Let Me Hear Your Trumpets Ringing Out

Nobes salutes some of the clubs and managers who, despite staying out of the spotlight this season, deserve recognition.

Barnsley boss Mark Robins has overseen a year of progress at Oakwell

They say no news is good news. Find that your club is constantly overlooked and fails to grab the national media's attention, and you can count on that being because things are ticking along just nicely.

No manager being sacked and, although not involved in the race for promotion, there's no relegation battle to be fought either.

It's all too easy to gloss over such clubs and the work of their managers. However, they are often the bosses who consistently do the best jobs without receiving the recognition they merit.

Take Barnsley's Mark Robins, for example. When the Reds turned to the 41-year-old last term, they found themselves struggling at the foot of the table after a poor start to the campaign.

However, the former Rotherham manager soon turned things around and, at one point in the spring, the Oakwell outfit were even on the cusp of the play offs.

A late dip in form eventually saw them finish 18th in a congested mid-table. However, he has built on that first season with a term of solid progression and development.

Saturday's 4-1 defeat to resurgent Leicester left the Tykes in 13th, a full 13 points clear of the bottom three. Also, since a 4-0 loss at QPR on the opening weekend, they haven't dropped lower than 18th all term.

For a club who fought the drop for three successive seasons under his predecessor, Simon Davey, it's clear that Robins has moved the team on to another level.

Not that he's had the greatest resources available to him. Indeed, Barnsley are outperforming sides with higher wage bills who have spent more, and that is testament to the manager.

Coaxing consistently fine performances, as well as goals, from winger Adam Hammill also earned the club £4 million from Woverhampton Wanderers in the January transfer window as they sought to secure his services.

He will undoubtedly be a loss to the Reds for the remainder of the season, but they were quick to replace his goal threat with the signing of Bristol City striker Danny Haynes.

The summer captures of centre half Jason Shackell and Serbian midfielder Goran Lovre have also been astute moves, and Garry O'Connor from Birmingham is a proven forward in the Championship.

Robins, who notably had to overcome financial problems, points deductions, and a temporary home when in charge at Rotherham, is proving himself to be a young manager of increasing capability - who gets the best out of what he has available.

Not that he's the only one. Indeed, across South Yorkshire, Sean O'Driscoll continues to establish Doncaster in the second tier, as well as furthering their reputation as purveyors and protectors of the beautiful game.

It's earned the boss himself admirers - he was strongly linked with the Sheffield United job over Christmas. Perhaps that has proved a distraction, with Rovers losing four of their last five games to drop to 15th.

However, they still remain secure in the middle of the table, which is no mean feat for a side on modest resources with some of the smallest attendances in the Championship.

It is also a sign of the job the Irishman performs at the Keepmoat that pundits were all confident that Rovers wouldn't figure in the fight for survival at the bottom.

Although not advocating the same footballing principles as O'Driscoll, Millwall boss Kenny Jackett also deserves praise for the way his side have adapted to life in the second tier.

Kenny Jackett is ensuring promoted Millwall make a bright return to the Championship

I spoke after their opening day 3-0 win at Bristol City that the Lions were in good hands under Jackett's guidance. A hard-working pragmatist, opposition managers always speak in glowing terms about his team's endeavour and the danger they pose.

While they may not be the prettiest team to watch in the Championship, they also don't have the money of some of their rivals. Fine recent form has even propelled them up to 7th - albeit having played more games than some of the sides around them.

However, successive promotions aren't out of the question should the London side repeat their exploits of 2002 in qualifying for the play offs the season after coming up from the third tier.

It is a tier itself which is home, too, to managers quietly and efficiently going about their business.

Take Exeter City's Paul Tisdale, a manager who has rejected offers from other clubs to remain in Devon.

The Grecians are one of the smallest clubs in League One, but Tisdale has stayed loyal to them to help further his managerial education while competing against most illustrious opponents.

