2012 Prediction League; Game 21 v Burton Albion (away)

[Div3North]

Burton Albion

V


Accrington Stanley

2012/13 Prediction League – Game 21; v Burton Albion (away)

The Law of Averages says, supposedly, that if you toss a coin 100 times, it will come down 50/50 heads and tails. Logically that should also apply to Cup draws – your number ought to come out half the time with a home tie, and half the time with an away tie ………………Don’t you believe it!

• In this season’s Capital One Cup, the Brewers were drawn away at Sheff Utd (winning 5-4 on pens after a 2-2 draw); in Round 2 they drew Leicester (away), winning 4-2; in the Quarters they were drawn out of the hat (away) at Bradford (losing 3-2 aet);
• In the JPT they were drawn to play Coventry. Away. After a goalless draw (that’s 0-0, to the uninitiated) they lost the penalty shoot-out 10-9 ………as I understand it, they’ve not won a JPT First Round game since they came into the League ……………
• In the FA Cup they actually got a home tie against Altrincham , and a Calvin Zola last-gasp equaliser just got them out of jail (3-3); they played the replay (away) at Moss Rose, and won it 2-0; that gave them a 2nd Round tie against Crewe. Away. They won it 1-0. As a result of that, they’re paired with Leicester City in Round 3. Away.
  

In the summer recess (you remember summer? July 15th. St Swithin’s Day. It rained ) they did the annual clear out/bring in; among those who left were Andres Gurrieri, a 22 year-old Swiss-born Argentinian attacking midfielder (who joined in Summer 2011 having also had trials at Bournemouth and Plymouth) – who signed for Plymouth; Cameroonian defender Patrick Ada (27) – ex Crewe and Kilmarnock – left for Ebbsfleet (“Own the Club! Pick the Team!” ); 25 year-old defender Danny Blanchett, who also has Peterborough and Crewe on his cv, joined York; ex Walsall keeper James Wren (18) and 22 year old CB Kristian Ramsey-Dickson, who they found working in a pizza restaurant and playing for Continental Star in the Midlands Combination Premier League – both of whom they signed in 2011 and neither of whom played a league game – left for Tamworth in the BSP; defender Ryan Austin (28) went after almost 200 appearances, having saved up enough to buy a pie at Kidderminster (which he probably managed because Burton is the cheapest club to watch football at in League 2 – the BBC says ………. ); and forward Greg Pearson (27), who’s also played for Rushden, Bishops Stortford, Aldershot (loan) and Crewe (loan) now plies his trade at Grimsby (currently 2nd in the BSP) ………….Have you noticed how often Crewe features in Burton players’ “also played at ….” lists ? Must mean something!

They signed two goalkeepers – Dean Lyness from Kidderminster (say goodbye to the pies, Dean ) and Ross Atkins (23) on loan (for the second time) from Derby; apparently two wasn’t enough, though, because they then signed ex professional model and GK Stuart Tomlinson (27) from Port Vale (he’s also played for Crewe . And Barrow ), whose nickname – if you believe what you read – is “The Tank” (something to do with his physique, apparently). Atkins and Tomlinson were then injured, so they signed Hull City GK Mark Oxley on loan …………… Any chance you could spare us a ‘keeper for a few weeks, guys?

They didn’t just sign goalkeepers, of course; they also had Rob Kiernan (from Wigan – remember him? ) and Swindon’s Luke Rooney (currently at Rotherham) on loan for a month, plus – longer term - Northern Irish MF Robbie Weir (23) from Tranmere; Irish LB/L winger Damian McCrory (22) who came from Plymouth via the Daggers; Marcus Holness (23), a defender who’s sampled the delights – if that’s the word – of Oldham, Rochdale and Barrow; Scottish LB Zander Diamond (correctly – which explains the unusual first name – Alexander Kevin Diamond) who – at 27, and a former u21 international – can claim 205 games for Aberdeen and 23 for Oldham; Jacob Blyth (20) a striker on loan from the Foxes; and last, but by all means least, 29 year old ex-Crewe MF Lee Bell – Mansfield, Macclesfield, Crewe (2ce) and Burton on loan (2ce) – whose greatest claim to fame, I think, was being a 97th minute substitute when Crewe beat Cheltenham in the League 2 playoff last season ……………. He left a few days later ……… No doubt very hacked off!

