SFL Div 2, New Bayview, 15/02/11

Well. Seventh!

East Fife ought to have scored three times over in the first five minutes but we came into it and scored a well worked goal from Pat Walker after great work down the right from Gilhaney and Geggan. We had two dodgy offsides given against us but may have benefited from that as our second looked as if an early pass was to an offside player but play carried on and a great ball across was swept in by Gilhaney.

East Fife had fallen out of things but got back into the game just before half time and nearly got an equaliser. All we Sons fans were gloomy about the second half.

But Andy Geggan scored from another well worked move pretty quickly after the restart (scorer announced as Andy “Greggan” followed immediately by a sarcastic chorus of, “Ther’s only one Andy Greggan,” from the Sons fans) and we played quite sweetly from then on and could have added more with a bit of composure in the final pass or shot. Ryan McStay had a brilliant game in midfield.

To be fair to Stephen Grindlay (posts passim) he spared us a worrying final five minutes by making a great save from the penalty the Fife were awarded – the only real threat they posed second half.

The referee gave some baffling decisions and failed to be consistent in doling out yellow cards, giving one E Fife player a caution for handball but not another for an even more deliberate instance but for which he did award the free kick.

One amazing stat I heard from behind me. Of all Alloa’s points before last night only one had been gained on grass. The rest were on their plastic or that of Stenny or Airdrie Utd.

Ten points from the last twelve and three away wins on the bounce is certainly an improvement and the boys looked settled, always a good thing. These have mostly been games against those around/near us. Only two more of those to go before we are up against top half opposition. A better side than E Fife would have seen us off in that early phase. No room for optimism yet.

SFL Div 2, The Rock, 12/02/11

I switched on the radio with about twenty minutes to go and heard about two minutes later it was 1-0. I thought, “It’s not enough,” and spent the next fifteen minutes waiting for the inevitable. Which came to pass.

The simple truth is we need to score two to have a hope of winning.

We’ve now lost a total of three points in the last minute at home to Stenny and Airdrie United and, more importantly, given them two and one respectively. These could be crucial come season’s end.

Time for concentration guys. For the whole ninety minutes please.

So it’s off to Methil on Tuesday with them having come off a good (must?) win.

Last season nothwithstanding, Bayview, New or otherwise, has never been a happy hunting ground for us. Plus they thumped us there earlier this season.

I’m not expecting any more miracles like we got in our previous two away games.

SFL Div 2, Recreation Park, 05/02/11

I witnessed a few minor miracles yesterday.

I saw Dumbarton score three goals in an away game. We doubled our away goals tally in the one game (for the second time in a row – though last game at Airdrie we actually tripled it, from one to three – only six now required in the next to keep that sequence up,) we won two games in a row for the first time this season, moved up two places in the league table…….. and Stephen Grindlay caught a cross under some pressure. To be fair to Stephen he kept us level with a very good save when it was 0-0.

Alloa had the better of the first half hour or so, though we had one half chance which Pat Walker could only snatch at, then we scored a breakaway goal from one of their corners, all our players that were involved made correct decisions in the build up; a rare occurence.

Mark Gilhaney played well on the right wing, curbing his tendency to stray up blind alleys, and it was his cross that Jon McShane swept in for the second with a good finish. I then remarked to onebrow, “we’d got our two.” We always concede. I didn’t think then that we’d be pegged back so quickly.

Their first was a consequence of Andy Geggan, who had a good game overall, trying to be too clever in midfield and giving the ball away. It was played up and Ben Gordon unnecessarily put his hand on the forward challenging for the ball to give away the free kick. Straight in the back of the net. I don’t think Grindlay could have done much to prevent it. Their second was the result of a good cross and a very well placed header. I was too far away to say whether Grindlay ought to have come for the cross or not.

Earlier in the season we would not have been two up and if we had been we would certainly have crumbled at the equaliser.

Yesterday we didn’t. Ryan McStay, who more or less ran the midfield all game, took a great free kick into the bottom corner. It was a case of holding out for the win then, taking the ball to the corner flag and so on.

I was impressed with McShane and Walker up front, they can hold on to the ball and play others in. They even tried to make space for themselves at throw-ins. (Don’t the know this activity is against the decades honoured Dumbarton players’ code of conduct?)

Obviously away wins are also like buses. You wait all season for one then two come along at once.

So we reach the heady heights of eighth.

Don’t get too excited. Both Stenny and East Fife have games in hand.

[Edited to add: About a minute before the final whistle one of Alloa’s defenders swore directly at the ref’s assistant after a decision had gone against him. Despite the fact that said assistant was between the player and me, and I heard it, no action was taken – even though I went on to remind the linesman (it was a man) that foul and abusive language to an official is a sending off offence.

OK, I was winding him up a bit but I do think that officials ought not to be sworn at by players (I know it’s not an ideal world.) Acceptance of such abuse from players is, however, the beginning of a slippery slope.]

SFL Div 2, Excelsior Stadium, 01/02/11

Well. Away goals from open play are obviously like buses. You wait all season for one and then two arrive in the one game. According to Pie and Bovril it ought to have been more. Still that makes two monkeys off our backs now since it was our first away win.

It had to be two goals though. I quote from the club’s website. “However, with 11 minutes to go the Sons keeper made a rash challenge with his feet and Airdrie’s Ryan McCord sent him the wrong way with the resulting penalty.”

Pity he only got a yellow card. If he’d been sent off he couldn’t play at Alloa.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record… I watched the Brechin highlights on Sons TV and Grindlay came, and didn’t claim, the cross for their first, and failed to get down for their second.

There’s a possibility we could move off the bottom on Saturday (since East Fife aren’t playing.) As that possibility exists it will not, of course, happen. I refuse to be optimistic.

SFL Div 2, The Rock, 29/01/11

Well. The expected defeat.

At least we scored. But one wasn’t enough even for a draw. (Grindlay, Chisholm, Nugent, Gordon, McLeish, Carcary, McStay, McNiff, Gilhaney, McShane, Walker.)

Away to Airdrie United (the former Clydebank: no, I’ll not forgive them for taking over another club) on Tuesday night. Any chance of an away goal?

I shan’t be there but Alloa on Saturday’s a definite (if it’s on.)

Even if it’s off I’ll be in Alloa on a family call.

SFL Div 2, The Rock, 1/10/10

League goals for predictor:- 18.

It’s not getting any better is it?

So Cowdenbeath are in Division 1 and Arbroath have been relegated to Division 3.

I wouldn’t have favoured a Brechin-Cowden play-off final as Airdrie Utd had been having a good go at surviving in Div 1. Alloa perhaps suffered from losing their top place in the division so late (much as Cowden did last year.)

The Forfar-Arbroath match-up was predictable for their final and I wouldn’t have liked to choose between them.

Cowden get promoted again after not achieving it by their own efforts last time. It’s a funny old game. Maybe their experience in losing last year’s final helped.

Interesting times in Div 2 next season. Four new teams. Since the introduction of play-offs that hasn’t usually happened without demotions of teams having financial problems.

We will struggle.