SPFL Tier 3, New Bayview, 1/2/20.

Well we threw this one away.

We had dominated the first few minutes and then they scored in their first attack, a clearance falling to former Son Scott Agnew whose shot took two deflections on its way past Conor Brennan who nevertheles looked slow to get down to it.

Their second was a joke. Instead of dealing with a loose ball at the edgeof the box, we stood off it and allowed their player to volley it home. They could have made it three when for the only time in the game they got a man in on goal but Brennan’s spread legs deflected the shot.

The lifeline came at the very end of the first half Morgyn Neill heading home a Joe McKee free-kick.

About fifteen minutes into the second half Stefan McCluskey chased down an East Fife defender forcing him into a mistake. McCluskey then set up new signing Robert Jones to finish neatly. We were all over them for the next ten minutes and then all that hard work was undone as we gave away a free-kick. Scott Agnew’s delivery was headed home too easily. All those tall guys in our side and we lose a goal like that. Again I thought Brennan might have positioned himself better.

It was all over when we conceded another free-kick not far outside the box. Just about everybody in the ground knew where Scott Agnew was going to place it – and he duly did.

Our defence in this one was a complete bomb-scare, totally unlike the display at Pittodrie two weeks ago. Misplaced passes in midfield didn’t help either.

Sam Wardrop at right back didn’t look like the player he was in his first spell at the club, Ross Forbes – back for a third or fourth time with us depending on what you count – didn’t, or couldn’t, impose himself. Robert Jones up front though was a success, despite his height very good with the ball at his feet and composed for his goal. Jai Quitongo came on when the game was lost but showed some nice close control and a few neat touches.

The most frustrating aspect of the game though was that East Fife didn’t have to work hard for their win and didn’t look much above us, if any at all.

Going forward we’ll need to hope the useless defending is eradicated and the new boys gel together. OtherWise it’s going to be a nervous few months.

Scottish Cup* Fourth Round, Pittodrie Stadium, 18/1/20.

Once again, we wuz robbed.

After Sons had held out for 87 minutes Aberdeen’s striker Sam Cosgrove went over like a sack of spuds in the penalty box. (Well, he’d been falling over every time a Sons player came near him all game so why would he give up the habit with three minutes to go?) Once again the ref bought it. And Cosgrove put away the penalty.

So, despite not a shot on target and only one corner won in the whole game – and that almost into stoppage time – one of the best Sons displays in the last few years ended up without reward. Defensively we were brilliant. Okay maybe they had thirteen or so chances – but they only caused Conor Brennan in our goal to exert himself about three times.

This Aberdeen side was a pale shadow of the team we played in the Cup Quarter-Final (six years ago now,) ponderous, unimaginative, plodding, but we’re not even a patch on what we were back then (as I said to my son during the game we’re not even a darn on that side) so this was a magnificent performance. It deserved better reward than a dodgy penalty against with three minutes to go. But them’s the breaks when you’re a wee team.

Again the assembled Sons fans trotted out those old favourites “What a shitey home support,” “We forgot that you were here,” “SPL, you’re having a laugh,” (admittedly that one’s really out of date now) and “You only sing when you’re winning.” Instead of Jamie Langfield it was that same Sam Cosgrove who was told, “you’re a wanker, you’re a wanker.”

Notwithstanding the final result it was a great day out. That sense of togetherness in the away section and the support for the team were both superb.

*William Hill Scottish Cup,

SPFL Tier 3, Stark’s Park, 21/12/19.

It is, as they say, a funny old game. Granted they were several players short but so were we. We only had three on the bench – and one of them is the reserve keeper.

I’d have taken a draw. To say I’m happy with a win against the league leaders away when they hadn’t lost at home before today would be an understatement. And with a clean sheet too, more than a rarity for us. It’s days like this that make supporting a wee team worthwhile.

We were at it from the off and had much the best of the early exchanges but our failure to punish their misplaced midfield passes threatened to bite us when a delightful chip left their forward one on one with Conor Brennan who managed to get his fingertips to the attempted lob to push it on to the bar and reacted well to get the rebound.

Not long after, we scored. Conor Scullion tussled for the ball but seemed to lose it only for it to fall for Stuart Carswell whose delicious back-heel set up Scullion for a cross into the box. He pulled it back to P J Crossan who slotted it home (apparently via a deflection.)

Raith had a warning when Morgyn Neill’s header from a corner went straight to a well-positioned keeper but a few minutes later it was two. Crossan won a free-kick. He feinted to take it quickly but thankfully relented. Joe McKee drilled it into an unmarked Ryan McGeever who powered it into the bottom corner.

I was dreading forty-eight or so minutes hanging on to a lead but in truth Raith didn’t threaten us too much second half. They kept playing it down the inside right channel but only made Brennan make one save – a header from a cross. Otherwise any efforts they had were off-target.

So that’s now three away wins in a row, we’re up to fifth again, only four points from fourth position and five from first place.

That’ll do.

SPFL Tier 3, New Bayview, 21/9/19.

I’d have taken a draw before the game but having been 2-0 up (albeit against the run of most of the play) it definitely feels like two points dropped and an opportunity missed.

Then again we haven’t exactly been defensively sound at any point this season (the game at Annan apart) so I’m not at all surprised we couldn’t hold out.

After a brief flurry from Sons at the start East Fife had most of the play in the first half and had several efforts come close. Then in one of our occasional forays up front we got a corner on the right. Joe McKee’s delivery was well met by Morgyn Neill but the keeper made a smart stop down to his left. He had no chance with the header resulting from the subsequent corner, Ryan McGeever powering his header (almost identically flighted by McKee) into the top corner.

They had what looked from our end a stonewall penalty appeal but the ref booked the forward (who didn’t complain) for a dive.

Three minutes into the second half Ruaridh Langan took the ball for a walk in their area and was fouled. Isaac Layne stepped up and despatched the pen. It was too long a time left for any Sons fan to feel comfortable though and East Fife began to throw the kitchen sink at us.

Sure enough they got a man over after a free kick and though Conor Brennan got both hands on the ball somehow it slithered over the line.

East Fife now had their tails up and came at us even more strongly but were leaving gaps at the back as a result.

Still they it was who scored next after McGeever’s clumsy challenge in the box. Again Brennan got both hands to it but it squirmed under him. I merely note that another keeper might have saved both these efforts.

There were several more scares and also a few opportunities for us to score before the end (notably when Matthew Shiels was through one-on-one but he telegraphed his finish which was in any case too weak.) When it came the final whistle was something of a relief.

East Fife looked a good side, spreading it about well, looking like they knew what they were doing and well worth their position at the top of the table so this was a good point in that regard.

We looked good in patches but gave the ball away too often and frequently failed to get a pass away quickly enough and far too often resorting to a punt up to Layne.

Two home games coming up to finish the first quarter. We’ll see where we are by then.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 14/9/19.

I wasn’t at this game – I was away in fact, on a trip down south, but it sounds like we ought to have scored at least once and many folks were convinced we had the ball over the line just before half-time.

From the SonsTV footage it looks as if the ball might have crossed the line but from the angle it’s impossible to tell for sure. The still photo on the club’s match report makes it look not in but the keeper had possibly clawed it back by the time the shutter released.

Otherwise the game looked pretty even. At their goal Conor Brennan again seemed to flap at the ball from a corner kick and got nowhere near it. Such is life.