Prediction League Game 39; Aldershot (away)

[Div3North]

Aldershot Town

V

Accrington Stanley

Prediction League – Game 39; v Aldershot (away)

Kevin Dillon moved on – one of 30 managers (I think the count now is) who aren’t sitting where they did earlier in the season (I think the word I’m searching for is “sacked” ); he replaced Gary Waddock when he went to Wycombe, but only lasted from 9th November 2009 to 10th January 2011 – 14 months; Dean Holdsworth took over.

An interesting season for The Shots; so far, not a patch on last year. They went out of the Cups early, beaten 3-0 at home by Watford in the Carling Round 1, then losing 1-0 at home to Bristol Rovers in the JPT, having beaten Oxford 2-0 at the EBB in Round 1, and to cap it all they then went out of the FA Cup – having done Brentford 1-0 at home in a First Round reply, rather ignominiously, 2-0 at Dover (who did, of course, do it unto Gillingham in the next round, you’ll recall).

The League hasn’t been a lot kinder to them, really; after the loss to Dover they won only 3 of their next 17 games (drawing 8 and losing 6), the wins being 2-1 at Barnet, and 1-0 v Bradford and 3-2 against Crewe, both at home. They’re making up for it currently, though, having won 3 on the bounce – home wins by 1-0 over Torquay, 1-0 again on Saturday when they entertained Stockport (with a 93rd minute free header for Damien Spencer, back just in time from his month-long loan at Eastbourne Borough), and a 2-1 win at Cheltenham. Their home form is P18 W6 D6 L6 (hope you’re not superstitious ) F18 A21, and overall it’s P37 W11 D15 L11 F40 A45 for 48 points and 14th place; safe enough, but not breaking any pots ……….

If you add the Cup games, they’ve played 43 games in all; they’ve scored just 44 goals; they got the 3 against Crewe, and that’s their best all season; in ten games they’ve scored twice, in twenty-one games they’ve knocked in a single goal, and in eleven games they’ve come up with a blank – 32 out of their 43 matches they’ve scored none or one, which isn’t going to get them into Europe any time soon ………

Their early season goal-scorer was 27 year old 6’ 4” striker Marvin Morgan; he blew it big style, though, when he was subbed during the Hereford match and booed off by some of the Aldershot fans; his reaction was a Twitter message apparently saying: "Like to thank the fans who booed me off the pitch. Where's that going to get you! I hope you all die." That cost him two weeks wages and a loan transfer to Dagenham and Redbridge.

They didn’t do massive business in the Transfer window; apart from Sills and Vincenti (see below), they signed Mansfield’s ex Bradford and Barnet 21 year-old striker Luke Medley and Fleetwood’s ex Rochdale, Carlisle, Morecambe and Grimsby defender Simon Grand (26) on loan, and loaned out left back Anthony Straker to Wycombe (managed by former Aldershot boss Gary Waddock)

Our League record against them isn’t good ; W1 D1 L3 F4 A8; we lost 3-1 at their place in 08/09 (Craig Lindfield) and 09/10 (Phil Edwards), and lost 1-0 in 08 at home (their first League game), won 2-1 last season (Proccie and Billy Whizz) and drew 0-0 this. But that’s about to change. Isn’t it?

Their 44 goals have actually come from 14 players; ex Chesterfield striker Wade Small – who played 5 games on loan at Blackpool in 09 – tops the list with a whole 7; former Cobblers striker Luke Gutteridge has 6, and the aforementioned Twitterer is still third in their list with 5; only two players have managed two goals in the same game (Small, and Tim Sills, who rejoined the team where his League career began in 2003, scoring 43 in 96 games for the Shots first time round; those 2 are the only ones he’s managed since he came back); former Cheltenham (2002 – 2009) and Kettering striker Damien Spencer, midfielder Peter Vincenti (who played for St Peter in Jersey, and then Stevenage; did you know that he was the leading tournament goalscorer playing for Jersey in the Island Games in Rhodes in 2007? Neither did I), and 30 year old captain and centre half (do they still have ‘centre halves’? ) Anthony Charles – who has the rare distinction of having been promoted from the Conference (BSP) with both Barnet (2005) and Aldershot (2008) - each have 4. Don't leave early, though, because they've got a good few in "90+" minutes (and they seem to score twice as many in the second half as they do in the first)

As always the deadline for entries is scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 26th March. If we’re serious – and we are – we’ve got to beat a team which really can’t score for toffee (we’ve got 61 to their 44, and have put three away in three of our last 4 games, and 16 in our last 8). 12-0 (Wynonie?); 8-2 (Nellie?); 7-4? 0-0? Get your bets down, everyone; could it be that Old Trafford (or better) beckons ? What price then a free season ticket?

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

[Redash]

3-1 to The Stanley, please.

[Mark baker]

2-1 stanley please

[jaysay]

1-1 for me please

[Wynonie Harris]

Top of the league on the current form guide! ...however, despite this I'll go for a disappointingly modest 4-2 to the Stanley. The biggies are yet to come!

[teach]

2-0 Stanley for me please.

[DaveinGermany]

Shots 1-3 Stanley, if you please Another convincing win to the Stanley Men !

[Mysteron]

We're rockin' & rollin' at present so its a 2 - 1 win for the Stanley Boys

[LongLostSon]

Shots 1 Stanley 2

[Outback Ozzy]

I too think we will win this one, who remembers the mudbath in the conference days?
3-1 to Stanley please

[cmonstanley]

2-2 each please

[theresonlyoneaccy]

2-2 please

[Div3North]

Slight amendment to this week's rules

Guesses must be posted no later than 1.00pm on 26th March;

Npower League Two
Aldershot v Accrington Stanley, 13:00

Macclesfield v Stevenage, 13:00
Morecambe v Wycombe, 13:00
Port Vale v Bury, 13:00
Stockport v Southend, 13:00
Bradford v Shrewsbury, 15:00
Barnet v Chesterfield, 18:00

Apparently the good Burghers of Bratfudd - unlike everyone else - have a choice to make!

Aythangyou!

[Proccy fan]

Aldershot 1- Stanley 2

[Mark baker]

2-0 stanley