Accrington Web - 2016/17 Prediction League; Game 29 v Mansfield (away)

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2016/17 Prediction League; Game 29 v Mansfield (away)

Mansfield Town

Accrington Stanley

2016/17 Prediction League; Game 29 v Mansfield (away)

We met at Our Place on a Tuesday in September; they went in at HT 1-0 up, and El Tel sorted that out on 56 mins; a half-Desmond, and what the BBC described as “a tepid encounter” .................. but what do they know?

At the moment they’re 7th, above Wycombe on GD (but the Chairboys have a GameInHand) ............they’ve won 6 and drawn two of their last 8, winning 1-0 at Blackpool, 3-0 v Crewe, 3-1 at Cambridge, 2-0 v Orient, 2-0 at Barnet and 4-0 against Hartlepool on Saturday; the draws were at home to Donnie (1-1) and away at Notts County (0-0) ................ 20 points, 16 scored and 2 conceded .................. things are certainly different since That Nice Mr Evans replaced Adam Murray in mid November!

Mansfield Town – which, grammatically ought to be Mensfield Town, I suspect – was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans (later singularised to “Mansfield Wesley”); they moved to Field Mill in 1919, and eventually joined Div 3 South (no relation!) in 1931 ........the highpoints of their existence were winning Division Four in 1974/75, the old Third Division in 1976/77, and the Football League Trophy in 1986/87, beating Bristol City on penalties after a 1-1 draw; they’ve had some FA Cup successes over the years (reaching Round 5 in 1950/51, for example), but also some disappointments such as going unbeaten at home that same year but still not getting the one promotion spot available .............

They got rid of quite a few in the January Window; Darius Henderson (CF) was released, as was co-striker Adi Yussuf (who then joined Grimsby – but probably wished he hadn’t when Crewe stuffed them 5-0 on Saturday); CM Chris Clements went to Grimsby too, and also probably wished he hadn’t; RM Mitch Rose joined Newport (why would you go there with Mr Westley as your Boss?) and Oscar Gobern (who?) was released............ In, ProperSigned, came French-born striker Yoann Arquin from Swedish side Syrianska FC (once known as Suryoyo Sportklubb); CM Joel Byron from the Cobblers; also from the Cobblers, RW Alfie Potter (previously of the Wombles and Oxford); and again from Oxford, RW Alex MacDonald, who gave us a torrid time on behalf of Plymouth a few years back while on loan from Burnley ........... they’ve also LoanSigned the Owls’ GK Jake Kean, the Blades’ CM Ben Whiteman, and Posh’s RB Hayden White and their CF Shaquille Coulthirst

Their Cup Story this season hasn’t been a fairytale (except of the Grimm Variety); they went out of the EFLCup in Round 1, 1-3 at home to Blackburn (#£106,000,000InDebtOrSoIt’sBeenRumoured), out of the FA Cup 1-2 at home to Plymouth on Bonfire Night, and out of the EFLTroffy in the QF (1-2 at home to Wycombe) having put out the lights – sorry, likes – of Carlisle and Oldham ...........in the League their record is P30 W12 D10 L8 GF37 GA30 for 46 points; the defeats are 0-1 at home to Morecambe, 2-0 at Exeter, 5-2 at Carlisle, 4-0 at Portsmouth, 1-2 at home to Stevenage, 0-1 at home to both Grimsby and Barnet, and 0-2 at Plymouth .......... 4 defeats at home, four away ...................we’ve scored 26 in 28, the next worst being Leyton Orient’s 30; Oldham are now up to 20 scored, but out of the drop zone; Coventry now have 25; Wigan now have 28, the same as Rotherham ....... so we’re now the third lowest scoring team of the 72 EFL members .... and if you don’t score, you won’t win!

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Tuesday 14th February ............St Valentine, it was always thought, was the Patron Saint of Love and Lovers, but apparently that’s not right – he was the Patron Saint of those who had already found their soul-mate ....... the Patron Saint of the Ever Hopeful was St Raphael .................could spawn a whole new generation of card-makers, that .............

We really need to win this; Notts Count and Cheltenham are moving up the table, and pretty soon we’ll be relying on Leyton Orient and Newport to continue to be worse than us (unless Hartlepool implode) ........... and there’s no guarantee they’ll oblige, seeing as how we’ve only scored in five of our last 13 in the League; blanks fired at Pompey, Cheltenham, Grimsby, Orient, Hartlepool (A) and Luton, and at home against Plymouth and Stevenage; scoring in the League only against Notts Co, Crewe, Hartlepool (H), Carlisle and Yeovil .......... at this rate we’ll be playing Lincoln City next season .......... but at least I haven’t read or heard that “the players are hurting”!

Good luck to everyone! ....... Keep the Faith (if you can still find it)! ...... And thanks for playing!

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