After a last gasp escape from relegation on the final day last season, City have held a place in mid table since August.

Not only that, but he guided them through to the regional final of the JPT this season - the run ending with an aggregate defeat to Brentford over two legs to deny them an appearance at Wembley.

They also continue to play the brand of fluid passing football which the manager has implemented since their days in the Conference. It's the mix of style and substance on a limited budget that so often eludes other bosses.

Keith Hill is not one of them though. The Rochdale supremo wrote his name into the Lancashire outfit's history books when promotion last term ended more than 35 years spent in the basement division.

However, after a poor sequence of results at the end of last season, allied with a difficult time in the summer transfer market, Dale fans were concerned their stay in League One would be a brief one.

They currently sit in 9th though, and continue to adhere to playing the game the right way.

The boss has also shown great character and nerve to turn around a worrying slide down the table from the dizzy heights of 4th to just above the drop zone in 18th. Even if Dale do end up in the bottom half, they have been one of the season's surprise packages.

As have Milton Keynes Dons. Indeed, naming the then 29-year-old Karl Robinson as manager last summer was a surprise in itself.

The youngest manager in the Football League was also taking over at a tricky time in the short history of the club. Paul Ince brought an end to his second spell at stadium:mk last season citing budget cuts and differing ambitions for his departure.

It appeared as though the ambitious Dons, who reached the play offs in 2009, would now have to scale back their dreams. However, Robinson has them competing once again for the top six.

To be doing so in his first job, as well as outperforming Ince despite less money to work with, is an achievement which should not be overlooked. You may not like the Dons, but the manager deserves some kudos.

The experienced Paul Sturrock is giving a masterclass in crisis management at Southend

While they profit under the leadership of a rookie, it's an experienced pro who is once again proving his worth in League Two at Southend United.

The Shrimpers went close to going out of business during the summer after relegation from League One, and a transfer embargo was only lifted days before they kicked off their season against fellow financially-troubled Stockport.

However, unlike the currently flailing Hatters, United boss Paul Sturrock used his many years in the game, as well as his various contacts, to fashion together a team that, while quickly assembled, currently sit just three points off the top seven.

It's no mean feat to bring a large collection of players in all at the same time and gel them into an effective and winning unit in a matter of months.

While promotion via the play offs may well prove beyond them this term, the Scot, who has previously guided both Plymouth and Swindon out of League Two, will be a good bet to lead the side from the Essex coast up next season.

Down on the South Coast, another boss who consistently does his job well - without receiving the recognition he deserves - is Torquay United's Paul Buckle.

During their time in the Conference he guided the Gulls to Wembley on three occasions - including winning the play off final in 2009 to return to the Football League.

Last season, he established them back in League Two and the Devonians have kicked on from there, comfortably sitting in mid table and earlier in the campaign went nearly 1000 minutes without conceding a goal.

It's not just their league form which should be praised though, but their recent record in the FA Cup also tells the tale of a manager who treats the competition with respect - not afraid to progress at the cost of not playing in the league.

They've reached the third round in three of the last four seasons, twice making the fourth round, and claimed the scalps of Blackpool and Coventry along the way.

Buckle has also earned praise for the way he conducts himself, including the dignified manner in which he dealt with their disappointing FA Cup exit amid the antics of Crawley last month. No surprise bigger clubs are already sniffing around the 40-year-old.

It's a mystery why John Coleman continues to be overlooked for positions though. There is arguably no manager in the Football League who so regularly gets his side to punch above their weight than the Accrington Stanley boss.

No club in the Football League attracts smaller crowds or works with an inferior budget than the Lancashire outfit. However, they are well on their way to securing a sixth successive year in League Two.

Coleman is the architect behind it and, although he can sometimes let his passion overtake him, it is impossible not to admire his achievements and longevity at the Crown Ground.

Basement division rivals Lincoln were rumoured to be interested in the Liverpudlian earlier in the campaign, but he eventually signed a new deal to remain with Stanley.

