Accrington Web - Prediction League Game 15; Chesterfield (away)

Chesterfield

Accrington Stanley

Prediction League – Game 15; v Chesterfield (away)

Tell the truth, I’m not sure that a November Tuesday night is the best time to travel to the b2net Stadium (what a horrible name that is!) to face the Div 2 leaders on their own (new) ground where they’ve yet to lose in the league, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt ……….

Manager John Sheridan was less busy than many over the summer; 13 released, including Barry Conlon to Stockport and Adam Rundle to Morecambe, and only 7 in, who included several players of very considerable experience in and around the lower leagues; 30 year old Danny Whittaker from Oldham, who had previously spent 5 years at Macc, and 2 each at Port Vale and the Latics, and who’s the designated penalty taker, scoring a hat-trick against Hereford back in August; 29 year old midfielder Dwayne Mattis signed from Walsall, after spells with Huddersfield, Bury and Barnsley; English born Welsh international striker Craig Davies arrived from Brighton, having previously played for – among others – Oldham, Stockport, Burscough and Verona, and managed to get sent off (“harshly”, according to the Club website!) on his Spireite debut (so perhaps Kevin Long won’t feel quite so bad); Jamaican international defender Simon Ford came in from Kilmarnock (where he’d spent 6 seasons, following 3 at Grimsby); and Irish defender Ian Morris joined on loan from Scunthorpe, having had previous loan spells at Blackpool and Carlisle. Their danger man is, of course, 35 year-old striker Jack Lester, who joined from Notts Forest in the summer of 2007, scoring 27 in his debut season, 23 the season after (when he got sent off at our place), and who still top-scored last year despite missing a lot of games with a knee injury (12 goals); his career total prior to this season is apparently 139.

They came down three summers ago, finishing 21st in League 1 and 4 points adrift of safety with a record of W12 D11 L23, a goal difference of -8 (45/53) and 47 points; since then they’ve finished 8th, 10th and 8th again in League 2. We don’t have a bad record against them over the last three years, having won all three home games, 2-1, 1-0 (Bobby Grant’s flashing 25 yard volley from Cav’s free kick), and 2-0 last year (both goals from Billy Whizz). Away we’ve done rubbish, really; we lost 4-2 in 07/08, despite leading 2-0 (both scored by Proccie) inside half an hour; in 08/09 we got a 1-1 draw, thanks to a Jimmy Ryan goal 5 minutes from time; last season we lost again, by the odd goal in one; played 6 won 3 drawn 1 lost 2 Goals For 8 GA 7. Not bad, but Could Do Better away from home! Last season, to remind you, we were 15th with 61 points, scoring 62 and conceding 74; they were 8th, scoring 61, conceding 62 with 70 points, missing the play-offs by two points and a worse goal difference than the team in 7th …..

Their away record so far this season isn’t thrilling; W2 D4 L1, scored 7 conceded 6; highlights have been 2-1 wins at the Cobblers and the Chairboys (otherwise, draws at Port Vale, Macc and Morecambe, all by 1-1, a goalless draw today at Stevenage, and a defeat at Rotherham 1-0); they’re also out of the Carling (losing 2-1 at home to Gordon Strachan’s Middlesbrough before it became Tony Mowbray’s Middlesbrough) and also the JPT, losing 8-7 on pens to Sheffield Wednesday after a good 2-2 draw at Hillsborough in Round 2, having dispatched Walsall 2-1 in Round 1. Their home league form, though, is something else; played 7, won 6, drawn 1, scored 22, conceded 11; a 4-0 win over Hereford, 4-3 against Shrewsbury, 3-0 against Cheltenham and three more hard-fought (?) wins, 2-1 over Barnet, Lincoln and Southend; the “dropped points” came in a modest little 5-5 draw against Crewe! Principal goalscorers (they’ve got 34 in 17 games in all competitions so far) are Craig Davies with 10, Danny Whittaker with 6, Jack Lester with 5 and Dwayne Mattis with 4; the other 9 goals are shared among 5 players …….

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 2nd November. You can’t avoid the feeling that a result here would be A Result! Settle for a dodgy 1-0? Out-crew Crewe, with a 6-6 draw (was it Hibs v Motherwell, the last one? Or will we slip nearer to danger (we’re now only 4 pts (and a better goal difference) off bottom place in the league – but then again, 10 points covers 5th to 23rd incl); these are the games where getting something (other than “thrashed”) can set you up for a surge up the table. So; what’s it going to be? Your call …………

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

:bingobang