “injury-time thunderbolt freekick”. Last Bonfire Night we finally won one, beating them 2-1 at our place; Micah Evans scored 5 minutes into his debut

, Kevin Long got a cracker with a volley from a cross-field freekick

, and Peter Murphy was sent off for a foul committed, as Lauro said about someone else, when the ball was in a different post code area than he was

. 2-0 at half time, 2-1 at the end of the day.

Their goals have come from 15 players; "star man" Chris Zebrowski has but 5, as has ex Bristol City and Charlton striker Joe Anyinsah; former Lincoln striker Mustapha Carayol has 6; top of the pile is former Yeovil, Southend, Wycombe and Shrewsbury striker Matt Harrold (27), who’s played for all the clubs on a line between Southend and Yeovil (or so it seems) and who has 16 for the season (14 in the League); ‘home grown’ striker Elliott Richards has 10; “much travelled” - ex Leyton Orient, Colchester, Charlton, Posh, Cambridge, Barnet, Northampton and Wycombe - striker Scott McGleish (38

) has 9.

As always the deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 28th April. Someone, surely, has to get a smacking before the season ends; is this it?

Will Wynonie finally get it right

? Will I?

Will Kurtis get a full game (and/or a goal?) Can Bryan get a third goal (after Morecambe and today) to confirm, yet again, that he’s different class and should be signed up NOW, please, for next year. And the year after?

Get your predictions down asap, ladies and gents; Early Birds, and all that ……….

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

cashman · 21-04-2012, 22:36

Bristol Rovers 2 Stanley 1 fer me, its always been a pig of a place when ive been yon.

smobile · 21-04-2012, 22:37

2-0 Stanley

winstanley asfc · 22-04-2012, 00:32

A 3-2 win for the Reds.

Redash · 22-04-2012, 08:19

3-1 to The Stanley, please chaps.

sparkie · 22-04-2012, 08:43

2-1 Stanley please

Outback Ozzy · 22-04-2012, 08:55

Sorry guys and gals, it depends which team Paul Cook and Leam put out. I'm hoping for the attacking team playing for contracts - so on that premise - 2-2 draw for me please.