While it would be a wrench to leave the club after 12 years though, it is remarkable that more clubs haven't tested his loyalty by giving him the chance to prove what he can do at a bigger club with greater resources.

If only he could afford a bigger trumpet.

Big Match Analysis - Bury 3 Accrington 0

In a new strand concentrating on defending in the Football League, Turls analyses the action from our Big Match.

Bury 3-0 Accrington Stanley

Saturday October 9, Gigg Lane, (Att: 4,164)

Welcome to the first Big Match Analysis. It's going to be a hoot. Imagine slicing open a cadaver with a meat cleaver. Got that image? Good, because it'll be nothing like that.

Forget everything that CSI taught you, because this is the real world now. If I don't analyse these games then no-one will. Admittedly, it wouldn't really matter if it didn't get analysed because internet users have bigger fish to fry - like 'Do I have Bieber Fever?'

Bury took on Accrington Stanley this weekend and, fortunately, it didn't end up 0-0. The Shakers won 3-0 and looked very comfortable - even before the Stanley Knives imploded and got two men sent off.

Bury 1 Accrington 0

The Bury defender hoofed the ball as hard as he could down the pitch. These types of balls should be dealt with by any defender worth his salt. They really should be dealt with at Sunday League level.

What makes this any different to the ones that are routinely mopped up? If you look closely, you'll see the ball bounce once. This is important because it represents the exact moment when the Accy defence lost control of the situation.

The defender panics and fails to get any real contact with his header - allowing the striker to run onto the ball and smash it into the net.

You do see it a lot in modern football - defenders waiting for the ball to bounce before reacting. In this instance, it may have been difficult for the defender to reach the ball before it bounced but, if that was the case, he shouldn't be committing himself to a header that he may not reach.

The worst thing he should have done was wait for the ball to bounce a second time before hoofing it into touch.

Bury 2 Accrington 0

A little bit of novelty defending here as well. The defender fails to clear the ball quickly - allowing the striker to nip it off his toe and steal the ball.

No worries, he's on the touchline and doesn't look like he'll pose too much of a threat. Hang on a minute, what's this? A runner from deep not being followed?

The ball is slid through two defenders into the path of the darting attacker. This guy waltzes into the box and has a choice to make.

Shoot - under no pressure, but at a tight angle? Pass it to a team mate who is also under pressure but at a glorious angle? Or pass it to another team mate who is under no pressure and further away - making the pass a little more difficult?

Unsurprisingly, the attacker passed to the guy closest to him, who blammed it into the back of the net.

Ultimately, the ball should have been cleared from the beginning but, even allowing for that, Accrington were very slow to react - thus letting Bury seize the initiative and put themselves 2-0 up.

Bury 3 Accrington 0

Goalkeeper smashes the ball down the pitch in the general direction of the lone striker. It was quite accurate and deserves a little moment of applause.

Finished? Great. This time the Accrington defender was caught between two minds. At one point he thought he would let the ball bounce and then deal with it afterwards.

However, he had a sudden change of mind. Maybe he remembered what happened earlier in the game. This indecision saw him run towards the ball and before you could shout "stop" the ball had bounced past him and into the path of the grateful striker.

The defender looked like he was trying to stop it with his crotch before realising he might want to have children at a later date. If this defender is incapable of having kids, then I can only apologise.

Conclusion

The Accrington gaffer must be fuming at his team for allowing three goals to be conceded in this manner. Three stupid mistakes were punished and the mistakes could easily have been cut out.

Having said that, Stanley seemed to be very open at times, allowing Bury a lot of space down the middle. All the stats indicate Bury were dominant and the mistakes were bound to happen at some point.

Still, it doesn't entirely justify such sloppy defending.

To top off a miserable day for the Milkmen, they had two men sent off. One was for an off-the-ball incident that I didn't see, and the second for a studs-up challenge.

