Down to the wire...

Following last night’s defeat to Torquay, the Bees find themselves back in the drop-zone with two games remaining. I used the league predictor on the BBC website to see where I think we’d finish and this is what my guesses reveal:

*I’d like to point out I was correct last season, with us finishing 22^nd and Hereford joining Macclesfield in the Conference.

Our rivals in the relegation dog fight:

24^th Aldershot

Played 44, Won 10, Drawn 15, Lost 19

Goal difference -17 ~ Current points 45

Last 5 games: L L D W D

Final fixtures: Dagenham & Redbridge (h) and Rotherham (a)

* Win for Dagenham & Redbridge would guarantee safety, Rotherham will want an automatic promotion finish (if available).

23^rd Barnet

Played 44, Won 12, Drawn 12, Lost 20

Goal difference -11, Current points 48

Last 5 games: L L W D D

Final fixtures: Wycombe (h) and Northampton (a)

* Wycombe have nothing to play for, Northampton will want an automatic promotion finish (if available).

22^nd AFC Wimbledon

Played 44, Won 13, Drawn 10, Lost 21

Goal difference -23, Current points 49

Last 5 games: D L L L W

Final fixtures: Gillingham (a) and Fleetwood (h)

* Gillingham already promoted but can be crowned Champions, Fleetwood could mathematically still make the play-offs.

21^st York

Played 44, Won 10, Drawn 19, Lost 15

Goal difference -12, Current points 49

Last 5 games: W D W D L

Final fixtures: Southend (h) and Dagenham & Redbridge (a)

* Southend could mathematically make the play-offs, Dagenham & Redbridge could be safe by then.

20^th Torquay

Played 44, Won 12, Drawn 13, Lost 19

Goal difference -9, Current points 49

Last 5 games: W L L L W

Final fixtures: Morecambe (a) and Bristol Rovers (h)

* Morecambe have nothing to play for, Bristol Rovers have nothing to play for.

19^th Accrington

Played 44, Won 13, Drawn 12, Lost 19

Goal difference -15, Current points 51

Last 5 games: W D D W L

Final fixtures: Bristol Rovers (a) and Oxford (h)

* Bristol Rovers have nothing to play for, Oxford have nothing to play for.

18^th Dagenham & Redbridge

Played 44, Won 13, Drawn 12, Lost 19

Goal difference -5, Current points 51

Last 5 games: L W L D L

Final fixtures: Aldershot (a) and York (h)

* Aldershot need maximum points to avoid relegation, York could possibly still be relegated.

Of those teams, I’d suggest that Aldershot have the worst final two fixtures with both opponents needing points for differing reasons. A win for Dagenham in their penultimate game would most likely see them safe and while Rotherham are guaranteed at least a play-off place, they will want the final automatic promotion spot if possible.

The easiest fixtures belong to Torquay and Accrington who face teams with nothing to play for. While their opponents won’t want to finish the campaign with defeats, there are more important games both weekends.

My final two predictions:

Barnet 1-1 Wycombe

Northampton 2-1 Barnet

Two minutes with… AFC Wimbledon

Better late than never is the instalment of ‘Two minutes with...’ with Wimbledon fan, Rob.

Pre-match

Had you been to Underhill before?

I had been to Underhill once before for the 4-0 thrashing last season. (You can read Rob’s views from the last game, here)

How did you get to the game?

I travelled to the game by tube, on the Northern Line with my 3 year old son. He wasn't impressed with the 30 odd stops.

The match

Whereabouts in the ground did you sit/stand?

I managed to get a seat in the corner of the away stand because the terrace was really packed last time.

What did you make of the game?

It was an awful first half, but the game sparked into life in the second half.

Who (from either side) do you think deserved to be man of the match?

The man of the match for me was Edgar Davids (it was great to see the man in the flesh and he is still class).

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

Yes, a draw was a fair result.

Who do you play next, and how do you think you’ll get on?

We have got Port Vale away next match and hope to get three points. (The match was postponed today, so their next game should be Northampton at home on Boxing Day).

