By stonehousealbion
February 28 2016

Albion travel to the Northern Echo Arena this Saturday for a crucial game against a resurgent Darlington Mowden Park. Both teams had variable starts to this season (with DMP's slightly worse), but have found their feet and produced good runs of form across the winter. The ex-football surface at the NEA is reputed to be in good condition and should make for a welcome change from the mudfests which have limited our team's preferred open game. The lads will have had the benefit of an extended rest, in contrast to the hosts who secured a narrow home win over third placed Blackheath a week ago. But GD will not have the option of picking Marc Kotecky; he had the dates of his suspension amended to cover this first fixture after his red card at the Henley game.

Albion go into this fixture in fifth place due to Ampthill overtaking us with a win against Fylde in last weekend's catch up games. Darlington are in seventh slot, having one less win under their belts. They started their impressive string of wins against us back in November and must be feeling that a double is a real possibility - their only loss in almost four months was a couple of weeks back away to league toppers Richmond. For our part, we will have to approach the meeting in a similar fashion that at Hartpury prior to Xmas; do the the analysis, formulate a game plan and stick rigidly with it. And stay on the right side of the ref. With a sizable contingent of ex-PARFC Championship players on the home roster (Harrison, Henry, Homan, Jubb and Bone), it will be intriguing to see how they front up against our team founded on talent from lesser teams in Devon and Cornwall. It would be easy to put big spender and underdog tags on the teams, but ultimately it will be a staightforward contest of sporting ability.

Due to the geography, it will be a smaller pack of RATs (Regular Albion Travellers) that make the long haul North. DMP are close to us interms of absolute numbers for their games, but even on a good day, the 25k seater facility is close to 90% empty. The away suppport will be hoping the stadium lives up to its name and will doubtless make their presence felt. The easiest way to follow the game will be via twitter - the usual PARFC/PSG channel should be well augmented by the home feed: mowdenpark.

Predicting the outcome for this one is really tricky; it's such an even encounter on form alone. The heart naturally says Albion, but the sparse online opinion to date favours the home side 3:1. But I stuck my neck out for the Hartpury game and I'll back the team to do the same again. In for a penny, in for a pound - I reckon they'll cut loose and get four tries to boot!

It's a curious quirk of the fixture system that all of the top eight in Nat 1 are playing each other this weekend, so the wins and losses (and let's face it - potential draws) will have serious ramifications on the standings at season's end. Here's the full fixture list:

Fri 04 Mar

Rosslyn Park v Esher   19:45   The Rock

Sat 05 Mar

Blaydon v Coventry   14:30   Crow Trees

Ampthill v Hartpury College   15:00   Dillingham Park

Blackheath v Richmond   15:00   Rectory Field

Cinderford v Fylde   15:00    Beavis Memorial Ground

Darlington Mowden Park v Plymouth Albion   15:00   Northern Echo Arena

Henley v Hull Ionians   15:00   Dry Leas

Wharfedale v Loughborough Students   15:00   The Avenue

National League 1 - 2015-6 Wk 24

Discussion started by Unofficial Plymouth Albion (IP Logged), 04/03/2016 08:26

Unofficial Plymouth Albion
04/03/2016 08:26

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ianbol
04/03/2016 09:12

Nice one Cyril.

It might be worth noting that in the home fixture, played in truly aweful conditions, our young, inexperienced, newly-put-together side couldn't manage those conditions at all well and seemed to be beaten more by those severe challenges than by the oppo who played them better.

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stonehousealbion
04/03/2016 11:36

Darlington team named for tomorrow:

DMP Official

It won't be an OBs benefit then...

Weather should be a little kinder this time around, too:

BBC Weather

Plus the local rag's tuppence:

Herald

Come cheer up, my lads - 'tis to glory we steer!

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hills22
04/03/2016 11:39

Best of luck to Albion in the last long haul of the season (in travelling to the North). Safe journey to those travelling - hopefully they continue the singing despite the lack of R.A.Ts and they can leave the arena as winners. For one week only you can surely sing Camborne Hill.

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stonehousealbion
05/03/2016 01:05

Tonight's result:

Rosslyn Park 29 - 17 Esher (5-0)

They remain in 8th and 6th respectively.

Come cheer up, my lads - 'tis to glory we steer!

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