Obviously the players were frustrated and getting beaten so comfortably, but this is the last thing the manager would have wanted to see.

Seven goals conceded in two games. They are certainly a little bit rubbish at the back and, if they don't sort it out soon, they could find themselves getting beaten by a few more against the shining lights of the division.

Big Match Review - Bury 3 Accrington 0

Bury 3-0 Accrington Stanley

Saturday October 9, Gigg Lane, (Att: 4,164)

A first half brace from Ryan Lowe helped Bury comfortably sweep aside Lancashire rivals Accrington - who ended the game with just nine men.

Lowe opened the scoring for the hosts with just 13 minutes on the clock. After Phil Edwards failed to deal with a long ball forward, the Shakers striker pounced and showed great strength and composure to hold off the defender before placing the ball in.

That lead was doubled just before the interval when neat work down the right hand side found Lowe with the time and space in the box to sweep the ball past Ian Dunbavin and into the far corner of the Stanley net.

Alan Knill's men sealed the points just before the hour mark with a quick counter attack. Keeper Cameron Belford plucked a corner out of the air before launching a long kick downfield.

The bounce of the ball deceived Accrington defender Dean Winnard allowing Nicky Ajose to use his pace to take advantage - eventually clipping the ball over Dunbavin for the home side's third.

Things were about to get worse for John Coleman's side though when captain Andrew Proctor was dismissed for a scuffle involving Bury's Damien Mozika.

Then Jonathan Bateson also saw red after a horrible over-the-ball challenge on Kyle Bateson.

It capped a miserable afternoon for Stanley - who remain winless on the road. In-form Bury have now moved up to 4th though.

Big Match Preview

Bury vs. Accrington Stanley

Saturday October 9, 15:00, Gigg Lane

There's a tasty looking Lancashire derby between two teams riding high in League Two on Saturday as Bury and Accrington meet at Gigg Lane.

The towns are separated by just 15 miles and the clubs by just a single point - sitting in 5th and 6th respectively in the early standings.

The visitors come into the game off the back of an extraordinary 7-4 victory over Gillingham at the Crown Ground last weekend.

In contrast to their unbeaten and high-scoring home form though, Stanley have yet to win on the road and have scored just twice in their five away games.

Both of those goals came in a 2-2 draw at Stockport, where they threw away their advantage. That's one of four away draws they've registered, with stalemates being played out with Torquay, Northampton, and Oxford.

Indeed, those 0-0 draws formed part of a terrific rearguard performance at the beginning of the campaign with Accrington leaking just a single goal in their first seven matches.

It's a performance which, once again, illustrates the terrific job boss John Coleman continues to do at Stanley - despite working with one of the smallest budgets in the division.

Despite losing key players in the summer, too, particularly going forwards, the form of Sean McConville and Terry Gornell - with five and four goals respectively so far - has shown Coleman's ability to keep finding the right blend.

John Coleman continues to work miracles with Accrington

His opposite number this weekend, Alan Knill, knows all about consistent performances too. In the last two seasons the Shakers have been top seven contenders, and once again look likely to be in the play off mix.

Bury, too, enjoyed an incredible high-scoring win over Gillingham recently, with a topsy-turvy encounter eventually ending up 5-4 in their favour.

That remains their only home win to date, though, with draws against Rotherham, Northampton, and Hereford accompanying an opening day defeat to League Two leaders Port Vale.

The Shakers head into Saturday's game on good form being four games unbeaten. That includes impressive away wins at Cheltenham and Morecambe - ending both side's unbeaten home records in the process.

Key, once again, to their hopes has been the form of striker Ryan Lowe, whose seven goals so far put him second in the top marksmen table for the basement division.

He's ably assisted by Andy Bishop, always a threat in front of goal, and summer signing, midfielder Steven Schumacher, - both have two goals to their name.

Both these sides like to try and play the game the right way and it promises to be an entertaining as well as fiercely contested local affair.

