I don’t know why but I’m optimistic about our promotion chances again. It probably won’t last long but I’m enjoying this sunny mood while it lasts. Clearly LJ will have to do something about the opposition putting in crosses that are converted into goals against us so I’m expecting to see one or two telling changes when I see the team-news. There are some very interesting other fixtures this afternoon including Lincoln at home to Hull and Charlton at home to Peterborough. Though I think it would be best for us if Hull won as we can’t seriously overtake them, I’d like to see Charlton win so we can have a mathematical chance, at least, of catching Peterborough. At the same time I’d like to see Charlton pummelled so that Oxford could replace them in the top six but then again that probably wouldn’t last long. Anyway, it’ll make for an interesting afternoon. There seems to be a good chance that McGeady will fight through the pain barrier and play some part today while looking further ahead the possibility of Sanderson returning before long seems to be growing. The ideal scenario would be for Sanderson to return for the play-off final where we give Charlton, no doubt, a dose of their own medicine. I’m still in London and will be tuning into SAFSEE. Match prediction: 3-1 to us.
I got the team-news about an hour before kick-off and unsurprisingly Hume was starting instead of McFadzean while it was great to see McGeady’s name back there. O’Brien was also starting and Scowen was in for Leadbitter, who was on a strong bench along with Jones, Stewart, Maguire and Diamond. We were playing 4-2-2-2. Portsmouth beat Bristol Rovers 1-0 in the early match and that wasn’t a good start to the afternoon.
I couldn’t get the sound to work on my tablet so I had to cancel my SAFSEE plans and made a quick switch to watching the game. As a result I missed the first few minutes but I didn’t have to wait long for a goal as after a bit of early pressure from Accrington, in the sixth minute Gooch put a lovely cross over form the right and Wyke jumped to head it into the net. Five minutes later we were 2-0 up and this time it was McGeady who raced like a whippet down the left to put over a lowish cross that Wyke met at the near post and flicked into the net. Next thing referee Darren Drysdale picked up a head injury from somewhere but managed to recover after a short stoppage. O’Brien seemed to find this amusing at any rate. The game was being played at a tremendous pace and it looked like a Charlie Chaplin movie at times but we were stringing the ball together very well as we went forward and were defending coolly but passing it back to Burge too much for my liking. Accrington were by no means out of the game and looked dangerous at times especially when Phillips shot narrowly wide in the twenty-seventh minute. Just before that I thought it was 3-0 but O’Neill’s low shot was straight at Savin in goal. Winchester was yellow carded for a foul on the half-way line and as he acted all disbelieving with the ref he chose to pull one leg of his shorts up very high. I haven’t seen anyone do that since I was about nine. We were still creating chances but there was too much farting around in our own half to be honest and if Accrington could pull one back, we’d be in a for a nail-biter. It remained 2-0 at the break and elsewhere both Hull and Peterborough were winning 1-0.
As we kicked off again I felt that there’d definitely be at least another goal in the game and if we could get it, then we could get two. We’d had three decent attempts on their goal in the opening exchanges but it was Accrington who went ahead six minutes in when a great through pass by Hume found Bishop and he slotted it past Burge. McConville had the ball in our side-netting and it could have been worse as he had plenty of time. We were looking wobbly and I was hoping to see Leaditter come on to steady the ship. He duly did just before the hour, replacing Gooch, and about the first thing that he did was get booked for a foul. Accrington were doing most of the pressing and our lovely close passing of earlier wasn’t much in evidence. In the sixty-eighth minute it was 2-2 with something of a joke goal, though I didn’t feel like laughing about it. O’Nien headed the ball back but Burge was way off his line and though he hurried back to try and reach it before it entered the net, he couldn’t keep it out. I awaited several substitutions and soon Jones and Diamond had replaced O’Brien and Winchester. We still had time to snatch a winner but Accrington looked more likely to score. Elsewhere Lincoln had equalised and Will Grigg scored his fourth for MK Dons against Swindon. It was looking doom and gloom but suddenly in the eighty-third minute we put together a fast break and as Power entered their box on the left he received the ball from Diamond and shot it home with the aid of a defender’s foot. My joy didn’t last long as two minutes later we conceded a free-kick at the right angle of our box and McConville slammed it in to put them level. Both teams were going at it hammer and tongs and when five minutes of stoppage-time were announced, I still fancied another goal. Leadbitter had a great shot turned away and as we were awarded a corner in the final minute we brought on Stewart for McGeady but it was all to no avail and it ended 3-3. Elsewhere Peterborough beat Charlton so there’ s no way we can overtake them now and Hull beat Lincoln. For the time being Charlton and Portsmouth aren’t in the top six.
Well, I told you my good mood wouldn’t last too long. So, unless something very unlikely happens, it’s going to be the play-offs but I don’t fancy our chances of getting to Wembley on this form.
