2015/16 Prediction League; Game 19 v Hartlepool United (home)

Div3North · 22-11-2015, 23:43

Accrington Stanley

V

Hartlepool United

2015/16 Prediction League; Game 19 v Hartlepool Utd

This week’s starter for 10; what – or more correctly who - connects the Stanley with both of this week’s opponents – the Monkey Hangers and the Minstermen (which sounds like an erudite edition of Inspector Morse

) ......................The answer - as you all well knew – is Middlesbrough defender Brad Halliday

, who spent long enough on loan at York last season to rack up 24 appearances, was on loan at the Victoria Ground from 10th September to 10th October (6 games, signed as cover for two injured and one suspended player), and is now enjoying a golden spell in our back line

............and speaking of golden spells, who did Hartlepool sign on loan 10 days ago? Kal “three year contract and six appearances at Pompey

” Naismith! Who was it bet that he’d play this season’s one really good game against us?

Start of the season, after having warmed up by beating Billingham Town 7-0 away, Harrogate Railway Athletic 2-0, Spennymoor 4-0 and losing 5-3 to Gateshead

, they were on fire in the League; played 3, won 3 (2-0 v Morecambe, 2-1 at York, and 1-0 v Newport) had them in the automatic playoff spots

, 3rd on GD, behind Leyton Orient and Wycombe ............who says the table can’t lie? Since then they’ve played 15, won 3 of those, drawn 2 and lost 10

– the wins being 2-1 at Yeovil (23rd with 11 points from 18

), 1-0 at Dagenham (24th with 9 points from 17

) and 3-1 at home to Leyton Orient, who started, you’ll remember, with 5 wins from 5, and are now 7th with 14 more points from the following 13 more games

...............and Wycombe are currently down in 11th!

Ronnie Moore (“Two to one the field!”

) claimed, following last Sunday’s win over the Orient, that the Loanees “lifted Hartlepool United in Orient win

” (as the press described it);” the Loanees” were the aforementioned Kal, Sunderland striker Mikael Madron, Palace winger Jake Gray and returning defender Carl Magnay, who Moore described as like "having a new player", with the former Chelsea and Gateshead player handed the captaincy on his return to the side after a six-game ban for spitting

. So – six game ban for spitting, and you’re made skipper? Must be me

.....................! Anyroadup

, the Loanees having lifted the Monkey Hangers to a victory last Sunday, they obviously dropped them again on Saturday, since Mansfield did them 3-1! .....................Only Yeovil (11) have lost more games than Hartlepool, although York and Dagenham – dangerous company to keep

– have also lost 10, and Brizzle R and Plymouth are the only other side to have drawn only twice ............ last ten? W3 D1 L6 – 10 points from 10 games

......overall, P18 W6 D2 L10 GF19 GA28 for 20 points, and 19th place (on GD behind Cambridge), although they do benefit from the four-point gap to Stevenage in 20th.

Over the summer they said farewell – at least, I hope they did!

– to, among others, MF Jonathan Franks, who went – with def Darren Holden to keep him company – to Ross County; Jack Compton went to shore up Yeovil’s midfield but hasn’t done so far

; GK Scott Flinders went to York and probably regrets it

; Big Bad Marlon (Harewood) joined Nuneaton (who currently top the Conference North – Cheltenham currently topping the Conference Proper

); def Stuart Parnaby retired; MF Tommy Miller joined Halifax (rock bottom of the Conference Proper); and – my favourite move – def Neil Austin (not related to Steve, bionically or in any other way), went to Shaw Lane Aquaforce Football Club

(“The Ducks”), who play somewhere on the outskirts of Barnsley – for whom Kevin Long (remember?

) scored a late winner on Saturday to end a losing run of about 95 matches, and prolong Lee Johnson’s tenure as manager for at least a few more days

.....Ain’t it a small world?

Every man and his dog joined up

; forwards Rakish Bingham and Rhys Oates came from Mansfield and Barnsley; defender Carl Magnay (see “spitting” and “Captain”

) arrived as a tag-team with GK Adam Bartlett from Gateshead; def Harry Worley signed from Stevenage (he’s got very long arms

, and by the way who thinks Teddy’s on borrowed time?

); GK Trevor Carson left Regency Cheltenham for Industrial Revolution County Durham; MF Kudus Oyenuga arrived from Dundee United, where he only played once in two years, but did get to play for Cowdenbeath, which is an honour not bestowed on everybody

; and Carlisle’s Billy Paynter completed the squad, apart from zillions of loan signings. Paynter is leading scorer with 7 goals – no-one else having more than two (and there are only three of them!); Rakish Bingham has 7 assists, but since Paynter is now out long-term injured (until February at least), you wonder who’s going to get on the end of Bingham’s assists

..........if you’ll pardon the expression!

They went out of the CapOne Cup 4-0 at home to Bournemouth, having done Fleetwood 1-0 at Highbury in Round One, and left the PaintyThingy on penalties after a half-Desmond at home to the Blades ....in The FA Cup they beat Cheltenham (see “top of the Conference” above) 1-0, and now go to the Slippery Slope that is “Class of 92 United”

, once known as Salford .........and they’re on the tele

...........again!

All in all, then, P22 W7 D2 L13 GF22 GA33 .................. In 2006/7 we lost to them twice (2-1 at home and 1-0 away); in 2013/14 we drew 0-0 at our place having lost 2-1 away; and last season we won 3-1 at home, and drew 1-1 away, with a goal from Josh “Spotkick” Windass

being equalled by an 80th minute fluke from Big Bad Marlon (see above).

Interesting facts about Hartlepool? They were the first Club managed by Brian Clough's Granny, who won 35 of 84 games while there (not true, it was actually Big'ead himself)

; they’ve also been managed by a Priest, a Potter, two Coopers, a Bird, ex Sunderland folk hero Len Ashurst, Allenby Chilton

(who should have a period Detective TV show, with a name like that), and Mike Newall, who was seldom at a loss for something controversial (aka stupid) to say

; in 2004/5 they almost got promoted to the Championship, having beaten Tranmere 6-5 on penalties in the Playoff Semis, and being ahead 2-1 after 82 minutes in the Final against the Owls, only to lose 4-2; they’re owned by a Dubai-based recruitment company; for their last game of 2006/7, at Charlton, hundreds of their fans dressed as Smurfs

(where did they get the costumes, I want to know

); famous players include ex Boca Juniors, Newcastle, Villa, West Ham and Sporting Cristal (Peru – Wynonie’s local club!) MF Nolberto Solano,

who played 14 games in 2011/12; most appearances – Ritchie Humphries (511); oldest player – Mick Tait (40 years 173 days); and a pie and a brew is a fiver! ........and I bet that's the first time that "Wynonie" and "Nolberto Solano" have ever appeared in the same sentence!

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 24th November ..........soon be Christmas, and it’s certainly winter drawers on

round our way ...............in fact tonight it’s distinctly brass monkeys; watch out, H’Angus!

And while you’re doing nowt, h’angus me coat up, there’s a pal!

Good luck to everyone!

.................. Keep the Faith!

................. Don’t dink any more penalties, Josh, there’s a good lad

(don’t we seem to be getting loads of penalties this season?

) ................. And thanks for playing!