With Bury hard to beat at home and Accrington drawing four away already, things ending all square at Gigg Lane wouldn't come as any surprise at all.

Nobes' Prediction: Bury 1 Accrington Stanley 1

In Defence

After a glut of goals and high-scoring games in recent weeks in the Football League, Turls analyses the case against the defences.

There were ten goals as Preston came from behind to stun Leeds

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm listening to the football results come in. I tend to zone out most results because I'm usually moaning at how crap Forest are, or jumping up and down and thinking that we'll win the league.

Both these reactions tend to last for a few seconds until I calm down and realise that it's only a game. However, after back-to-back 1-1 draws, I was allowed to bask in the insanity of the remaining scores.

In midweek, ten goals were scored at Elland Road as Preston came from 4-1 down to win 6-4. Incredible game, and the type of thing that rarely happens.

Then I heard that Norwich had beaten Leicester 4-3 at Carrow Road. I wasn't sure what to make of this and then, when the scores kept coming, I heard three games that ended 3-2 and another that had ended 4-2.

Wow! When I looked at the scores online, I realised there were another ten games that involved four goals or more.

Now I'm only a young lad and haven't got many seasons under my belt, but it seemed quite remarkable that one day could provide such a flurry of goals. I worked it out that 98 goals had been scored - that was despite eight games ending 0-0.

It took me until the weekend to recover from that attacking onslaught and I thought I would be looking back on that Tuesday night with a sense of awe.

Instead, I wandered into my house at 5pm - after a day with the lady - to find that another 88 goals had been scored in one day's play.

I didn't know what to say. I just stood there with the remote in my hand trying to figure out what had happened in the last week. Accrington won 7-4 and Chesterfield and Crewe drew 5-5. On the back of that 6-4 and 4-3, I was shocked.

186 goals. In 72 games. At over 2.5 goals a game. Only ten games remained goal-free.

I woke up on Sunday thinking that everyone would be going on about how exciting the Football League is but, when I drew back the curtains, it was raining. A lot.

This dampened my mood, but it also made me realise that, although goals are good for some, they also represent a complete inability to defend.

I'm not one of these people who believe that goals make a great game. I must admit that I do enjoy a game with goals in, but I also love a tactical game of football that ends goalless.

Now this last week has got me thinking. Have strikers got better or have defenders got worse? Maybe a bit of both?

So far this season there have been 19 games that featured six goals or more. Huddersfield have finished either side of a 4-2 score, Peterborough have played in a 5-1, a 4-2, and a 5-2.

Gillingham have lost 5-4 and 7-4. Leicester, Leeds, and Preston have all been involved in two high-scoring games.

I decided to look at the highlights for the following games to see what the quality of defending was like for the following games:

Norwich City 4-3 Leicester City
Leeds United 4-6 Preston North End
Chesterfield 5-5 Crewe Alexandra
Accrington Stanley 7-4 Gillingham

I'll stress that I have only seen the highlights of each game, so can't provide a full picture of the match. If you were at any of the games and can shed some more light on the defending then get in touch with us at soccerammw@gmail.com

Norwich City 4-3 Leicester City

Norwich 0 Leicester 1:

First of all, the Foxes winger is allowed to run about 20-25 yards without anyone putting a tackle in.

Then, upon reaching the area, the Norwich centre back refuses to charge him down and, instead, stands on the corner of the six yard box with his arms out.

He should have closed the gap and stopped the winger from getting the shot away. Still, the keeper should have saved it.

Norwich 1 Leicester 1:

This is a difficult one to claim as bad defending, but it is very much a case of ball watching. As the ball was played in from the left, two Norwich players were allowed to run into the box unaccompanied, thus giving them a numerical advantage.

The ball is then played across the box from the right where a Norwich player is standing with nobody marking him. All a little haphazard in my eyes.

Norwich 2 Leicester 1:

Penalty. Arms raised. Silly.

