2012 Prediction League; Game 38 v Barnet FC (home)

[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Barnet FC

2012/13 Prediction League – Game 38; v Barnet (home)

Ex Fulham (and Dutch International) striker Collins John (27) didn’t last long at Underhill, then ……….limped off after 15 mins of his debut, played once more, and left by mutual consent just before the transfer window shut; Krystian Pearce (22), a defender, came on loan from Notts Co, stayed 3 months and left; striker Craig Beattie (29) – West Brom, Swansea, Preston, Palace, Blades, Watford, Hearts, Celtic and St Johnstone, and a Scottish International (we haven’t got one of those, I don’t think) - trapped up and signed; Watford MF Ross Jenkins came in on loan; striker Harry Crawford (21) went out on loan to BSP side Dartford ……..

The signing that made the greatest difference to Barnet and their fortunes, though, was former Dutch international/current Head Coach Edgar Davids; when he came, they had 3 points from 12 games; wind on to now, and they’ve got 40 from 37; actually, they’ve managed 1.5 points a game under Davids which – over a full season – would probably get you into the playoffs ………………

But back to the transfers and loans for a moment, because we’re not actually finished; on 15th February they signed DR Congo-born defender Chiro N’Toko (21) – once of AGOVV and ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands - plus Stevenage pair Bondz N’Gala (23), a defender who counts West Ham (as a trainee), Yeovil and Plymouth among his personal history, and Dani Lopez, a 29 year-old striker who used to grace the pitches of Atletico Madrid (as a youth player), and then Getafe B and Espanyol B. N’Gala and Lopez were due to return to Stevenage after the game against us this weekend, but Stevenage (bless them ) did us a favour by recalling both early ………….That sounds like good news, especially when you reflect that Lopez (who only joined Stevenage at the very end of last August, and who’s already been on loan at Aldershot, where he scored 6 in 12) hit a 22-minute hat-trick in the 4-1 thumping of Morecambe a week back ( a 65th minute tap-in, a 70th minute penalty, and an 87th minute 6-yarder ) ……………

So then, naturally enough, it hits the fan ; Crawford is pulled back from Dartford, and MK Dons’ defender Tom Flanagan (21), a Northern Ireland u21 international, who had a spell at Gillingham earlier in the season, playing 15 games there before breaking a metatarsal and going back to the Dons, joined on loan yesterday, until season-end

Having spent much of the season propping up the table, their record over the last dozen games is pretty good; W5 D2 L5 F14 A9 ; mind you, if you strip out the home games, it ain’t so good ; their last six away have ended with 2 wins (2-0 at Rotherham and 2-1 at York) and four defeats (1-0 at Burton and at Oxford – who scored in the 99th minute, apparently ) and 2-1 at Bristol Rovers and Plymouth); and if Bristol Rovers and Plymouth can do it, we really need to too ………….. this is a real 6-pointer!

Home, it’s W6 D7 L5 F25 A21; away, it’s W4 D3 L12 (numbers to make your heart jump for joy ) F14 A28; overall, P37 W10 D10 L17 F39 A49 for their 40 points and 20th place. They’re above Aldershot on goal difference (-10 to -14), with Torquay – whose record over their last 10 games is D2 L8 - in 22nd. The Bees have escaped relegation on the last Saturday of each of the last three seasons; they surely can’t be that lucky again?

By virtue of some real crap results in the Cup competitions (they lost in the first round of the CapitalOne 5-1 at Birmingham, the second round of the Tinpot (after a bye) by 1-0 at Leyton Orient, and the 1st Round of the FA Cup at home by 2-0 to Oxford) their total of goals for the season is a fairly pathetic 40 in 40 games …………………… Leading scorers are striker Jake Hyde (22) – ex Bees, on his second spell there after forays which included Dundee, Dunfermline and Lochee Utd (? - who?) – with 11, 25 year-old striker-winger Ricky Holmes, who scored 84 in 208 games for Chelmsford City between 2006 and 2010, with 5, and ex Stevenage and Daggers legend Jon Nurse (32) has pitched in with 4.

Thirteen meetings since we joined them back in the League (we’re the only two sides to have played continuously in League Two since the 2006/7 season), plus two (counting the replay) in the Cup (the proper one); we shade the League games with 5 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats (we lost 3-0 at home and drew 0-0 away last season, but did manage a point at Underhill in mid November, Rommy Boco getting our goal in a 1-1 draw); we did win the FA Cup replay in December 2009, though, which helped get us Fulham in Round 4.

The deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday March 16th. Back to winning ways, methinks ; who scores the goals sort of depends on who Leam picks, but you’d expect Beattie and Mr FoxInTheBox to play, and perhaps one of them will entertain us with a goal or three – it’s getting a bit depressing watching away teams’ strikers netting hat-tricks ; who got our last League hat-trick? Anyway, whoever, wherever and whenever …………………..Keep the Faith! We will get through this, and we’ll laugh about it next season as we run away with the League title …………. Ho ho ho!

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

[Stevie R]

Stanley 3 Barnet 0 please

[cashman]

2-0 to the Stanley, was our last hat trick, Will Hatfield at Fylde? I can remember our league hat trick i think also, But theres enough about him in his own thread.

[jaysay]

2-0 to Stanley please

[AccyMad]

2 - 1 to Stanley please

[Div3North]

Originally Posted by cashman

2-0 to the Stanley, was our last hat trick, Will Hatfield at Fylde? I can remember our league hat trick i think also, But theres enough about him in his own thread.

Last League hat-trick I remember was Michael Smith ats Gillingham last season, now I think about it ........ He was the lad from Charlton who got injured and went back; he's currently out on loan again - was at Newport, currently with Colchester. Before that I can only remember Jamie Clark, who got 3 ats Grimsby .........about the only thing he ever did do!

[Outback Ozzy]

4-1 to Stanley please - time to start hitting the onion bag

[Revived Red]

Originally Posted by Div3North

Last League hat-trick I remember was Michael Smith ats Gillingham last season, now I think about it ........ He was the lad from Charlton who got injured and went back; he's currently out on loan again - was at Newport, currently with Colchester.

I rated Smith; as good a striker as we've had in the last couple of years IMHO.

But, anyway, Stanley 3 Barnet 1 please D3N.

[accybeme]

Stanley 0 Barnet 1

[football19]

1 - 1 please

[VALAIRIAN]

Loan players do not count, so it has to be the Legend himself....

[deeayess]

We must be due a win so I will go with 2 1 stanley for a change

[norwich stanley]

2-2 draw please...but hopefully a win

[DaveinGermany]

Stanley 3 - 2 Barnet please D3N.

[Mysteron]

If I have ever wished for us to win with greater heart then it it has to be this game. So......Stanley Boys 2 Barnet 0