Ratings

Cost of match day ticket

Good value for money, particularly as my son got in for free ––– 10/10

Purchases made at ground

I bought a hot dog which was nice ––– 8/10

View

I couldn't really see part of the pitch due to being in the front row ––– 7/10

Quality of football

As you’d expect of two struggling teams, it was average ––– 5/10

Overall experience

A good day at another REAL football club. I’ve got a soft spot for Barnet and hope we both stay up ––– 8/10

Total ––– 38/50

Fans’ season preview 2012/13 – part one

Accrington Stanley

Mel – @melstanley01

14^th in League Two – “Could do better”

We haven’t lost any major players, luckily we managed to keep hold of the likes of Amond, Nasalia and Hatfield –players I believe to be key this season. New signing Shepherd looks good.

I’m positive for this season and have fairly high expectations. I’m hoping for a push for play-offs or, at worst, a top half of the table finish.

The main game to look forward to is Rochdale’s return to League Two – for obvious reasons. In terms of moving forward, they’ll prove to be a test as they have a lot of our former players and management. From my point of view (like others), I think that’ll prove to be the most interesting game.

AFC Wimbledon

Rob

16^th in League Two – “Baptism of fire”

In the close season we released Jack Turner, Chris Bush, Fraser Franks, Gareth Gwillim, Bret Johnson, Jamie Stuart, Reece Jones, Ricky Wellard, Kieran Djilali; in addition to Ryan Jackson, Lee Minshull, James Mulley and Max Porter who were all told in January that they would be leaving. Replacements include a Venezuelan goalkeeper Jaimez-Ruiz, left-back Warren Cummings from Bournemouth and right-back Curtis Osano. We have permanently signed centre back Pim Balkestein, who was on loan last season as well as Angus MacDonald (defender) on loan from Reading.

I expect our Goalkeeper Seb Brown to have a good season along with Jack Midson who will hopefully top the goal scoring league. I expect this season to be very tough and anywhere outside the relegation zone would be nice and fancy a decent run in the FA cup.

I’m looking forward to a better trip to Barnet this season without the rain and thumping defeat. Wycombe is a ground I went to with Wimbledon FC so fancy a day out there too!

Aldershot Town

Rhys – @rhys9emberson

11^th in League Two – “Record breaking season”

We have lost our captain, fans’ player of the season and player of the season, Darren Jones, to Shrewsbury; as well as Straker to Southend. Our replacements – Sonny Bradley and Troy Brown – both were on loan last season. Troy has signed permanently and Sonny is on a season long loan from Hull City. We have signed Tonkin from Oxford as a replacement for Straker.

We have broken our transfer record this summer, signing Craig Reid from Stevenage and have so much strength in depth. In other years it’s been easy to predict the starting 11, but this season it is very difficult. My season expectations are to finish in the top half and once again challenge for the play-offs. I think we can sneak into the play-offs and maybe finish 7th.

On a personal level, my aim is to do 20 away games this season. The fixtures I looked for when they were released were Oxford away Wimbledon away as their both excellent away days normally; as well as the first and last game which are Plymouth and Rotherham away. Wycombe at home is always a home game to look forward to as it’s the return of Gary Waddock the man who guided us into the football league. Exeter is the first home game and I am looking forward to once again being on my beloved East Bank chanting for 90 minutes. I am also looking forward to York away and hitting The Stone Roses bar – and York will be a new ground for me.

Barnet

22^nd in League Two – “No real surprise”

We released a fair few players at the end of last season, most of which, were out of contract. Whilst a lot of players in May, the remaining players to depart left once the new manager (Mark Robson) took over. The stand-out players, for me, to leave would be McLeod, Mark Hughes and Sam Deering (who’s now at fellow League Two club, Cheltenham). We all knew McLeod would leave, and despite his goals in the first half of the season, he didn’t really seem to have his heart in the club anymore. We were all surprised to see Mark and Sam leave though, as both were influential last campaign, and Hughesy was our skipper (who kept us in the League with that winner at Burton!). Whilst we’ve not really found that 20-goal a season striker to replace McLeod, we have signed Jon Nurse (ex-Dagger) and Jake Hyde has returned to the club after a stint up in Scotland. We’ve also signed the majority of West Ham’s former youth squad, with the pick of the bunch probably being Ahmed Abdulla, who’s had league experience after brief loan-spells with Swindon and Dagenham.

