2017/18 Prediction League; Game 41 v Colchester Utd (away)

[Div3North]

Colchester Utd

v

Accrington Stanley

2017/18 Prediction League; Game 41 v Colchester (away)

FREE THE McDONALD’S ONE! Andy Holt is innocent OK!

Have they nothing better to do at the EFL? Does a post-match meal require, if provided by the Club, to be specifically written into every player’s contract? What about a piece of toast after training? Or some chewing gum?

Back to the footie; for those who are unaware - if there are any - our record over our last 16 League games is W14 D1 L1 GF 31 GA10 Pts 43 ............... 43 out of a possible 48! And only PSG and Juventus have a better record currently than we do! FantasyLand! Who had a flutter on the Stanley to get promotion before the season started? Do you know where you put your betting slips? Mwahahahaha!

The trick, perhaps, is closing out games (even from a long way out) and learning to “win ugly”; mind you, there’s still time for someone to get a real pasting before the season ends! And I don’t know who else noticed, but at 3.42 this afternoon Wycombe, Coventry, Luton, Exeter and Swindon were all losing, Lincoln were drawing, and only Mansfield had their names on 3 points ............. so it changed in the second half (which is why footie is a game of two halves) in some of those games, but we won again, so it really matters not what everyone else does!

I mentioned the Press Association reporting in the last thread (in regards to Grimsby’s draw which “failed to maintain their winless run”; today they came out with this classic, reporting KingColey as saying, of Johnny Maxted’s debut,

“It was a blow for us. We found that out (Aaron’s car crash) at one o'clock so we had to make changes, but I though Jonny equipped himself really well.”

.................boots, jersey, shorts, gloves ................ now if they’d reported that Coley said that Johnny“acquitted” himself really well, that would have been a horse of a completely different colour .................

Top of the Form Team this week is – the Stanley, with 15 points out of 15 in the last five; Lincoln have 13, the PocketPickers have 11 and Colchester have 10, winning their last three (1-0 at Stevensage, 2-1 v Luton, and 2-1 on Monday at Vegan Greenpeace – only VGU’s second defeat in their last 8 at home) .............. “Could Do Better – See Me!” awards for Grimsby, Crawley and Mansfield (2 points from 15), VGU (3 points), Barnet (4) and Notts County 5 ............ I see that Harry Kewell is “playing down” rumours linking him with the vacant Charlton job, which might be because – with 2 draws and three defeats in his last five outings - I’ve got more chance of getting the Addicks job than he has!

Colchester dabbled in the transfer window to some tune (“Colonel Bogey”); they ProperSigned wingers Ryan Gondoh and Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe from Maldon and Tiptree FC (who hold a Royal Warrant for making jam, I understand), MF Brandon Comley from QPR, Irish defender Paul Rooney from Millwall and FB Aaron Barnes from Charlton (all for “£undisclosed”); they also LoanSigned Irish-born winger Olamide Shodipo – known to his friends as Paddy O’Reilly – from QPR, forward Liam Mandeville from Donnie and MF Ben Stevenson from Wolves (who look likely to swap places with the Baggies anytime soon) ...... almost as interesting, they’ve sent out on loan since 1st January no less than FOURTEEN players, including newly-signed FB Aaron Barnes (see above) to Torquay ............Lewis Kinsella was released and joined Aldershot, and – as mentioned last time – Kurtis Guthrie has been released through injury

They went out of the FA Cup in Round 1 to non-League Oxford City (0-1 at home), which left them free to concentrate on the League; they also departed the EFL Cup at the equivalent stage, 2-1 to Villa (Aston, not Ricky), and the EFLTroffy resulted in them finishing 3rd of 4 in their group .........

In the League they’re currently 10th (61 points) with a record of 16 wins, 13 draws and 12 losses, the first of which came on the opening day of the season when they visited the Wham, only to lose 3-1 (our goals from SpecialK, Billy Whizz and Omar Beckles) ...... interestingly, we also did them twice last season (2-1 in both games), giving us a 100% record since they slid down the GPoO (“Greasy Pole of Oblivion”) ..... including Cup games, the Us have scored 53 and conceded 51; leading scorers are home-grown MF Sammie Szmodics with 13 (12 in the League) and French-born striker Mikael Mandron – Sunderland, Eastleigh and Wigan – with 10 .......... the next highest tally is three (by five players, two of whom are defenders)

Nostalgia Starter for Ten this week; Colchester is famous for putting Leeds (top of the League, and with a side containing ten internationals) to the sword in the 5th Round of the FA Cup in 1971; but what was the score, and who got Colchester’s goals?

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 7th April ................... The longer the unbeaten run, the more you expect it to end (because nothing good lasts forever, we’re taught), but in truth – depending which Colchester side turns up – this is very winnable; I make it 8 points to guarantee automatic (whisper it) p*o*o*i*n (Pooin? What in the name of all that’s Holy is Pooin?) .......and I keep imagining the sides who are relegated from the Championship (currently likely to be Burton, Sunderland and Barnsley) arriving at the Wham and seeing the Facilities (interpret that how you like) and getting back on the bus, forgetting about us, and putting the blame on me ................. Happy Days!

And the score was Colchester 3 Leeds 2, and the Colchester goal scorers were Ray Crawford (2) and Dave Simmons .................

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

[Wynonie Harris]

2-1 to the Stanley please.

[DaveinGermany]

2-0 to the Stanley please D3N.

[cashman]

2-1 stanley fer me.

[Stevie R]

3-2 to Stanley please

[ferret man]

Still 0-16 just to be sure

[AccyMad]

2 - 1 to Stanley for me too please

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

1-1 draw

[LongLostSon]

2 - 2

[Tom D]

3-2 win for Stanley please

[Tommy McQueen]

Colchester 1 Stanley 2 please

[DAV007]

Colchester 3-1 Stanley

[Jimmy Clitheroe]

Don't normally do this prediction stuff but as I'll actually be at this one I reckon Stanley will grind out a hard fought 1-0 victory. Is there bonus points/karma for predicting Billy Kee to score in the 27th minute ?

[Outback Ozzy]

I would be happy with any form of desmond, but heart is overruling head, another hard fought 1-0 win to Stanley please.

[monkey hanger]

1 all draw.