SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 22/3/25.

So that’s it, then. The failure to win this means the utterly remote possibility of finishing even in ninth place has now vanished.

That fifteen point deduction was the real killer.

So it’s Tier 4 football again next season.

SPFL Tier 3, Gayfield,* 15/3/25.

Someone once said, “It’s a funny old game.” Someone else said, “Football. Bloody Hell.”

Despite our position at the bottom of the table and theirs at the top I had a curious feeling of optimism during the warm-up. Or maybe it was the sunshine bathing Gayfield. Hints of Spring and all that.

There was more selection bingo from boss Stevie Farrell. Quite how Finlay Gray was supposed to affect the game from what was in effect the left wing position is beyond me. He did his best but he’s not a left-footed player and his crossing therefore wasn’t a threat.

The optimism didn’t last long. We had dominated the early stages and then in what was their first really concerted attack they scored, a completely uncontested header from a cross you could see coming long before it did. To make it worse it was ex-Son Sam Stanton who scored it. (Mind you there was another Arbroath player waiting behind him if he hadn’t headed it.) Another long day beckoned.

Thereafter the first half was something of a bore: two poor teams misplacing passes or miscontrolling the ball and it had the general feel of an old-style end-of-season game. Mouhamed Niang was impressive, though, imposing himself on the midfield, which continued throughout the game.

The second half was more of the same really but we began to come into it more as the game progressed and we looked more confident since they hadn’t added to their lead.

But down 1-0 and two subs come on so that we switch to a back three and what had looked like a reasonably solid defence restricting Arbroath pretty well to shots from outside the box suddenly became shambolic – almost as if we had never practiced that formation. I could only see one outcome from that. And it wasn’t favourable.

Then we scored. Don’t you just love football?

Niang won the ball in midfield, fed sub Craig McGuffie, who sent a delightful defence splitting pass through to Michael Ruth, who still had a lot to do though, beating a defender before slotting it past the keeper.

So the day ended on a high. There’s still a football side in there somewhere.

*Greenversity Stadium at Gayfield, if you must.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 8/3/25.

Another defeat.All the more painful for the goal being conceded in stoppage time.

That’s six in a row now. It doesn’t help when the manager is playing selection bingo to give all the players game time. Just put your best team on the pitch. (Mind you he probably doesn’t know what his best team is.)

And it won’t get any better. We’re away to league leaders Arbroath next Saturday.

I know we won there last time out but that was a rarity. And we were in a fairly good place then, while they weren’t.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 4/3/25.

Yet another defeat; this time in front of BBC Alba’s cameras, so I got to see the game.

Arbroath started brightly but we scored first due to Michael Ruth winning a free kick and then taking it himself banging a beauty just under the bar.

We were riding our luck though with Arbroath having a few chances and lonee goalie Milosz Sliwinski doing well at times to thwart them.

But a misjudged attempt at a header back from Michael Miller allowed their forward to squeeze a shot in.

Second half we lost an early goal (it’s been our habit this season in one half or another.) A long-hit corner was headed back towards goal and we didn’t react quickly enough to stop the effort that resulted, poked in by an attacker.

That was effectively game over, though we huffed and puffed towards the end.

We’re now 18 points behind ninth with only 27 still up for grabs.

Still, one of the club’s administrators was interviewed at half time and made encouraging noises about indentifying a preferred bidder. We can only hope.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 1/3/25.

Another dispiriting result, Carlo Pignatiello’s goal after half-time possibly the only bright spot. Then again Stenny have had the upper hand against us for the past two seasons.

Next up, a home game versus the present league leaders, Arbroath, at home – and on the telly (BBC Alba) – on Tuesday night.

SPFL Tier 3, Balmoral Stadium, 22/2/25.

Another Saturday, another defeat.

We actually scored first, Carlo Pignatiello doing the honours, but losing a goal on the stroke of half-time  – and to ex-Son Mitch Megginson too – never helps.

At least we can console ourselves we lost to the league leaders (except they weren’t at the game’s start.)

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 15/2/25.

Well, we scored twice; Michael Ruth with a pen and Carlo Pignatiello with a second equaliser. But we lost three. And once again to a team who, if we’d won, we might have put a bit of fear into.

It’s getting depressing. We might at least look as if we were making a fight of it.

SPFL Tier 3, Galabank, 8/2/25.

Well, another away defeat.

And another failure to win a crunch game.

Relegation has been all but certain since the points deduction. The ‘all but’ can now be removed.

One noteworthy thing from today’s game though. Joel Mumbongo actually scored. His first for us. After 24 appearances. Mostly as sub; but still.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 1/2/25.

Well. It’s not like us to score early (instead of conceding early) but we did Jinky Hilton doing the honours.

Then we lost an early goal in the second half.

It wasn’t a good day at all what with Annan winning at Kelty.

We’re down at Annan next week. Failure to win there and we’re definitely not going to overcame the 15 point deduction.

SPFL Tier 3, Palmerston Park, 25/1/25.

Another disappointing result though not quite a hammering like last week.

It seems we had a reasonably good first half, Mark Durnan getting the equaliser after our usual loss of an early goal, but the less said about the second half the better.

Alloa at home next up.