2016/17 Prediction League; Game 17 v Stevenage (home)

Div3North · 18-11-2016, 00:42

Accrington Stanley

V

Stevenage

2016/17 Prediction League; Game 17 v Stevenage (home)

And another League Two manager departs into the sunset, red spotted handkerchief on a stick over his shoulder .............Mansfield’s Adam Murray fell on his sword on Monday, his autobiographical epitaph reading

• "I have been with the club for over 14 years and having discussed it with my management team we have decided it is time for a change."

.......or, to put it another way – and with a recent record of one win from 11, 18th place in the table, and most recently a 4-0 loss to Pompey – “I jumped before I was pushed”

His replacement, you’ll all be thrilled to hear, is that nice Mr Evans, which means that – having got rid of both of them - we’ve now got him and that nice Mr Westley back in League Two at a stroke. The Mansfield Chairman tweeted the appointment as, “We are delighted to announce nine-time promotion winning Manager Steve Evans as our new first team boss” ..........that’s nine promotions, and one suspended term of imprisonment for fraud committed between 1998 and 2002 at Boston United FC ..................

The current Stevenage Manager is ................anybody? Darren Sarll, aged 33, and a former non-league player; he was made first team coach when Teddy Sheringham was appointed manager in May 2015, and caretaker manager – then subsequently full time Boss – when TeddyBear was sacked on 1st February 16; since then, his record is P38 W12 D9 L17 – a 31.6% success rate.

A dozen trusty and honest toilers left in the summer – most of them to exciting places like Lincoln and Braintree, but four to League clubs; CM Dean Parrett went to the Wombles, and MF partner Chris Whelpdale (ex Posh and Gillingham) did too, while striker Jack Storer went to Brum and winger Louis-Michel Yamfam (no, honestly) signed for Charlton ..........In came various replacements, as they do; PNE GK Jamie Jones; Posh FB Andrew Fox; LB Kgosi Ntlhe, also from Posh; LW Joel Joshua Frederick Melvyn (Jobi) MacAnuff, once of Wimbledon, West Ham, Cardiff, Palace, Watford and Reading arrived via Leyton Orient; and three strikers – Matthew Godden (Ebbsfleet), Jake Hyde (York) - or was it Jake York from Hyde? - and Rowan Liburd (Reading) – joined to vie for the one or two thankless channel-running slots up front

Having finished last season in 18th place with a record of P46 W11 D15 L20 GF52 GA67 Pts48 and a principal achievement of having drawn at our place and prevented us from scoring, thus costing us our chance of automatic promotion, they started this season badly; after three games they had one point (a 1-1 draw at Notts County) and after five games they had four points (a 2-1 win at Luton) ............ at the moment they’re 20th (P15 W5 D3 L7 GF22 GA24 Pts18) but as we all know, 5 points cover every team from Crewe (6th, 22 points) to Colchester (22nd, 17 points) .............. they put 6 past Hartlepool and conceded 5 against Grimsby the next time out; apart from the six, they’ve scored – in League games - two goals six times, one goal four times, and no goals also four times, but only managed one clean sheet (at Morecambe!) .......... away from home their record is 2 wins (2-0 at Morecambe and 2-1 at Mansfield), two draws and three defeats; they departed (1) the FA Cup in Round One – 1-0 at Port Vale (2) the EFLCup 4-0 at home to Stoke having won 1-0 at Ipswich in Round 1 and (3) the EFLTroffy in the group stages, behind Southend and Brighton Academy U23s ............Leading scorers are striker Ben Kennedy with 5, Matthew Godden (see Ebbsfleet, above) with 4 and Tyler Walker (son of Des) with 3 .......

We’ve met four times since they came back down to League Two – losing 2-1 at the Lamex in 2014/15, and drawing the last three games (2-2, 1-1 and 0-0) ..............oh, and we share with Stevenage the same (lowest in the League) price for a pie (£2.50) and a cuppa (£1.00), and we’re the two cheapest teams in the League for a pie and cuppa combined (Morecambe’s pies are £3.50 without a brew! ........)

Some might think that this – after 2011 and 2016 – is a grudge match, and if we go out with the intention of “righting wrongs” we’re in trouble; our GD of -2 is the same, but we’ve lost one game fewer than them despite having played one more than they have .................. and their last seven League games show just 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats – all the defeats being at home – 2-0 to Exeter, 2-1 to Plymouth and 2-1 to Carlisle (who had to lose eventually – to Newport, which might make us feel better about them beating us (but equally might not)) ..................all to play for, but the Vengeful Gods of Footie never forget a Wrong, so I think they’ll be with us this time, ‘cos it’s Our Turn To Win? Isn’t it Nurse? NURSE?

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 19th November; soon be Christmas!

Good luck to everyone! ............. Keep the Faith! .........And thanks for playing!