Norwich 3 Leicester 1:

Can't blame the defence here. The left winger just outpaces Leicester's right back and a beautifully weighted ball frees the scorer down the middle. Good finish.

Norwich 3 Leicester 2:

Bizarre, and quite fluky. A mishit is flicked in a Leicester player's path, he then has his shot cleared off the line before hoofing in the rebound.

A picky man could say the guy who flicked the ball on shouldn't have been able to turn so easily, but it looked like a good piece of play to me.

Norwich 4 Leicester 2:

A 25-yard screamer. Nothing the defence could do.

Norwich 4 Leicester 3:

Good through-ball, good touch past the defender, good finish.

Leeds United 4-6 Preston North End

Leeds 0 Preston 1:

Good wing play down the right, skidding a cross/shot across goal. Keeper can only parry it into the striker's path. Good attacking football.

Leeds 1 Preston 1:

Left winger cuts inside too easily. Shouldn't have been allowed to go inside with that much comfort. Then, when the ball is played in, Preston are outnumbered right in the centre of the goal. Poor defending all round.

Leeds 2 Preston 1:

Long ball pumped in from the left flank towards the back post. When the ball is headed back across goal, Preston are caught ball watching resulting in three Leeds players to line up and head it in.

Leeds 3 Preston 1:

Right winger goes down the flank. Never looks like going past his man after some good jockeying from the full back. He pokes it inside to a player about 15 yards out in acres of space.

How has he got that much space in the box? It's shocking. This guy then scores - unsurprisingly.

Leeds 4 Preston 1:

Preston look a little stretched, despite it only being the first half. The ball is played out to the left where the winger cuts inside past one player, sells a dummy to another, and then drills it into the goal.

Allowed to go inside far too easily and should have been shepherded towards the byline.

Leeds 4 Preston 2:

Ball picked up in the middle after a weak Leeds challenge. It's played out to Preston's striker, who makes a little space to create a shooting chance. Keeper beaten at near post. Rubbish keeping.

Leeds 4 Preston 3:

Scored straight from a corner. Rubbish keeping again.

Leeds 4 Preston 4:

Penalty. Ball played out right, full back does the right thing by herding the winger to the byline but, instead of following his plan through to the end, he decides to dive in when the players is running away from goal.

Ridiculous penalty to give away.

Leeds 4 Preston 5:

Long ball to a fat Preston striker who uses his bulk to turn his man and fire past the keeper. Good strike work. Defender could have stayed squarer instead of getting turned, but Jon Parkin is very good at working defenders over.

Leeds 4 Preston 6:

Long diagonal ball from left to right. Preston man ghosts in at the far post and heads it back towards the far post.

Again, another example of ball watching rather than following the man. There is no way a ball should be travelling that far without being cut out by a defender.

Chesterfield 5-5 Crewe Alexandra

Chesterfield 0 Crewe 1:

Nicely weighted ball aiming towards the back post that splits two players. The onrushing striker nods it in at the far post. The guy who made the cross was closed down well and it was a very well taken goal.

Chesterfield 0 Crewe 2:

Free kick. Don't know why it was given - blame the BBC for that, for me - but it was a beautifully taken goal.

Chesterfield 0 Crewe 3:

Long ball from the back. Nobody attacked the ball properly and when a Chesterfield player did come out to meet it he completely misjudged the bounce and saw the ball fly past him.

Awful defending. They were outnumbered at the back as well, so take your pick on the mistakes made in defence.

Chesterfield 1 Crewe 3:

Nice cross, and the striker gets in front of his man to nod it into the net. You could maybe could argue that the defender should have seen the run, but there is a reason these guys play in League Two.

Chesterfield 1 Crewe 4:

Now this is a great goal. Man cushions it down to a team-mate, makes a run through the middle and receives the return pass and rounds the keeper.