I really don’t know how we will get on this season, but it’s fair to say, I don’t set my expectations very high after the last three seasons. Part of me expects a similar performance, riding chances and maybe even running out of luck! I’d be happy with anything above 18^th, to be honest. New manager, new squad and new philosophy, what could go wrong? It’d be nice to end our football at Underhill on a high, and have something to be happy about for once.

Like every other season, I’m looking forward to Northampton away – even though it’s on the final day! Our penultimate game is our last at Underhill, so I’m looking forward to that, although part of me will feel sad as I’ve grown up with the stadium for the last 18 years or so. York and Fleetwood, both promoted last season, will be new grounds and should be fairly good weekends, in very different parts of the country! Living in Essex, I suppose I have to mention the local games in Southend and Dagenham as well – not that we ever have much luck at either!

Bradford City

Tim – @tjroche

18^th in League Two – “Nearly a disaster”

It was sad to see Dave Syers and Simon Ramsden depart for Doncaster and Motherwell respectively. Both players were popular amongst the fans but unfortunately injuries meant they didn't get a chance to shine last season. The pair were offered new deals but on heavily reduced terms, so it was understandable that they decided to move on. I feel we have brought in some good replacements in Gary Jones and Nathan Doyle though, the latter is an especially popular signing after an impressive loan spell in 2006-2007. Our marquee signing is undoubtedly Andrew Davies. Having spent much of last season at Valley Parade on loan from Stoke City, it looked inevitable that his future lay much higher than League Two. However to our surprise he opted to stay with the Bantams, signing a one-year deal. He is a cut above at this level and will look to continue his central defensive partnership with last season's Player of the Year, Luke Oliver.

Despite our brush with the relegation zone last season, I believe that we possessed the nucleus of a potentially good team. We very rarely got beat by more than the odd goal so it makes sense that rather than making wholesale changes, Phil Parkinson has focused mainly on adding to the existing squad. For the first time in a few seasons we have not seen a large-scale 'clear out' of the squad so I feel that continuity could be a crucial factor in any success we have this season. Most of our fans seem to be enthused by the signings we have made and there is an air of positivity around the club once again. We have sold nearly 9000 season tickets and our supporters seem excited for the new season. Bearing all this in mind, I predict a finish of 5th for Bradford City.

League Two seems to have a more 'Northern' feel about it than in recent seasons, so there will be a nice selection of local trips for our fans. I am particularly looking forward to Fleetwood Town and York City. An early meeting with our old friend Steve Evans at Rotherham United is another to whet the appetite!

Bristol Rovers

Henry – @HJBurridge

(Henry J Burridge Journalism)

13^th in League Two – “Praise Lord McGhee”

Most of the players that we’ve cut were either loans or deadwood, the only real loss being winger Mustapha Carayol, who left for Middlesbrough after some Twitter shenanigans. Of the players Mark McGhee has brought in, David Clarkson looks the pick; assuming we can keep him fit he should rack up a decent goal tally in League Two.

Scottish centre back Garry Kenneth also looks a quality acquisition on paper after he was released by Dundee United, but we could still do with another player in central defence. The main issues are up front, we look very light on options and lack somebody with enough pace to frighten the opposition. McGhee has said he’s still in the market for another four players, and some experience in midfield would be especially handy, but he’s cutting it quite fine!

I’d like to say we’re going for promotion, but without some quick recruits I expect us to fall short. It’s difficult to see where the goals are coming from and we look rather flimsy in the middle but, with the right additions, a play-off spot would please most supporters.

