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Crown Ground
Saturday 17th December 2011
KO: 3pm

So we travel north to Lancashire, with Accrington Stanley our opponents for Saturdays game. Always a tough place to go, even when Accy are struggling. You can always expect bad weather, a poor pitch, and a right 'up and at 'em' attitude from Stanley. We've managed to continue our good form, making it a 6th win in 8 in all competitions. Accrington sit in 15th place, having picked up 26 points thus far. Last weekends 0-2 victory at AFC Wimbledon was their first away success of the season, a good place to get it too, as it meant they overtook Wimbledon.

GULLS NEWS.

As far as I know, we have no suspensions. Lathrope has had his ban, as has O'Kane. Howe and Mansell are both on 4 bookings each, I believe. Brian Saah is still injured.

THE OPPOSITION.

The boss at the Crown Ground is John Coleman, who has been there for over a decade, now. A real cult figure at the Lancashire club, he has taken them from the non-league abyss and kept them in the Football League, which is an achievement in itself.

On the field, in goal will be Ian Dunbavin. He has made over a century of appearances in goal for Accy, since joining in 2006. He also made 90+ appearances in a spell at Shrewsbury. His back up is Sean Murdoch. Stanley is Murdoch's first club south of the border, having started his career at Dumfermline. Jamie Speare provides further back up for Dunbavin and Murdoch.

In defence, at right back there is a choice between Dean Winnard and Danny Coid. Winnard, a youngster from Blackburn, has been at the Crown Ground for 2 years, making over 100 appearances. Coid joined the club in the summer, having been released by Blackpool, after 11 years and 268 appearances for the Tangerines. On the other side of defence, it could be former Macclesfield defender Sean Hessey. Hessey has alot of experience in the lower leagues, having played for Chester, Macclesfield and now Accrington. In the centre of defence, it could be any two of Peter Murphy, Luke Dobie, Kevin Long or Tom Bender. Murphy has been at Stanley for a few years, while the other 3 are all loanees, from Middlesbrough, Burnley and Colchester respectively. Tom Bender is the lad who was knocked out in the JPT game a few months back.

Onto midfield then. Starting in the engine room, and I expect to see club captain Andy Proctor in there. The talismanic midfielder, who's also really tall, has been a figure for Stanley for 10 years, making over 300 appearances. He is a one-club man, having been at Accrington for all his career. He could be joined in midfield by other players, including Ian Craney, who made his name at Stanley before moving on to Swansea, but is now back at the Crown Ground. Luke Joyce, another youngster who's been at Accrington, and only Accrington, could also find his name on the team sheet. Other options include Bryan Hughes, Charlie Barnett, Kevin McIntyre and Alan Burton.

Finally, up front, and this position relies heavily on loans. With only Craig Lindfield the only permanent striker at the club, Coleman has brought in youngsters from other clubs. Jayden Stockley, from Bournemouth, is one. Padraig Amond is on loan from Pacos de Ferreira, in Portugal, which seems a bit out of the blue! Micah Evans and Will Hatfield are on loan from Blackburn and Leeds respectively.

HOW THEY LINED UP.

This is the side that won at AFCW:

Dunbavin

Winnard
Long
Hessey
McIntyre

Proctor
Joyce
Hughes

Lindfield
Amond
Stockley (Barnett 79)

Subs; Murdoch, Coid, Barnett, Murphy, Dobie

LAST TIME AT THE CROWN GROUND.

Accrington (0) 1 - Craney 77
Torquay (0) 0

[Mark Ellis sent off 45]

Att: 1,543

PREDICTION.

I'll take a point, as we always lose up there.

However, unfortunately I can see a home win.

Accy 2-1 Gulls

Hmm, difficult one, this. The Gulls have been scoring fewer goals away than they have at home. That must surely change before long, given the way the squad has progressed so far. Could go either way, but we're due a win at Accrington..

Good post, Nick. Unfortunately though, Manse got booked on Friday which took him to 5 yellows, which rules him out. Morris is also on 4.

Ah, I thought someone was booked but I couldn't remember who. Shame it's Mansell, although I guess it's good that we haven't lost two players for one game (yet!)

Cant see us getting anything from this one. We never seem to do well at Accy. Not sure what the forcast is like but wouldnt be surprised if it got called off since were in December and there pitch is dreadful.

I knew manse had a fifth yellow at the weekend but does that automatically rule him out of the next consecutive league game then? If so we may struggle as Accy away is the one place where we need every man to scrap and manse will be a big loss in this type of game. I also see a 2-1 defeat, they will be confident after gaining that result v Wimbledon.

I'm going to be reasonably positive and say 1-1, Danny Stevens to score. While Manse is the man you'd want in a scrap I think we have plenty of players prepared to get stuck in and battle for the cause, but it really is hard to get anything on their field, I mean turf.

I went last season when we lost 1-0, I've decided not to go this year. It's always a tough game up there, but we are due a win!

I predict 2-1 Torquay!

COYY!

