Prediction League Game 41; Macclesfield Town (away)

Div3North · 03-04-2011, 23:32

Macclesfield Town

V

Accrington Stanley

Prediction League – Game 41; v Macclesfield (away)

Perhaps the award for the oddest signing of the season goes to Macclesfield, when they captured ex Lincoln and Chester striker Simon Yeo (for the second time, he having played for them in 08/09); odd because he’s 37 (he was signed for Lincoln, his first League club, at age 28 by the late, and much missed, Keith Alexander, his career up to then being non-League, and involving him scoring 53 in 83 games over 3 seasons for Hyde Utd) ; according to Macc manager Gary Simpson, “He's not played for a while so his role is in the background. But there's a chance we'll see him on the bench."

It seems he’s been playing most recently with New Mills, and apparently he’ll “combine working in ManchesterAirport with helping out the Silkmen”. Welcome back, son …………

Apart from him, their main signing in the transfer window was 20 year old (ex Notts Forest) LB or CH Tony Diagne; French by birth, he left Nottingham at the end of last season and has been playing back in Paris for FC Municipal d’Aubervilliers (what do you mean, who?

). Their expressed policy, it should be noted, is to secure their League status for next season before they look to make any signings. Hmmmm!

Speaking of leaving Nottingham, did you see that Paul Ince has lost his job at Notts County? Can’t stay more than a few games anywhere, by the look of it ………….

Macclesfield went out of the Carling in Round 1, 4-3 at Leicester; in the JPT they saw off Morecambe 1-0 at home and then lost 4-2 to Crewe, also at Moss Rose; in the FA Cup they beat Southend at Roots Hall on penalties after two 2-2 draws, and probably wished they hadn’t, because they promptly lost the 2nd Round game at Huddersfield 6-0

. In the League they currently lie 17th (their goal difference being 2 worse than Morecambe’s but 10 better than Lincoln’s); at home they’ve won 6, drawn 4 and lost 9, scoring 22 and conceding 32; overall their record is P39 W12 D10 L17 F50 A65 46 points; add the 6 cup games and their scoring record is 60 for, 83 against

They’ve hit four in a game just once (a 4-1 win at Stockport, which doesn’t count), 3 in a game 4 times – Leicester in the Carling, plus a 3-2 win over Oxford at Moss Rose, and both their games against Torquay – a 3-3 draw at home, and a 3-1 win on the South Coast; two have come in 15 games, a singleton in 14, and their other 11 games have been scoreless – at least, for them. As well as the Terriers 6, they’ve shipped 4 goals seven times – Crewe and Leicester in the cups, plus home defeats by Stevenage (4-0) and Gillingham and Bury (both by 4-2), and away losses at Shrewsbury and Southend, both by 4-1.

Leading goalscorers (Gary Simpson feels that their principal need is for a goalscorer) are Tyrone Barnett (if you check PL3 thread – the home game – you’ll see that I said “watch out, though for Tyrone Barnett – a striker who scored over 25 goals in each of two seasons for Hednesford Town in the Southern Premier League (Zamaretto)” with 12, ex Algerian u21 midfielder Hamza Bencherif (signed from Notts Forest) with 10, and 22 year old “box to box midfielder with an eye for goal” (their words, not mine) Colin Daniel with 8; 13 other players have chipped in with between 1 and 5 goals each.

We’ve met 9 times back in the League, and we’ve won 5, drawn 3 and lost just once (in March 2008) (away it’s W1 D2 L1), scoring 18 and conceding 10; you’ll all remember the 3-2 win which preserved our League status in 06/07, when their goals were scored by one John Miles (whatever did happen to him?

), the dodgy penalty last season which ruined our 100% home record against them

and – of course – the 3-0 win back in August which featured a hat-trick by Sean “Golden Boots” McConville.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7.45pm on Friday 8th April. Home win? Unthinkable! Away win? Essential! Score draw? Oh please, no …….. We’re still going to give someone a real thumping when it all comes together; is this the game? Get your scores in early, as my mate Chimer said; still time for a late run from someone to snatch the prize …………

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