As I’m at university in Plymouth, Argyle away was the first fixture I scoured the list for, and hopefully we might beat them for once so I can avoid more ridicule!

With Swindon going up last season Rovers have lost all their traditional local rivals, which is a bit of a disappointment, leaving Cheltenham as our closest opponents. It doesn’t quite have the same edge that games against Bristol City or Swindon do, but it’s a great day out and we’ll be sure to pack the away end.

Two minutes with… AFC Wimbledon

Last Saturday saw the final game of the season at Underhill, as the Bees played hosts to one of last year’s promoted sides in AFC Wimbledon. The Mad Dog Effect was well and truly in force, with a bumper crowd at Underhill, and a massive win! Unfortunately with Hereford also winning at the weekend, it comes down (yet again!) to the final game to see if Barnet can survive in League Two for a third successive year. Wimbledon fan, Rob Ringsell, shares his day in this instalment.

28.04.12
Barnet 4–0 AFC Wimbledon
(Holmes ’33, Deering ’81, May ’86, Hughes ’90+2)
Attendance: 4,422

How did you get to the game?

We got to the game by the Underground. I jumped on the Northern Line at Morden and after a quick change at Stockwell met up with family and friends in Victoria.

What did you do pre-match?

Before the game we had drinks in the Wetherspoons at Victoria, The Worlds End at Camden Town, before briefly going to The Old Red Lion in Barnet.

Where did you sit/stand in the ground?

We got into the ground a little late and tried to squeeze into the terrace that runs along the side of the pitch. After walking up and down a few times we found a spot underneath a drippy pipe! But we had a good view of the action from there, although the weather was awful.

What did you make of the game?

We did try a few different players as we were safe, but shouldn't have fallen apart as we did near the end. The banter was fun with the home fans and the stewards were relaxed; however, the appearance of the riot police was a bit of a surprise towards the end. Not exactly the old firm was it?

Was the scoreline a fair reflection?

Barnet definitely deserved the thumping win, so yes, it was a fair reflection of the game.

Who, in your opinion was man of the match?

Barnet’s Ricky Holmes.

Who do you play next and how do you think you'll get on?

We play at home against newly promoted Shrewsbury Town and we will win 4-0. Hopefully the sun will finally dry me out from last week!


Thanks Rob


And you can read my match report from Saturday, here.

Match Report: Barnet 4–0 AFC Wimbledon (Barnet Fan’s Perspective)

A bumper crowd (4,422) turned out at Underhill for its final game of the season and the home fans certainly went home the happier after smashing four goals past AFC Wimbledon – a first win in 17 games and only the second victory this calendar year!

For the hosts, Scott McGleish started up front with Izale McLeod, with Ben May dropping to the bench. There was also a re-shuffle to the back four, with Mark Byrne drafted in as right back, and Michael Hector partnering Mark Hughes in the centre of midfield. For the visitors, Terry Brown made five changes to the line-up and young goalkeeper Jack Turner made only his second start in the Football League.

The Bees started the brighter of the two, kicking up the slope and against the wind: McGleish with the opening chance, a tame header. Despite the torrential rain making conditions difficult, Barnet played it around well (something we’ve not witnessed much this season!) and Hector and Byrne, playing in unnatural positions, were highlights – Ricky Holmes was able to utilise a number of clever balls played to him on the wing, making several decent runs towards the penalty area. Needless to say, he was Man of the Match. The Dons’ keeper was certainly the busier keeper of the two, and was called into a save a handful of shots, mainly from distance.

The visitors’ first real attack came midway through the first half: a dangerous ball whipped into the box, but no-one there to make any real impact – the Bees’ defence, despite not having too much to do, generally looked assured.

And it was the home side that deservedly broke the deadlock: Ricky Holmes with a shot from 10 yards out.