However, nobody is near the goalscorer when he originally brings the ball down and his run is straight. No deviations. No clever stop and starting. Just a straight quick run through the middle.

Defence done for pace, but they should have learned by then that this guy was quick - they were already 3-1 down.

Chesterfield 2 Crewe 4:

Cross from the right. Jack Lester ghosts in at the back stick and nods it in. Clever run, but the full back was caught ball watching.

Chesterfield 3 Crewe 4:

Penalty. Dived in close to the byline. Stupid challenge.

Chesterfield 3 Crewe 5:

Free kick drifted in from the right, headed towards goal, and turned in by a striker. The guy who headed it looked to have no pressure on him, but he seemed to engineer his room well.

Chesterfield 4 Crewe 5:

Another penalty. This one wasn't as stupid as the last one. A good lay off allowed the striker to run through where he was bundled over.

Contact was made, but it wasn't an overly stupid challenge. Over excited shoulder barge would be one way to put it - but a definite penalty.

Chesterfield 5 Crewe 5:

Shot from outside the box. Well taken, but should have been closed down. Crewe were probably mentally and physically tired, but it still doesn't excuse how he just sauntered to the edge of the box to have a pop.

Accrington Stanley 7-4 Gillingham

Accrington 1 Gillingham 0:

Smart work down the right freed up space for the cross where the man was picked out brilliantly.

Maybe he should have been marked, but the winger turned the defence around and put them out of position with his skills. Well taken goal.

Accrington 1 Gillingham 1:

Long throw in flicked in at the near post. Long throws are difficult to deal with, as anyone who has played Stoke will tell you, so it's hard to question the defending here.

Accrington 1 Gillingham 2:

Although the start of this was a long ball, the end was nice. Big man flicks it on to another big man, who flicks it down to a little man, who flicks it on to the original big man who has made a run into the box. Goal.

It happened quickly so Accrington shouldn't be too hard on themselves. I wouldn't be.

Accrington 2 Gillingham 2:

Another well worked goal - the player had the defence twisting and turning before the ball was slotted into the corner. Can't do too much as a defender apart from drop a reducer in there.

Accrington 3 Gillingham 2:

The ball has been played inside and two players are running on to it - attacker and defender. Defender slides in - meaning he has to win the ball or foul the man.

He did neither, allowing the attacker to chip a beauty inside the far post. If you're going to go to ground as a defender, you have to win the ball.

Accrington 3 Gillingham 3:

Not sure how the winger broke free, but the way he got round the last man is ludicrous. The defender thinks a shot is going to come in, so jumps in front of the onrushing attacker to block it.

Said attacker pokes it past him and lifts it over the keeper. If that were me, I'd be looking back and asking myself why I didn't just stand my ground.

Accrington 4 Gillingham 3:

Penalty. Looked a little harsh, but he had his hands all over him so the ref had to give it if he saw it.

These types of penalties should be given more often but, because they aren't, defenders think they can get away with giving an attacker a hug.

Accrington 5 Gilingham 3:

Penalty. Wingers dances past full back on the left and cuts inside. Full back gets back and makes the tackle. Looks like he wins the ball in a very good tackle. Harshly given.

Accrington 6 Gillingham 3:

Long ball down the right. Man is in acres of space. Defence has clearly tried to play an offside trap that hasn't worked. Striker keeps going and slips it under the keeper.

Accrington 6 Gillingham 4:

Penalty. Who knows what was happening here? Long ball flicked on and the ball is then allowed to bounce. Defender nods it back to the keeper who makes a right hash of it and ultimately brings down the striker.

Accrington 7 Gillingham 4:

Ball lifted cleverly over the top down the right and the attacker hammers it into the far corner. Done and done.


Conclusion:

Out of those 38 goals, I calculate that at least 14 of them came as a result of bad defending. That means about a third of the goals could have been stopped had the defence been more organised.

