Morton.

At least it’s at home.

We’ve not had much luck in the draws for the cups recently – except for Annan at home in the CIS last season.

Still, we did relatively well against 1st Division opposition last season (one of whom, admittedly, we will be meeting on an equal footing this.)

I’ve just looked at the BBC SFL page to check Morton’s final position and noticed – I didn’t pay that much attention to the competition after we got knocked out – that Airdrie actually won it last time out. We really ought to have beaten them in the first round.

Galabank, 9/5/09

So that’s the 100% record at Galabank gone, then. We’ve got a 50% record there now, what with our first win.

Well done the lads!

I didn’t go to the game as it’s a bit far away and I saw the effective clincher last week anyway. (In a comment on this post, Onebrow said 65 points would win the championship. As it turned out 64 points would have been enough. We reached that last week.)

The only (slight) downer about this game was the termination of the clean sheet record. It would have been nice to see the season out without losing another goal but we were 2-0 up so maybe the lads eased off a bit.

Still, it’s eight games unbeaten at the right time of the year.

If we can keep the manager and the players together – with maybe a few additions – we ought to do well enough next season.

Alloa, Arbroath, Brechin*, Clyde, East Fife, Stirling* – and maybe Airdrie* – here I come!

*Depending on play off results.

The Rock, 21/3/09

Not a good time to lose the unbeaten home record in the league (since August.)

By the next time we play we could be as low as fifth.

Three away games coming up so don’t look for an improvement soon.

Galabank, 20/12/08

A 100% record at Galabank, then. 100% defeats. We go there again on the last day of the season proper. Gloom abounds at Son Of The Rock towers.

Another away loss. It’s getting to be a habit.

With Stenny’s defeat at Forfar this was an opportunity lost – especially since Cowden grabbed theirs with both hands and the Montrose result went our way.

It looks like we were playing 4-2-4 again. In this division, on tight away grounds, that may not be too wise.

A play-off place at best, methinks.

The Rock, 4/10/08

I think we can definitely say Annan’s bubble has burst. They may well now struggle badly; at least until the January transfer window.

Nevertheless this is a good win. As I recall we haven’t scored four against anybody since the second last game of season 2006-7 when we put 5 past the Shire.

And we clawed back two points of the difference from Stenny at the top. Nice to see Forfar paying us back for last week’s late equaliser by doing it again.

Pity we couldn’t improve the goal difference in the second half but I suppose the players knew the game was won and relaxed a bit.

But: second place after the first quarter was something I think we’d all have taken before a ball was kicked.

Strathclyde Homes Stadium*, 5/8/08 (aet 1-1, pens 5-4)
Thought we could have scored early and Annan might have crumpled. They hung on and came into it more later on but never really looked like scoring. We should have buried them in the second half. Extra time and Annan score the only way they were going to when Geggan gives away a pen, and somehow gets sent off for dissent without me seeing it. Ten men and struggling, then the equaliser more or less out of nothing. One more goal than we ever got against Gretna!
First eight penalties scored, Monk saves the next then Stevie Murray blasts the ball home and goes mental. At least he seems to care.
If Annan had gone for it when we only had three at the back and no full back on we’d have lost. I don’t think they’ll stay top of the league for long but they’re unlikely to finish bottom.
I came away from the game thinking that one of manager Jim Chapman’s unlikely achievements has been to turn Mick O’Byrne into a player. Last season at this time he was dire.
Are we destined for a quick re-acquaintance with Gerry McCabe in the next round?

*From hereon in to be referred to as The Rock.