Barnet 1–0 AFC Wimbledon (Holmes ’33)

The second half started much like the second, but with the Bees playing down slope, in the direction of the wind, that would always carry them on from where they left off. It was obvious that the goals hadn’t stopped at one, and so, they kept Turner busy in the Wimbledon goal. Jordan Mustoe with a lashing free kick, which was always going over, got a rapturous applause from the crowd; Michael Hector too, had a couple of shots from distance, causing a number of good saves. It was fair to say Turner kept the Dons in the game, and so the score remained tight at 1–0.

Just before the hour mark, Wimbledon looked the best they had all game and a couple of chances in quick succession: first Sam Hatton hitting over the bar, and then Byron Harrison with a header that never really tested Dean Brill in the Barnet goal, who didn’t have too much to do all game.

Terry Brown then proceeded to make a double substitution, one of which saw Jack Midson’s return to Underhill – and he got a decent reception, with a number of home fans applauding his entrance. He made very little impact on the game.

The final 10 minutes made excellent viewing for the home faithful, not so much to the Dons’ fans, a number of which left when the second goal went in: an assist from Holmes allowing Sam Deering to tap into the corner of the net.

Barnet 2–0 AFC Wimbledon (Deering ’81)

And the third came minutes later, again, Holmes – who had an absolute blinder down both flanks – the architect. An excellent run down the wing before cutting inside and delivering a beautiful cross for Ben May (who replaced McLeod) to tap in from range – a real poacher’s goal!

Barnet 3–0 AFC Wimbledon (May ’86)

With five minutes added on by the fourth official, the Bees continued to look rampant and weren’t going to stop at three – the fourth and final goal came midway through the time added on. Mark Byrne had a shot from distance, and despite Turner saving it, he could only manage to punch it skywards and captain, Mark Hughes, was on hand to tap it into the empty net.

Barnet 4–0 AFC Wimbledon (Hughes ’90+2)

The Bees thoroughly deserved the victory and safe in League Two, AFC Wimbledon never really got out of second gear and made it easy for the home side. It was probably one of the performances of the season; every player knew their job, did their job and there could be no complaints about the score line – more than four goals could have easily been scored.

Unfortunately the victory doesn’t confirm safety in the Football League and once again it will go down to the wire – Hereford beat Crawley away from home 3–0, and the final game of the season decides who will be joining Macclesfield Town in the Conference next campaign. Next weekend Hereford play Torquay at home, whilst the Bees go away to Burton Albion. With the gap still only two points, it could go either way…

League 2 season preview - part one

I thought I’d do something a little different and after completing the Twitter92 a month or so ago, I thought it’d be apt to see what my fellow League 2 supporters thought about their aspirations and expectations for their teams in the coming season. Here is part one (of four):

Accrington Stanley

Mel – Twitter

“I think we will finish mid table at least. Although I still think we could do another push but will play safe.

Key players: Winnard, Coid and Barnett.

Looking forward to the local derbies, although not many this season. Games to look forward to: Morecambe & Macclesfield; as well as AFC Wimbledon, Port Vale, Torquay & Bradford. Not looking forward to playing Crawley.

We've started from scratch, but as always Coleman can turn nobodies into football players; no ownership battles this season is a plus. Hoping for decent referees this season, ones who keep the flow, keep on pitch & have decent eyesight - yes it may appear a bias whinge but this has been a big blight on our promotion pushes”.

AFC Wimbledon

Matt Griffin – Twitter

“Our manager seems to have made it clear that getting the 50 points to ensure survival is the priority. Anything else would be a bonus for us in our first season back in the football league, although I don’t think a mid-table finish would disappoint or surprise many fans.

Again we’re strong at the back, with Dons fan and playoff final hero Seb Brown between the sticks. New captain Jamie Stuart is enjoyable to watch and alongside him in defence is steady defender Brett Johnson who’s also likely to get a few goals. There are also a couple of youngsters worth keeping an eye on in Reece Jones and Brendan Kiernan.

Looking forward to a couple of decent London derbies again – the long trips across town to Dagenham and Barnet. Also personally wouldn’t mind stuffing Creepy Crawley.

