Goal difference separates top two in Alliance
Last week was a good one for Bury who kicked off the week six points behind leaders Wigan with two games in hand. With Wigan’s one game postponed, Bury took advantage with two wins to move right behind the Latics on goal difference.
They didn’t look as though they were going to be winners last Saturday at Carlisle, a side currently third from bottom. It was the Cumbrians who got off to the best start and actually led 3-1 at one stage during the first half.
Bury got themselves level at half time and went on to win the game 6-3 before facing much improved Accrington at home 2-1 on Tuesday. This time they were never behind. They led 2-0 after dominating the first half but Stanley came back at them after the break. They pulled one goal back and forced Bury into an excellent defensive display before holding on to the win.
Last season it was Bury who won the league with a one point advantage over Wigan while Rochdale were just one point further behind. They were a long way clear of the rest. Rochdale, whose game it was that was called off against Wigan, are struggling close to the bottom this season and I can’t see it being anything other than a two horse race now.
Walsall are just three points behind them after their win at Tranmere, but they’ve played two games more and have the worst goal difference of the three.
One more defeat for Morecambe, and they play Port Vale today, will condemn them to a bottom place finish. Burnley are now the only team they can mathematically pass but it is unlikely that they are going to end the season unbeaten having won just twice and drawn twice in 23 games.
As for us, it’s the most disappointing season I can certainly recall. Last season wasn’t very good but this has been far worse with just six wins in 24 games. Graham Lancashire recently said it didn’t matter if we lost every game as long as we were getting players through to professional contracts. Given that seven of the nine second year scholars have been released and only one has been offered an extension, that being Khius Metz, it doesn’t seem to have worked. I know seven plus one doesn’t equal nine, but we await news on the future of goalkeeper Tony Aghayere who is currently on loan at Colne.
We’ve four games left this season and the first of them is this Saturday at Walsall. That will leave us with three to play, two at home against Preston and Wrexham with an away game at Port Vale to end the season.
All the recent results are below with this week’s fixtures, our goalscorers this season and the current league table.
RECENT RESULTS
Wednesday 30th March
Burnley 1 Carlisle 3
Saturday 2nd April
Accrington 3 Burnley 1
Carlisle 3 Bury 6
Fleetwood 2 Wrexham 0
Rochdale v Wigan – postponed
Shrewsbury 1 Preston 0
Tranmere 1 Walsall 2
Tuesday 5th April
Bury 2 Accrington 1
Preston 4 Carlisle 2
THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES
Thursday 7th April
Morecambe v Port Vale
Saturday 9th April
Accrington v Morecambe
Blackpool v Rochdale
Bury v Port Vale
Carlisle v Wigan – to be played at Wigan
Walsall v Burnley
Wrexham v Shrewsbury
BURNLEY’S GOALSCORERS (League & Cup)
8: Josh Dolling
6: Khius Metz, Tommy Wood
5: Nashé Chakwana
3: Tristan Jumeau
2: Tyler Shrimpton, own goals
1: Olatunde Bayode, Miles Fenton, Dwight McNeil, Andy Nugent
CURRENT TABLE
| Team | pld | w | d | l | f | a | pts |
| Wigan Athletic | 22 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 44 | 15 | 47 |
| Bury | 22 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 50 | 25 | 47 |
| Walsall | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 47 | 25 | 44 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 24 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 23 | 43 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 23 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 26 | 40 |
| Preston North End | 25 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 37 | 38 | 39 |
| Blackpool | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 26 | 35 |
| Fleetwood Town | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 32 | 35 | 33 |
| Port Vale | 22 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 26 | 31 |
| Accrington Stanley | 23 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 31 |
| Wrexham | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 35 | 46 | 26 |
| Rochdale | 22 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 33 | 39 | 25 |
| Carlisle United | 26 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 33 | 44 | 25 |
| Burnley | 24 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 31 | 56 | 20 |
| Morecambe | 23 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 22 | 70 | 8 |
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