Sons reward for our 5-4 extra time win over Annan Athletic on Saturday (a topsy-turvy game where we went two up, then one down then all square at 90 minutes before going one down again but recovering to score twice) in the Scottish Cup* is a home draw against Rangers in Round Four.

We were second last out of the hat (which nowadays is a perspex bowl) with only us and Rangers left.

We won’t win the tie so I would have preferred the game to have been away so that we would have a financial boost from the much bigger crowd that would have turned up to Ibrox but we’ll have to make the mostof what we’ve got.

*The Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.

Sons’ reward for scraping through the Second Round of the Scottish Cup* on Saturday (3-2 in added time after being 2-0 down against Highland League side Banks O’Dee) is an away tie at Galabank, the ground of Annan Athletic.

Galabank is of course the site of that disastrous 6-0 defeat in the first leg of last season’s play-offs.

Let’s hope the score is less lopsided this time.

*Now the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.

SPFL Tier 3 Play-off, Semi-Final, Second Leg, The Rock, 13/5/23. Aggregate 0-6.

There’s not much to say about this. A damp squib.

Another season in the bottom division of the SPFL awaits.  With all the jeopardy that entails.

Our form since the turn of the year has been abysmal. I have an awful feeling that we’ll struggle next season.

SPFL Tier 3 Play-off, Galabank, 9/5/23.

Well. What do you say about a shambles like this?

Except: so much for a record number of clean sheets.

That’s not any good when your defence falls apart in the games that matter.

It was bad enough being two goals down in 24 minutes but Kalvin Orsi’s sending-off only made it worse.

A season that had seemed a relative success (when did we last end up with a positive goal difference?) has ended in embarrassment.

Saturday’s second leg is now the deadest of dead rubbers.

Good luck to Annan in the play-off final.

SPFL Tier 4, The Rock, 06/05/23.

So, the final league game of the season.

Like last week at Elgin it was a turgid affair. Both sides had nothing to play for and our players looked like they were not exerting themselves too much; saving themselves for the play-offs.

That concern was reflected in the line-up, with an unusual look to the back line, Aron Lynas alongside Peter Grant at centre half, Harry Broun again in goal and Luca Vata given his first start in midfield. He stayed on for the whole game, didn’t disgrace himself but probably needs to bulk up a bit before becoming anything like a regular.

Neither side created much early on but Finlay Grey had two strong drives which the keeper had to beat away.

Their goal was a joke. Aron Lynas just got his head to a cross but miscued it against the post and the rebound bounced in off Peter Grant.

A few minutes later Edin Lynch got up at the back post from a corner and powered it home for the equaliser.

In the second half Ally Love had two decent attempts at goal, an attempted flick over the keeper just caught his fingertips but the ball was going in until a defender swept it off the line. Then Love’s header from a great Martin McNiff cross beat the keeper but was headed over the bar by a defender. (Love’s header may have been missing the goal though.)

It’s on to the serious end of season stuff now. Away to Annan on Tuesday night, before the return at the Rock on Saturday.

SPFL Tier 4, The Rock, 22/04/23.

A win and another clean sheet – thanks to Brett Long for a penalty save and Martin McNiff for the goal, though Carsy missed a penalty for us. That’s a club record of clean sheets in one season for a single goalkeeper.

Combined with Annan’s defeat to Stirling this result means we will finish second.

Not that that matters much as we will be playing whoever finishes third, which might well be East Fife, or Annan.

The first leg is away on 9 or 10/6/23, with the second leg at home on 13/6/23.

Two games till to go before then though. Let’s hope for no more injuries.

SPFL Tier 4, Galabank, 8/4/23.

As my younger son said to me today the wheels are no longer in the vicinity of the vehicle. They are some way back down the road.

We somehow managed to scrape up five substitutes, one of whom, David Wilson, scored with fifteen minutes left from a free-kick. Far too little, far too late. We were well out of it by then.

It doesn’t augur well for your team when you lose a goal in two minutes and another two well before half-time.

After that I was expecting a rout but it didn’t get that bad. Maybe Annan were saving themselves for their next game.

On to Tuesday night at home to Stirling. If they win they’ll have clinched the title, bar an absurd collapse. A draw – or even a severely unlikely win for us – will delay that outcome.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 1/4/23.

April Fool?

Sadly not.

Yes, the injuries and the pitch have certainly taken their toll.

What a difference a week makes. We looked okay against Stirling (apart from losing the same goal twice) and I was quite optimistic.

Not now. We apparently deserved nothing from the game. Aaron Lynas’s goal just before half-time was, it seems, the only bright point.

At least we have a whole week now before our next game, a tough trip to Annan.

But who knows how many players will be fit for it.

SPFL Tier 4, The Rock, 11/2/23.

Another win. And now seven points ahead but with Stirling Albion having two games in hand.

We mustn’t moan, Annan have been going well recently.

Still that’s two weeks in a row now we’ve been pegged back to 1-1 (only the third time this season we’ve conceded an equaliser.)

Maybe that’s good though. After Ryan Wallace scored early they got theirs on 52 minutes. That meant we couldn’t afford to sit back and soak up pressure. We need to keep looking for goals.

Russell McLean got the winner with 12 minutes left.

SPFL Tier 4, Galabank, 29/10/22.

Well. It’s a win – and a clean sheet. A first league win in five games. Very welcome.

We were also notably without a striker due to injuries and a suspension so an unusual scorer in Gregg Wylde.

I’ll take it, though. And the goal was seemingly in open play.

But has it stopped the rot?

Coming up is Stranraer at home next Saturday. Our record against them is decidedly poor.