Post by JamesB on Nov 18, 2013 13:23:07 GMT
Come on, we need to get the last one out of our system
This is increasingly looking like the proverbial relegation six-pointer. And it provides evidence that other teams have had it worse than us. At one point this season, Accrington had 8 competitive defeats in a row, and 12 without a win (10 in the league). However, they are now unbeaten in their last four league games, with wins over Bristol Rovers, Morecambe and Scunthorpe and a draw at home to Wycombe. Up until that run, they hadn't won a league game this season - something must have dramatically changed in their mentality
Manager James Beattie is still registered as a player but hasn't appeared this season. After starting his career in the Premier League with Blackburn, he moved to Southampton as part of the 1998 deal that saw Kevin Davies move in the opposite direction. Southampton did much better out that deal than Blackburn - Beattie emerged as a regular goalscorer, the peak being 23 goals in 38 league appearances in the 2002-03 season, behind only Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy, as Southampton finished 8th. Beattie also made five England appearances during 2003 under Sven-Goran Eriksson. In January 2005, Everton paid £8 million for his services, but he never found the same form, beginning the journeyman section of his career. After three seasons on Merseyside, he then moved to Sheffield Utd, Stoke City, Rangers, Blackpool and returned to the Blades before finally winding up at Accrington last season, taking just two seasons to drop from the Premier League to League Two. His 7 goals last year were his first since he was at Stoke in 2009-10.
Team vs Scunthorpe:
Gk Marcus Bettinelli
Def Peter Murphy
Def Tom Aldred
Def Dean Winnard
Def Nicky Hunt
Def Lee Naylor
Mid Luke Joyce
Mid Piero Mingoia
For Kal Naismith
For Kayode Odejayi
For George Bowerman
(I somehow doubt they'll play a 5-2-3, though)
Subs: Ian Dunbavin (Gk), Michael Liddle (Def), Will Hatfield (Mid), Josh Windass (Mid), James Gray (For), Danny Webber (For), Connor Mahoney (For)
Head-to-head record:
Accrington wins: 5
Torquay wins: 4
Draws: 2
Last match: Accrington 0-0 Torquay, League Two, March 2013
Last Torquay win: Torquay 3-1 Accrington (Howe pen 5, Amond 65, Bodin 67, Mansell 80), League Two, October 2012
Last Accrington win: Accrington 3-1 Torquay (Hughes 13, Stockley 62, Long 89, McPhee 90), League Two, December 2011
Last Torquay win in Accrington: Accrington 0-1 Torquay, FA Cup, December 1930
Last season's 0-0 draw at Accrington was the first time we avoided defeat there since their re-entry into the Football League
This is increasingly looking like the proverbial relegation six-pointer. And it provides evidence that other teams have had it worse than us. At one point this season, Accrington had 8 competitive defeats in a row, and 12 without a win (10 in the league). However, they are now unbeaten in their last four league games, with wins over Bristol Rovers, Morecambe and Scunthorpe and a draw at home to Wycombe. Up until that run, they hadn't won a league game this season - something must have dramatically changed in their mentality
Manager James Beattie is still registered as a player but hasn't appeared this season. After starting his career in the Premier League with Blackburn, he moved to Southampton as part of the 1998 deal that saw Kevin Davies move in the opposite direction. Southampton did much better out that deal than Blackburn - Beattie emerged as a regular goalscorer, the peak being 23 goals in 38 league appearances in the 2002-03 season, behind only Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy, as Southampton finished 8th. Beattie also made five England appearances during 2003 under Sven-Goran Eriksson. In January 2005, Everton paid £8 million for his services, but he never found the same form, beginning the journeyman section of his career. After three seasons on Merseyside, he then moved to Sheffield Utd, Stoke City, Rangers, Blackpool and returned to the Blades before finally winding up at Accrington last season, taking just two seasons to drop from the Premier League to League Two. His 7 goals last year were his first since he was at Stoke in 2009-10.
Team vs Scunthorpe:
Gk Marcus Bettinelli
Def Peter Murphy
Def Tom Aldred
Def Dean Winnard
Def Nicky Hunt
Def Lee Naylor
Mid Luke Joyce
Mid Piero Mingoia
For Kal Naismith
For Kayode Odejayi
For George Bowerman
(I somehow doubt they'll play a 5-2-3, though)
Subs: Ian Dunbavin (Gk), Michael Liddle (Def), Will Hatfield (Mid), Josh Windass (Mid), James Gray (For), Danny Webber (For), Connor Mahoney (For)
Head-to-head record:
Accrington wins: 5
Torquay wins: 4
Draws: 2
Last match: Accrington 0-0 Torquay, League Two, March 2013
Last Torquay win: Torquay 3-1 Accrington (Howe pen 5, Amond 65, Bodin 67, Mansell 80), League Two, October 2012
Last Accrington win: Accrington 3-1 Torquay (Hughes 13, Stockley 62, Long 89, McPhee 90), League Two, December 2011
Last Torquay win in Accrington: Accrington 0-1 Torquay, FA Cup, December 1930
Last season's 0-0 draw at Accrington was the first time we avoided defeat there since their re-entry into the Football League