Their League record is (home) W5 D3 L2 F22 A12; (away) W3 D2 L5 F6 A16; overall, P20 W8 D5 L7 F28 A28, giving them 29 points and 12th place, behind Northampton on goal difference. In those 20 games they’ve scored one 6 (6-2 at home to the Wombles in August), a 4 (4-0 over Oxford in Sept), and two 3s (3-1 against York and 3-3 against the Cobblers); 16 of their 28 goals in 4 games, meaning, of course, that they’ve scored just 12 in their other 16 …… October wasn’t thrilling from the “bulge in the back of the net” viewpoint; two 1-0 wins; two 1-1 draws; one 0-0 draw; and a 4-1 defeat at Gillingham’s hands. Continuing the theme, their November League fixtures resulted in 2 wins – 2-1 over Plymouth (away) and 3-2 against the Daggers at home; in their other 3 games they didn’t score at all, losing them all (1-0 at Cheltenham, 1-0 at home to Aldershot and 3-0 at Wycombe); P5 W2 L3 F5 A8 . While they’ve kept 5 clean sheets, they’ve scored nil in no less than 7 of their 20 League games, and only got 10 goals in their last 11 in the League ……….

They’ve fielded no fewer than 28 players so far this season, of whom 15 have scored (“goals from all parts of the field” ); leading scorers are Calvin Zola (27) – Newcastle, Oldham, Tranmere and Crewe (!), and last season’s Player of the Year with 12 in 36 – who has 9; fellow DR of Congo player Jacques Maghoma (25) has 6 from midfield; Zander Diamond (born in Alexandria – no, not the exotic one with camels , this one’s in Scotland (but might have camels, I suppose)) – has 4; and “stocky forward” (not my word – I’d have been much ruder than “stocky” ) Billy Kee (Leicester, Stanley, Torquay) – just turned 22, and recently signed up to a new 3 year contract - has the same (4); 3 others have 3 each, one has 2, and 8 have a singleton …………Including Cup games (see above), 42 goals in 27 games ………..

We’re well ahead in League meetings, winning 4 of the 6, drawing one and losing one; last season we did the double , 2-1 at home in August, goals in the last 20 minutes from Deano and Wes "Idle" Fletcher, and in January at their place we did them again, this time 2-0, Kevin McIntyre on 31 and a second-half OG giving us the points. P6 W4 D1 L1 F10 A5 ……………… Not lost to them since March 2010

The deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm this coming SUNDAY, 9th December. Last time we played on a Sunday was the Playoff semi final 1st leg at Stevenage, which we lost 2-0 ; before that it seems to have been Sept 2008, when we lost to Rochdale at home 3-1 , and before that in Oct 2007, when we lost at the Daggers, also 3-1 . Now there’s a sequence we need to break, don’t you think? Never won on a Sunday ……..

We won’t, of course, be dwelling on the FA Cup reply the week after (will we lads?), and – since the game’s on the Lord’s Day – we’ve got time to nip into the local (Church) for a quick word ……..all help gratefully accepted! When we get it right – and we keep nearly getting it right – someone’s going to get a right tonking ………… Is this the week? Extra day’s rest? Don’t have to go round the retail Park Christmas shopping! Loads of incentives for Team Leam to do us proud once again ………………Keep the Faith!

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

[Wynonie Harris]

5-1 para el Stanley por favor!

[Revived Red]

With an important cup replay coming up and Deano suspended, we could field an interesting team. Maybe it's time to see Tom Eckersley and Bohan Dixon given a chance. I'll go far a 2 - 2 draw, please.

[cashman]

2-1 stanley fer me.

[Stevie R]

Burton 3 - 0 Stanley please

[smobile]

2-2 Please

[Redash]

3-1 to The Stanley, please.

[Outback Ozzy]

Originally Posted by Revived Red

With an important cup replay coming up and Deano suspended, we could field an interesting team. Maybe it's time to see Tom Eckersley and Bohan Dixon given a chance. I'll go far a 2 - 2 draw, please.

I echo that sentiment. I personally think Bohan will be a handful to many fullbacks in League 2.

however as this a prediction thread:

3-1 Stanley please

[accybeme]

Originally Posted by Revived Red

With an important cup replay coming up and Deano suspended, we could field an interesting team. Maybe it's time to see Tom Eckersley and Bohan Dixon given a chance. I'll go far a 2 - 2 draw, please.

Question has Tom returned from his loan at Stockport
2-0 Stanley please

[LongLostSon]

1 - 1 please

[norwich stanley]

2-1 Burton please

[Mysteron]

Still foot on the pedal so ....Burton 1 Stanley Boys 2

[cmonstanley]

2-2 please any team with zander diamond will never keep a clean sheet

[sparkie]

2-1 stanley please

[ossy kid]

Burton 1 - 0 Stanley