Ahead of Accrington's home game with Wycombe at the end of last month my notes went an awful lot like this ...............
I went "over" on Stanley's home game with Cambridge united last midweek , but that was postponed, my notes focused on Accrington who had refound their form and goals and brought in some new faces over the transfer window..............
I wrote a glowing write up for Stanley and super passionate head coach John Coleman early season and they almost immediate went into freefall , winning just 2/17 until this month. Once out of the FA Cup, they have won twice, both at home, scoring twice in each and sharing the spoils in an eight goal thriller on the road. That has enabled them to open up a little daylight over the bottom two and they could have a seven point lead over the drop zone and still have a game in hand, should they win tonight. They were always likely to turn things around, Coleman was busy in the transfer window and brought in some fresh faces, players who were not hampered by the losing mentality, which is very hard to shake off once it takes hold. Coleman felt his team had been a little jinxed and that everything that could go wrong for his team did so and we should view Stanley as much better than 19th place indicates and a team with big final third of the season potential.
United are another team who have lost their way, after focing themselves into the top 7 over New Year, two points from a possible 18 saw them fall away and at 2-0 down at home to basement club Newport County on Saturday, that looked like being 2 from 21 and the fall off starting to look terminal ! They found a way back, it doesn't overly matter how, they won 3-2 and that should get them back on track and a follow up win this evening would take them to within a point of the playoffs. Defensively they are struggling and have not kept a clean sheet in six or in five on the road and h2h wise, both teams have scored in the last five meetings, with four going "over". Both to go for this, I expect each to score and to be pressing for a second/winner and best value by far to be with .
Stanley kept the momentum up with a fine 2-2 draw at L2 leaders Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, showing battling qualities to equalise late after blowing an early lead. Now they host Wycombe Wanderers, another team like Cambridge who have lost their way, losing six in a row (five going "over") in league and cup and falling off top 7 pace, they are now in 11th, but "only" four points adrift. They will have to come looking for all three points and it is hard to see either winning along with a clean sheet, WW have conceded most away goals of any team in the top 15.
That finished 2-2, Stanley have since won both games, beating Barnet 1-0 and winning 2-0 away to highflying Exeter City at the weekend. The hosts had plenty of chances in a wide open game and I am expecting more of the same tonight, Stanley in a bid to continue they great run and to pull right away from the drop zone. Orient because they have no alternative ! The O's are six points from safety and falling out of the Football league could be terminal for a club who have major financial issues. Their last six starts have seen them win at L1 bound Plymouth and 4-0 at Newport County the only team in the FL below Orient, but also concede 11 in losses in the other four and their form, like their finances, is all over the place ! Ahead of one of those defeats, a 3-2 home loss to Notts County, I spoke about some of their problems and perhaps them being happier on the road .........
Long time readers will probably know that Leyton Orient are not my favourite team, not really sure why, just never really liked them and that feeling was not helped by a rivalry and some really ungracious behaviour from them in the Brentford promotion season of 13/14 . It is ok to be a bad loser in private, but making that clear publicly almost always comes back to bite you. Anyway, the Bees have gone on to establish themselves in the Championship and now the O's are 15 games away from falling out of the Football League, being bottom two of L2 currently. I have no wish to see them, or anyone relegated for that matter and do not think they will be, but they are struggling and have been so for much of those interim three years.
Orient seem happier away from East London , where they have already lost 12 times this season and they have picked up 19 of their 29 points on the road and the same is true of fellow relegation battlers Notts County who have won five times on the road (no draws), with all 14 away games averaging 3.43 goals. County would be an even sadder loss to the Football League, formed in 1862, they are the oldest professional football club in the world .
Two struggling teams meeting late in the season usually means goals and is an oft used clubgowi mantra and I think we will see a mini shootout today. Orient gave themselves a lifeline with a shock 3-2 win at League 1 bound Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday, much of that feel good factor was lost with a six match suspension given to captain Liam Kelly for pushing over a ball boy in that game . He had a lengthy injury spell earlier in the season when Orient lost 13/18, four of their five wins in that sequence went "over" and like in midweek, they are probably going to need to score 2-3 times to win this.
Notts County head coach Kevin Nolan says he bears Orient, his former club, no ill will, but he was sacked by O's owner Francesco Becchetti after only three months in charge, despite Nolan having the best win record of any manager since the Italian took control of the club. I doubt that is true and that Nolan would have take extra enjoyment from three points today, he had a long and very successful playing career and his choice of several clubs at the time , opted to help Orient and was then left humiliated. Nolan took charge at County last month, they had lost 10 straight , but have taken points from four of the six played since, with two wins. His arrival coincided with the take over of ownership of the Magpies by Alan Hardy, The new owner acted in double quick time to pay bills and get the transfer embargo lifted to enable Nolan to bring in players before the window closed. He signed four youngsters on loan in WBA striker Tahvon Campbell ,Arsenal defender Marc Bola, Nottingham Forest midfielder Jorge Grant and Hull defender Josh Clackstone. Also adding huge experience in Shoal Ameobi and Mark Yates and registering himself as a player.
There was much to like about the battling 2-2 draw with highflying Exeter City in midweek where they came from two down late to earn a point, with five of the newbies playing some part. Ameobi, Yates, former Manchester and Leeds United player Alan Smith and prolific Jon Stead are not going to win any young player awards , but bring a touch of quality and have goals in them and they do not look like relegation fodder and from day 1 at the club Nolan has been talking about County NOT being in a relegation battle and trying to get his squad into a very positive mindset.
Good Luck.
