Accrington Web - Prediction League Game 10; Gillingham (home)

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Gillingham

Prediction League – Game 10; v Gillingham (home)

The Gills reaction to relegation at the end of last season was to release, sell or free transfer a total of 11 players, including their talisman striker Simeon Jackson (16 goals during the 09/10 season and 21 the season before), who was sold to Norwich City (where he isn’t breaking any pots yet– one goal and a yellow card in 2 starts and 5 sub appearances). They brought in 7; young strikers Stefan Payne from Fulham and Andrew White from Reading; non-league defender Tony Sinclair, whose experience before this season was one FA Cup game for Woking; midfielder Danny Spiller from the Daggers, in a second spell at the Priestfield, having re-signed on a 5 month contract after leaving for Millwall in 2007; Cody McDonald, a “tenacious” (their word, not mine) striker on loan from Norwich, where he scored 4 goals in 28 games (mainly as a sub) in an injury-hit 09/10; winger Bruce Inkango, recently signed on a 3 month loan from French side Red Star 93; and Adebayo Akinfenwa, the – erm – “well built” forward released by Northampton (memo to self: don’t forget your season-ticket free pie this season, before someone else eats them all); Gillingham are (at least) his 11th club (including a 2-year stint in Lithuania with FK Atlantas, for whom he scored 33 in 41 games), and the Cobblers, for whom – over 2 ½ seasons -he netted 39 times in 94 games). A transfer policy of “4 strikers, 3 others” probably tells its own story; don’t forget Denis Oli, who’s still on their books (although he’s only appeared once so far, as a sub); by the way, they also number goalkeeper Lance Cronin among their squad, who fellow (former) investors in MyFootballClub will recall as the first choice keeper at Ebbsfleet.

Gillingham were relegated (again) last season from 21st place in League 1 (losing out on goal difference to Hartlepool) with 50 points and a goal difference of -16 (64 conceded, 48 scored); they’ve yo-yo’d for a few years, going up at the end of 08/09 (beating Shrewsbury 1-0 in the Playoff Final) having come down in 07/08 (46 points, goal difference of -29, 22nd place). We met them, rather unsuccessfully, in their last season in League 2 (08/09), when they won both games, 1-0 at their place (Denis Oli), and 2-0 at ours (Oli and Simeon Jackson). However, we got ample revenge in the 3rd Round of last year’s FA Cup, when we beat them 1-0 at Fortress Crown on a wet Tuesday in January, our goal being scored in the 81st minute by one John Miles (whatever happened to him?), giving us our home tie with Fulham. Most of us who saw that game thought they were poor, and many weren’t surprised that they struggled.

Their home form so far this season is fair; after a 1-1 draw with Cheltenham and a 1-0 defeat by Lincoln, they won their next two at home, 2-0 over Shrewsbury and 1-0 over Burton, before a goalless draw tonight at home to Southend; away, less successful – 0-0 at Hereford, 1-1 at Morecambe, and two defeats – 1-0 at Bradford and 5-4 at Bury. They’re out of the Carling (a 4-1 defeat at Norwich), and out of the JPT to Southend, 4-3 on penalties. Overall in the League, two wins, four draws and three defeats gives them 10 points from 9 games, 9 scored and 9 conceded, and 17th place; for those who’ve forgotten, we’re 8th, with 2 wins, six draws and but one defeat, scored 9, conceded 5 (joint second best in the league) and 12 points; that said, 1 point covers the 9 sides from 8th and 16th inclusive.

Gillingham’s 10 goals so far (including Cup games) have been shared among ex Walsall and Notts Co midfielder Chris Palmer with 4 from 10 appearances (last season he got 1 from 24), the Pie Man with 3, Danny Spiller (see above) with 2 from 10 (in the whole of his previous career he’d scored 7 in 148 games, 6 of which he got for the Gills in 2003 -4) and Cody McDonald, who got his first last weekend.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 2nd October (soon be Christmas!). Tight game? Goalfest? Who knows? Maybe you do; get your guesses in now ………

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!

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