There's a few of us who went last year who aren't going on saturday. With Christmas just a week after and heavy sleet and snow showers forecast then this could possibly be the lowest Gulls turnout for quite a while me thinks. Anyone know how many we took last year?

Well I for one am quite looking forward to going on Saturday.

One of the main reasons is that as its such a journey, its a chance to really get immersed in the match-day "culture". Its a good 4hrs for me, probably even more for those coming from the West Country, so its a chance to listen to the whole days programming of 5live, and follow the footie stories of the day. It'll be a couple of stops at Motorway services, so no doubt all us travellers will bump into other groups of fans and think "I wonder who they've got today?".

And then there is the culture shock of Accrington itself. If Saturday is your first trip there, be prepared for a real eye-opener! I lived in Paignton up until 10 years ago, when Uni came calling and I moved to Huddersfield which is a northern bastion in itself. But Accrington........man that place is something else. If the name conjures up images of cloth caps, terraced houses and a bleak moorland landscape, its all that and then some. Or as a friend described it, Newton Abbott after a nuclear fall-out. The fixture list is never kind with our trip to Accy - March, Feb, Feb and now the week before xmas! And not only that, but the North West will be in the teeth of a savage winter storm. I'm guessing there will only be a few hardy souls who brave the terrace!

You have to question the sanity of travelling all that way to a ground we haven't got a result at since December 1930 (cheers soccerbase!). Well, for once I think we have half a chance of getting something.

For one thing, the famed Accrington pitch isn't as bad as its been in the past - or at least it didn't look so bad on the football league show last time they played there. This time it had grass and everything! They haven't had a home game since November 26th, and this last week has been the only really bad weather we've had all winter so I'm hoping the pitch won't be as bad as last season. That said, I've no doubt that Coleman will have had the side training on it this week in filthy conditions with strict instructions to rake their studs where possible! The Crown Ground is always a bit of a fortress.

You have to give Coleman credit for what he does up there. Every year they are nailed on relegation certs at the bookies, yet every year Coleman guides them to a more than comfortable survival, topped off by last seasons mightly impressive run to the play-offs, where the body-builders of Stevenage were a task too far for them.

Like us, they paid the price for such a successful season in the sense that their squad was decimated in the summer. Out went Jimmy Ryan (10 goals from midfield), Sean McConville (13 goals from midfield), Terry Gornell (13 goals from up front), Joe Jacobson to Shrewsbury, skipper Phil Edwards (13 goals for a centre half!) to Stevenage and impressive keeper Alex Cisak (who kept them in the first half last season) to Oldham. They have been replaced by a ragtag bunch of unknowns and freebies, and a big helping of loanees from near neighbours Burnley and from places further afield such as Bournemouth and somewhere in Portugal.

Their downfall this season looks to be up front - in the league their top scorer has 4, with the rest of the squad sharing ones and twos. Their match winner from last season - Ian Craney - is on the way back from a broken leg so is unlikely to feature. For us, Morris for me will need to come in for Mansell as I thought he did a decent job against Sheffield United in the centre. With Manse and vice captain Saah missing, I hope they give the armband to Nico. Otherwise, I expect to see business as usual, although I would consider swapping Stevens for Atieno (controversial I know) as you generally get nowhere with dainty feet on the squelchy touchlines at the Crown.

I'm expecting to see a very well organised Accrington side exceptionally tough to break down, facing a similarly organised Gulls side. If the wind is blowing down the slope, it'll be a real game of two halves and we really must make more of it (unlike last season). I'm going to plump for a drab 1-1 draw, big Rene getting on the board for us.

Great post Jeff. I might even change my mind AGAIN and go! I might even have another post-final whistle rant just for old times sake!

Looking forward to this game. I think we should be able to continue our good form of late. Looks like we have a first eleven that has settled in nicely. I recon we are inside the playoff places come Saturday evening.

COYY!!

-Eirik-

Accy are doing a collection day on saturday for a local charity where fans are invited to bring tins of food ( human not pet!) to donate at the ground to charity volunteers. Details are on the accy website. I'm sure we've all got tins of food in the cupboards that we say we will get round to using but never do so maybe you guys can dig them out and take them up to Accy on saturday to help out needy people in that area at Christmas?

£16 to get in tomorrow ladies and gentlemen. Was £13 last season. RIP OFF. I have decided to give this one a miss as i haven't got the car tomorrow and the train is 30 odd quid and i have to change at Leeds ( a risk of bumping into hordes of zombie like , brainless hammered leeds fans on the platforms not a selling point for me ). IF i have a couple of winning bets tonight then i WILL go on the train however but with Bix having more luck than i do i'm not holding out out much hope that i shall be stood on the freezing terrace tomorrow praying that my new IBS tablets will work!! All i want for Christmas is 3 points at Accy and clean underwear for my trip home should i make the journey.

galatasary, bayern -2, benfica, cheltenham and southend -1 tonights losing bet! udinese let me down, 5/6 on late europa league games last night

lots of homes tomorrow, avoiding prem as usual