Can’t wait for the new season to start. Just 9 years ago we were in the Combined Counties League so looking forward to some more great memories and fun away days out for this strange little SW London club”.

Aldershot Town

Laura Chiverton – Twitter

“Realistically I think this league will be fairly tough. I would like to think we will make the playoffs. The team has looked incredibly strong during pre season & are looking as strong as the end of last season.

Adam Mekki & Alex Rodman are the players to look out for and are both great players from Conference roots. Bradley Bubbs scored 40 goals last season & has set a target for this season’s campaign.

I’m looking forward to playing AFC Wimbledon. Terry Brown, our former manager was a true legend & gent. He left the club to care for his terminally ill wife before Waddock led us to promotion as champions.

I’m hoping that all clubs this season will spend & budget more wisely to ensure their football league status”.

Barnet

Ben Kentish – Twitter

“Who knows how we’ll fare this season! We've got what is on paper the best manager and backroom team we've had in quite a while, and we've kept most of the squad that played so well at the end of last season, but as ever with Barnet it's impossible to predict. I'd say lower mid-table has to be the minimum aim, and with a few more good signings and a bit of luck with injuries etc, a play-off push is a definite possibility.

Mark Marshall is probably the biggest threat to defenders, but new signings Mark Byrne and Sam Deering are both pretty skillful and will set up a fair few goals, plus score a few themselves I would imagine. McLeod and Kabba (when fit) up front must on their day be one of the best strike partnerships in the league, and in defence we've got a couple of good, solid centre-backs. We've actually got the backings of a pretty good side. 

For some reason I'm quite looking forward to playing AFC Wimbledon. It's a shame we've lost the Stevenage derby for this season, although I'm sure we'll be playing them against next year! But Pompey away in the Carling Cup should be a good one”.

Bradford City

Tim Roche – Twitter

“After the debacle of last season, when the hapless Peter Taylor very nearly led City into non-league, a mid-table finish would represent an improvement. New boss Peter Jackson has brought in a varied selection of youngsters and a couple of more experienced heads, so while the play-offs may just be beyond us in what is likely to be a transitional season, a finish of 9th place would be acceptable. This being our 4th season in League 2, our fans are now more accustomed to the reality that promotion might not always be a realistic target.

 Ross Hannah banged in a staggering 52 goals for Matlock Town last season, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in the step up to League 2 football. Mark Stewart, a striker from Falkirk, has also looked impressive in pre-season so City will be very hopeful of improving on last term’s dismal goals scored tally. Of the youngsters we have signed, the 16 year old Scott Brown from Clyde looks to be the most exciting prospect. Although he was brought in with the newly formed Development Squad in mind initially, there is every chance we will see him in the first team sooner rather than later as Jackson rates him as the ‘one of the best 16 years olds (he has) seen in a long time’. No pressure then!

 With the majority of League 2 teams being southern-based there will be some lengthy away trips for the City faithful. AFC Wimbledon should be a particular highlight, as away days in the capital are always fun and it’s a new ground to visit. There’s also the Carling Cup tie away to our dear friends Leeds United to look forward to in the first week of the season – it would be nice to get one over on them, especially as the game will be live on Sky”.

Bristol Rovers

Richard Crew – Twitter

“As it’s Bristol Rovers first Season back in League Two it’s hard to tell, but pre-season has gone well and I've got a lot of confidence in Mr Buckles ability. The signings we've made appear to be sound and the vibes coming out are positive so I have a sneaky suspicion we'll make the play-offs or better if everything gels quickly.

Gill, Zebroski, Virgo, Carayol and McGleish will be the key figures to look out for. I believe we'll be a team that entertains; Mr Buckle has an eye for attacking football judging by the signings and tactics he's employed so far.

AFC Wimbledon stands out for me as the big one, not because of any rivalry but simply because of Wimbledon’s history. I feel it’s an honour to be the club they play first on their League return. I hope it’s a classic for the present Sky Cameras. Of course the Derby games against Swindon, Hereford, Cheltenham and Torquay will hold some added spice as well”.