2013 Prediction League; Game 37 v Rochdale AFC (away)

Div3North · 13-03-2014, 23:43

Rochdale AFC

V

Accrington Stanley

2013 Prediction League – Game 37 v Rochdale (away)

Rochdale go to Torquay in the 1st Round of the FA Cup and win 2-0; they play Torquay at home in the League and win 1-0; they play Torquay away in the League the day before Joss Labadie faces an FA Tribunal charged with biting Snakefield’s Ollie Banks and they lose 2-1

; and who scores the winner for Torquay in the 82nd minute? Absolutely – Joss “Bite Me” Labadie

….. Couldn’t make it up, could you?

They’re without Scott Hogan (ex Woodley Sports, FC Halifax, Mossley, Stocksbridge Swifts, Ashton Utd and Hyde (who were put out of their misery this week, relegated after losing their 30th game

)), their 21 year-old talisman striker (19 for the season), out with an injury but expected back before the final game of the year; since we last met they signed one Lee Molyneux on loan (but didn’t use him well), Gary Dicker – ex Stockport MF (27) - on a five month contract after his release from Brighton (he’s since joined Crawley), released MF Andrew Tutte (23) – once of Man City, Shrewsbury and Yeovil – who then signed for Bury, re-signed 27 year-old MF Jason Kennedy on loan from Bradford (who he joined in 2013 after 4 years and 193 games at Rochdale first time round), signed winger George Porter (21) who was released by Burnley (also once of Leyton Orient) after not scoring in 24 games on loan at the Wombles this season, and scoring one in 19 on loan at Colchester last season (no wonder they released him!

), and – last but not least – signing ex Sunderland striker Craig Lynch (21) (but don’t expect to see him play against us, since he apparently needs 3 or 4 weeks to get up to “Rochdale tempo”

) ……………What?

Their home record is pretty good, as you’d expect; W12 D2 L4 (Wombles 1-2, Scunthorpe 0-4, Fleetwood 1-2 and the Daggers 0-1); in their last 10 they’ve won 5 drawn 3 and lost 2, and overall their record reads P 35 W18 D7 L10 F54 A38 for 61 points and 3rd place; that said, they’ve got a game in hand on all the other top 7 sides, and if they win it, they go top

…..they beat us, as you’ll recall, 2-1 at Fortress ScoreFirst, with 2 in the first 13 minutes, and held on despite Kayode’s 24th minute goal and despite playing the entire second half with 10 men, George Donnelly being sent off. That makes our record against them P11 W2 D1 L the rest

, although one of the wins was the away game last season

, courtesy of two from Lee Molyneux and one from Rommy Boco, who’s spending a lot of time on the bench at Plymouth

Having gone out of the Capital One by the odd goal in one at Donnie, they did a little better in the PaintPot (1-0 at Port vale before a 3-0 reverse at Chesterfield) and lots better in the Proper Cup – 2-0 at Torquay, 2-1 at Rotherham, 2-0 at home to Leeds

, before the Owls did them 2-1 at Spotland in Round Four; 62 goals in all in 42 games ……..Leading scorers are Scott Hogan (second highest scorer in League Two, behind Scunthorpe’s ex Wolf Sam Winnall, and scorer of two hat tricks in 3 weeks

, one against the Wombles on 8th February, and the other against Oxford on March 1st) with 19 in all (17 in the league); striker Ian Henderson (Norwich, Northampton, Luton, Colchester and two games in Turkey for Ankaragucu

) has 9; MF Jamie Allen has 5, as does defender Michael Rose; four players have 4 each, and another four have one each ……………

Deadline for entries is, as always, kick-off time, which is 3.00pm this Saturday, 15th March ………… Not beyond the realms of possibility that we could win this; if they can lose to Torquay, they can lose to anyone

…. That would silence the Doubting Thomases …………..wouldn’t it? It is, I think, Our Time

Good luck to everyone …….. Remember, passion overcomes logic ……….. Keep the Faith! ………… and thanks for playing!