2016/17 Prediction League; Game 4 v Exeter City (home)

Div3North · 17-08-2016, 23:49

Accrington Stanley

V

Exeter City

2016/17 Prediction League; Game 4 v Exeter (home)

It just had to be, didn’t it? Written in the stars and all that …………. We go one down in 5 minutes at Wycombe on Tuesday night, and who scores it? YFB, that’s who …..and who set up the chance for him? Joe Jacobson! Anyroadup, as they say, we got a point with a rasping drive from Mr McConville (alright, a tap-in), so now, with a record reading W1 D1 L1 Pts 4 we’ve slipped to 15th – still the highest placed team with a negative GD – and three points and some goals (not that many, actually) behind the unbeaten and 7-point Top Four of Luton (thanks to a 96th minute (second) penalty against Newport), Colchester, Mansfield and Crawley. It was Crawley who pushed Exeter’s head back under the water last night, winning 1-0 at St James’s with an 83rd minute Josh Yorwerth goal, poor defending letting him walk through the Grecians’ defence to plant the ball in the corner; Exeter, accordingly, are now the only pointless team in League Two (that’s pointless as in “no points”, not pointless as in “no point”, if you follow my drift); P3 L3 GF1 GA5 ……. The match report said that they “dominated the first half and went in at the break wondering how they had not gone in front” – they didn’t score, that’s how – and led Paul Tisdale to bemoan their lot;

"The way we've played over three games, we've certainly deserved to get a point or two. We had one or two very good chances and didn't take them, and that's what happens.”

Problem with that argument, though, is that if you get “a point or two” every three games, you’re likely to end up relegated ……. Eh Paul? And one goal in three games (not counting the 1-0 EFL Cup win over Brentford) isn’t that thrilling either, really ………..

They played seven friendlies over the pre-season, and won the lot – including beating Burton, BrizzleRov, and “a Cardiff City XI”; what’s more, they only conceded two goals in seven games, one at Truro City and one at Taunton Town; I bet Tisdale would like to restart the season (rather like restarting the Mens’ Keirin – wasn’t that fun!)

They parted company with RB Christian Ribeiro to Oxford, MFs Jason Pope and Emmanuel Oyedele Oluwaseun Opeoluwa Akan ("Manny") Oyeleke to “Free Agent FC” (Pope’s since signed for Weston-super-Mare), Arron Davies to the Stanley, RW Alex Nicholls to Barnet, CF Will Hoskins (is he the one who’s “on fire”?) to “Free Agent FC” as well, and Clinton Hubert Morrison - not to be confused wth Herbert Morrison - (Palace (twice), Birmingham, Coventry, Sheff Wed, Colchester and Long Eaton Utd) and who must be 110 if he’s a day – ok, he’s 37 - to Redditch (where they talk really funny!) who play in the Southern League Premier Division ….... In came two CBs – Troy Archibald-Henville from Carlisle and Pierce Sweeney - a name, not an instruction - from Reading, DMF Lloyd James (who knew my father – or was that George?), and strikers Robbie Simpson from Cambridge and Liam McAlinden from Wolves; they’ve also LoanSigned a 3rd CF – Jamie Reid from Torquay

We beat them 4-2 (from 4-0 up) at our place last September, with goals from Josh McWindass (2), Piero Mingoia (whose Cambridge side seem to have hit the buffers a bit) and Billy Whizz ……. We managed to lose the return game in January 2-1, Shay McCartan opening the scoring on 3 mins, but Nicholls and Ribeiro closing it on 5 and 79 ………happily neither of them are with Exeter any more, so they can’t do that again! Overall since 2006 – and they spent several seasons in the Conference (2003 – 2008) and three in League One – we’ve won 4 and lost 6, although they won the three games at our place in seasons 2012/13, 13/14 and 14/15 by 3-0, 3-2 and 3-2 – a rot we eventually stopped last season - but they’ve scored eleven at our place in the last four matches ………. Note to defence; not good enough, lads!

Notable former players include Cliff Bastin, who went on to play for Arsenal and England and who, until the Brentford game, had been Exeter’s youngest-ever player for 88 years – a title now owned by 15 year-old CB Ethan Ampadu, who PaulTis said “played like a 35-year old”, Maurice Setters, who won an F.A. Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1963, and goalkeeper Dick Pym; when he was sold to Bolton in 1921, he seemingly fetched £5,000, which allowed them to buy St. James Park; couldn’t see that happening now – except maybe if you sold Paul Pogba (sold for £1.5 million, bought back for £89 million? What kind of business is that, excuse me hello?) Former Grecians player George Reader went on to referee the 1950 World Cup final between Uruguay and Brazil in front of a crowd of 199,854, while David Pleat (remember him?) scored 14 goals for them between 1968 and 1970. ‘Famous’ managers include Tim Ward, who they appointed manager on 4 March 1953, and who, despite travelling to their Third Division South match against Ipswich Town, was recalled by Barnsley (who hadn’t released him as a player) on 12 March and appointed as their manager instead two weeks later, plus Terry Cooper, Colin Appleton and Alan Ball. Their biggest league win was 8-1, which they managed against Coventry in 1926 and also against Aldershot in 1935 (that game was 0-0 at half time!), and their biggest defeat was by 9-0 against Notts County and Northampton, though not both at the same time ………… The club, as you’ll know, is “fan-owned” (Supporters’ Trust); so, apparently, are Pompey, Wycombe, Newport, Tonbridge Angels, Bamber Bridge, Prescot Cables, and Peacehaven and Telscombe ……… to name but a few!

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 20th August. Too early to draw any conclusions yet, of course, except that there aren’t going to be many easy games in League 2 this season; their leading scorers are Ryan Harley and Liam McAlinden, each with one; ours is fans-favourite Sean McConville, who has as many as Harley and McAlinden combined. You might well think that Exeter are actually a better side than their present position suggests, and you may well be right, but there’s many a-side in the Conference of whom that was said previously ..................

And, to rub salt in the wound, who’s bottom of League One? AFC Pigging Wimbledon, with three defeats in the League (1-2 at home to Bolton and to the Iron, and 1-3 at Walsall) and one in the Cup (2-3 at the Posh) .......... four games, 10 conceded; there’s no justice!

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