Scottish Challenge Cup,* The moreroom.com Stadium,** 23/8/22.

Embarrassment. Total embarrassment.

Okay it may not have been our strongest eleven but this was against what is in effect a youth team. I also think it might be the worst Sons defeat I can remember. That is not good enough. (Edited to add; it’s actually the joint worst. I must have blanked that out.)

I must admit our utterly abysmal record in this competition had slipped my mind (we have only got past its first round twice I think) but I certainly ddin’t expect this humiliation. To say I’m disgruntled would be an understatement.

All the feel good factor from four league wins in a row has evaporated.

Given our season fell apart last year after a less emphatic defeat than this – the 5-0 drubbing up at Peterhead, even though that was in the league – I now have the fear for Saturday.

*Now named the SPFL Trust Trophy.

**aka The Rock, but this was technically an away game, so we’ll give it its sponsored name.

Sons’ opponents in Round 2 of the Challenge Cup (aka the SPFL Trust Trophy) will once again be Rangers B.

Well actually it might be Spartans if they manage to win the first round tie. That could mean another visit to Ainslie Park of fateful memory.

Failing that it will be the second year in a row we’ve played Rangers young team (yes I meant that) in this competition – and the third in total. This would be the first time outside Dumbarton though. (Or not, since they actually use our ground for home games in the Lowland League. Not that they should be in either competition.)

Scottish Challenge Cup,* Round One, The Rock, 11/8/21.

A rather ignominious result, this. I didn’t watch it even though it was a home game since I don’t agree with the concept of B teams playing in Senior competitions. The vast majority of lower league teams’ fans don’t and won’t attend these games.

Someone on Pie and Bovril posted the picture below (credited to Pix by Pedro) claiming to show the attendance tonight. Look at the empty spaces. Despite the suggestions made by proponents of B teams that fans of top division clubs (OK the Old Firm) would boost crowds the evidence strongly confirms that they do not. Old Firm fans only care about their first teams. Quite rightly.

We were apparently 3-0 down at one point before striking twice late on.

It is another in our very unprepossessing set of results in this competition. We rarely venture beyond the first round and despite the run to the semi-final in the season of Froxy still have the worst cumulative record of any club ever to take part in it.

I suppose it means there will now be no distractions from the league until the Scottish Cup comes around and as far as I know we sustained no injuries, which is a small mercy, and a few players who had been out got a bit of game time in.

But playing the game on a Wednesday means we will have one fewer day to prepare for the fixture away to Queen’s Park on Saturday.

*SPFL Trust Trophy