Accrington Stanley (a): What 3 Things Did We Learn?

[Jules]

Before the game we published 3 Things We Need To Do To Beat Accrington Stanley.

What 3 things did we learn?

We need a minimum of 150 words in order for it to be published on the Front Page!

Previous Articles:

3 Things We Learned Against Crawley Town

3 Things We Learned Against Crewe Alexandra

3 Things We Learned Against Chesterfield

3 Things We Learned Against Grimsby Town

3 Things We Learned Against Morecambe

3 Things We Learned Against Exeter City

3 Things We Learned Against Carlisle United

3 Things We Learned Against Shrewsbury Town

3 Things We Learned Against Port Vale

3 Things We Learned Against Wycombe Wanderers

3 Things We Learned Against Colchester United

3 Things We Learned Against Coventry City

 

[Scotimp]

1. Ryan Allsop is a very good goalkeeper.

Two penalty saves so far (the other was against Chelsea Boys Club in the shoot out) and two or three outstanding reflex saves (Shrewsbury was world-class) are the headline-makers, but he has proved an excellent emergency signing overall. Out of contract in the summer, we could do a lot worse and provide great competition for Josh Vickers for the No.1 spot.

2. Standing on a terrace isn't much fun. Really, it isn't.

I had the tallest man in Lancashire standing right in front of me, and the poor woman next to me had no chance of seeing anything. Why don't these selfish buggers go stand at the back? I was balancing on a concrete step six inches wide and felt likely to fall forwards at every opportunity. Christ knows what would have happened if Lincoln had actually bothered to score. I had no more than a square foot to call my own and constantly had people squeezing past to go who-knows-where. I got back ache, sunburn on my head, then it started raining. And some idiots want to bring it back. Unbelievable.

3. Northern Trains set new standards...

...for general discomfort, lateness and abject squalor. My train from Preston to Accrington was surely the most knackered piece of rolling stock in the northern hemisphere, bouncing and creaking like it was about to breathe its last. Its chassis was worse than an Astra VXR. It was freezing cold, and the seats were astoundingly uncomfortable. But that was nothing compared to the journey back. The train was 15 minutes late collecting us from Accrington due to a shortage of train drivers. When it came, its paltry two carriages were already packed (the steward told me there should have been four carriages but omitted to tell me what had happened to the other two). Some got off - or perhaps they just fell out when the doors were opened - so some of us foolishly got on. The lucky ones were those who did not get on. I have never seen so many people squashed into so small a space. The Black Hole of the Clitheroe Line will live long in the memory.