Unsurprisingly, five of these examples of poor defending came in the Leeds/Preston game. Neither team has a particularly good defensive record - and it's easy to see why.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh on the defenders, but it seems to be that the quality has reduced over the years. Maybe they are struggling to adapt to the change in centre forwards?

Gone are the days of a huge lumbering striker leading the line, instead, more emphasis appears to be placed on quick and lightweight players who are able to create space and turn the defence more easily.

For many of the goals, the defenders are caught ball watching - a problem that should not be affecting professional footballers. Ball watching should be an issue saved for Sunday League football, not the Championship.

Diving in also appears to be a problem. Most of the penalties were conceded in positions that didn't pose a direct threat to the goal and a few of them when the attacker was running away from goal.

They are silly fouls to give away, and the managers should be forcing the issue that you should not dive in on a man who is on the edge of the area at the byline.

Goals make games more exciting for the majority of fans so maybe we shouldn't be complaining too much.

However, I honestly feel that if the defensive lines aren't shored up, we could see more and more games finish with at least six goals in them.

Turls will be analysing the defending for goals in our Big Matches over the coming weeks as part of his focus on the state of defences.

Stanley strive to survive

It's got an all too familiar ring to it. The year was 1962, and Accrington, founder members of the Football League, were forced to resign from the league after going out of business.

Nearly 50 years later, and Accrington Stanley, the club which rose from its predecessor's ashes, are now facing a financial crisis of their own.

The Lancashire outfit have been given just seven weeks to raise over £300,000 to pay outstanding tax to the Inland Revenue.

The fight to survive, and avoid a similar fate as their ancestors, is well and truly on, with over £75,000 raised this week alone.

More than 3,000 turned up for their home game against Darlington on Friday night, including fans from fellow League Two clubs Bury and Morecambe.

All club staff, from players to stewards did their job for nothing, and some season ticket holders even paid for entry to the game. And, with a late 2-1 victory secured on the pitch, it was a winning night all round.

Neighbours Burnley, and their ever-impressive boss Owen Coyle, also staged a friendly game in midweek to help raise funds for Stanley. Over 5,000 turned up on a typically crisp night at Turf Moor to back the club's cause to the tune of £35,000.

It's a sign of the special atmosphere and bond between the Lancashire football family, as well as Coyle's philanthropy. While you might not get a Blackburn and Burnley, or Preston and Blackpool fan wishing one another well, it seems there's genuine affection towards Accrington.

A picturesque view at Accrington's Crown Ground - but the future looks bleak

However, perhaps the reality is that Accrington as a town cannot sustain a Football League club. Sandwiched in-between two Premier League clubs in Burnley and also Blackburn, the club will always struggle to attract support.

Indeed, they often rely on Clarets and Rovers fans attending games when their own side is playing away. Attendances averaged just over 2,200 in their first season back in the 92, but have consistenly failed to break the 2,000 barrier in subsequent years.

Coupled with the current financial climate, which saw them lose the backing of main club sponsors Fraser Eagle, and the challenge to make ends meet is a great.

Accy's manager, the sometimes genial sometimes outspoken, John Coleman continues to work wonders on a very tight budget though. If earning Football League status in 2006 was a great achievement, keeping Stanley up has been even more impressive.

Have they simply risen too far though? Unless a club is lucky enough to have a benevolent and wealthy owner, then attendances and resources will always result in a glass ceiling - a level in the pyramid that the club will never be able to sustain playing at for long.

And, sooner rather than later, they will return back to a level that they can sustain without having to go over-budget or live beyond their means. Did the club, in aiming to restore Football League action to Accrington, stretch themselves too far?

However, the overriding feeling is that having a football club in Accrington is now of greater importance, regardless of what league they are competing in.

When they club went broke in the 60s, it was Oxford United who took their place in the League. Three years ago, it was Accrington's turn to replace the Yellows, but with Oxford currently top of the Conference, history could well be about to repeat itself again.

Accrington will just hope they're around to see it this time.

Nobes.