Prediction League Game 24; Morecambe (away)

Div3North · 27-12-2010, 16:23

Morecambe FC

V

Accrington Stanley

Prediction League – Game 24; v Morecambe (away)

Eight released, including defender David Artell to Crewe (where he’s now one of their leading scorers); five signed, including midfielder Adam Rundle (who’s been around a bit including Rochdale, where he spent 4 years and scored in the (losing) Play-Off Final in 2008), signed from Chesterfield; 31 year old star striker Phil Jevons has been around too – 7 clubs, incl Everton and Huddersfield, who sent him on a season-long loan at Christie Park last year (Ian Craney was there at the same time), when he scored 19, a figure he’s only bettered once (2004/5, 29 in the season at Yeovil); and defender Chris McCready, ex Crewe and Tranmere, but who had one season at Northampton (he played at our place when they beat us 3-0 early on last season); loan signings include young striker James Spencer from Huddersfield, and Kieron Charnock, who could well play against us for the second time this season for different teams (if you count sitting on the bench at Torquay as an unused sub)! They also, of course, include in their squad one Paul Mullin, of whom some of you may have heard ………..

They made the League by winning the Playoff Final in May 2007, beating Exeter 2-1; their first League match was a goalless draw against Barnet; more spectacular was their League Cup progress, beating Preston 2-1 and Wolves 3-1 before going out to the Blades 5-0. They ended in 11th place with 60 points, and the following season also finished 11th, this time with 63 points. Last season they finished 4th on 72 points, but got a right old drubbing in the Play-offs, losing 6-0 to the Daggers before restoring a little pride by winning the return 2-1. At the beginning of this season they moved to their new stadium – the Globe Arena; away fans are apparently housed in the Bay Radio Stand (also called the East Stand), which accommodates 1389 visiting supporters (standing up) and has catering facilities and a bar; so have we!

We’ve met six times in the League; in 2007/8 we won 1-0 at their place on a Tuesday in November and 3-2 at the Fraser Eagle (goals from Darren Kempson, Andy Mangan and Paul Mullin) on a Wednesday in March; the following year we drew 1-1 away and won 1-0 at home (both games played on Tuesdays); last year we played them at Christie Park on Boxing Day and beat them 2-1 (two goals from Phil the Tan, the second a penalty) and then did them 3-2 at Fortress Crown, David Artell getting both their goals and Bobby Grant two for us, before Jimmy Ryan bagged the winner in the 83rd; 5 wins in 6

, all by the odd goal; P6 W5 D1 L0 F11 A6

. You might wish to note that the return game this season is also on a Tuesday; anyone remember when footie kicked off 3pm on a Saturday no matter who you were?

Out of the Carling 3-1 at home to Burnley, having seen off Coventry 2-0 in Round One in the opening game at the Globe Arena (named after the developers, apparently; what price that one day someone will play their home games at the “Cowboy Builders’ Stadium”?); out of the JPT 1-0 away at Macc in Round 1, and the FA Cup, also 1-0 in Round One, away at Cheltenham; League form at home is P11 W3 D5 L3 F14 A 12; away is P8 W2 D1 L5 F9 A17 for a combined P19 W5 D6 L8 F23 A29 and 21 points, leaving them 20th, against our 19th place, also with 21 points from 19 games (we have the better – no, the less bad – goal difference (-3 to their -6)); we’ve played 8 at home and 11 away, while they’ve played 11 at home and 8 away. League highlights have been a 5-0 win over Stockport (on a Tuesday) and 3-2 over Southend (the only times they’ve scored more than twice in a game all season); low points would be a 4-0 battering at Oxford, a 3-1 defeat at Torquay, and a 4-1 home loss to Bury (also on a Tuesday). They’ve hit the net a total of 26 times in 23 games in all competitions, and have failed to score in 6 games; leading scorers among the twelve players who’ve hit the target are Phil Jevons with 6, and midfielder Andy Fleming, who signed in the summer from Wrexham and scored both their goals in their first-ever game at the Globe Arena, with 4; Paul Mullin and two others have 3 each, and even Kieron Charnock

– who’s only played twice – is on the list with one!

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 1st January 2011. Frozen pitch, or might we get a game?

Will we maintain our bragging rights, or have I kyboshed that by referring to our record against them? They don’t score so many – well, we’ve scored 3 more than them so far – so: a hammering? Will we perform the drills right? Can we nail it on? Will we screw a result out of the game? Or will Coley once again not believe what he saw? 7-4?

3-2?

0-0?

(which all seem to be among the season’s most popular scores); go for it!

Happy New Year to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!