SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 2/11/24.

Well, after the last two results this is disappointing.

Apparently we were all over them in the first half but their keeper made some great saves.

A different story in the second half where it sounds as if we were dismal.

Being a Sons fan is never easy.

Next week we’re at Kelty Hearts for the first ever time.

SPFL Tier 3, Balmoral Stadium, 17/8/24.

Well, it’s another draw, but we left it late, Mark Durnan equalising in added time.

It’s shaping up to be a tight league though so perhaps draws are to be expected.

Our next two games are at home. We ought to have a better idea of how things are going after those.

I mentioned in this post that our journey up to and back down from Elgin last April turned out to be a peregrination through the heartland of the Highland League.

It meant I have now visited nearly all of the towns which have hosted past or present Highland League clubs during my lifetime.

The first of these would have been Inverness (home to Caledonian FC,* Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle*.) I have walked past Caledonian’s former Telford Street Park ground and been to a game at Clachnacuddin’s Grant Street Park but never saw Thistle’s ground, Kingsmills. I think I may have visited Dingwall (Ross County) around the same time. After that – or possibly before – it would have been Brechin (many times now) to see The Sons of the Rock play Brechin City at Glebe Park. Next up was probably Fort William. Another trip to Inverness saw us take in Nairn (Nairn County) and Forres (Forres Mechanics.)

I don’t think I went to Aberdeen (Banks O’ Dee, Cove Rangers,) until well after those trips.

Then on our first sojourn up to Orkney we passed through Brora (Brora Rangers) and Wick (Wick Academy.) A year or so later a journey up to Aberdeenshire saw us in Inverurie (Inverurie Loco Works,) Huntly and Turriff (Turriff United.) In 2019 we went to Peterhead and on to Fraserburgh. The year after that on another trip to Peterhead we visited Pitmedden (Formartine United.)

And so to last April’s journey, passing through Grantown-on-Spey (Strathspey Thistle) and Rothes before reaching Elgin (Elgin City) with a side trip to Lossiemouth. Then finally, on the way back home, Keith.

So, out of all the towns/cities to host clubs in the Highland League during my lifetime I have only Buckie (Buckie Thistle) and Banff (Deveronvale) to visit.

*The present SPFL club whose name contains these two descriptors was formed when Caledonian and Inverness Thistle merged in 1994 to ensure entry into the then SFL. That merged team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, have never played in the Highland League.

SPFL Tier 3, Balmoral Stadium, 23/4/22.

This was an odd experience. I’ve been at an away ground before where the home team could win promotion that day (Stark’s Park, when Jimmy Nichol was Raith player-manager) and it was a much more raucous affair.

For a team about to win a championship the home crowd was strangely muted. Maybe it’s an Aberdeen thing. Alex Ferguson said that the most encouragement the Pittodrie faithful gave his team was that, “You could hear them rustling their sweetie papers.”

Whatever the only chanting in the first half came from the small cohort of Dumbarton fans giving it the usual. “We’re only here for the party,” “What a shitey home support,” and “Shall we sing a song for you,” were each given a run-out.

We had the better of the earlier exchanges and their keeper made more saves (two) than ours (one) in the first half. Ross MacLean was worked into a good poaition on the left of the box but his shot was at a perfect height for the keeper to save it. Then Connor Duthie had a shot blocked and Josh Oyinsan shanked the rebound wide. Josh worked another opportunity afew minutes later but his finish was a bit weak and close to the keeper. At the other end Kieran Wright came out to smother a shot in a one-on-one. A pretty nothing first half in truth. The home team were just that though, a team, clearly used to playing with each other. Their passes generally found their target whereas ours could be wayward. However they didn’t look like a side hoping to win their league that day, with not much urgency to their play.

In the second half they did step it up a bit, but only a bit. Patience is a virtue and their one good opportunity was put away, former Son Mitch Megginson unaccountably left free at the edge of our box to rilfe it home. There was really only one winner after that, though we had a flurry towards the end. In retrospect the three changes our manager Stevie Farrell made simultaneously on 66 minutes perhaps made us less potent.

The plastic pitch had done for Eoghan Stokes 14 minutes in. It looked like his studs got too much grip on it and he was forced off.

Balmoral Stadium itself is a kind of soulless place to play football. At the edge of an industrial estate and overlooked by radio and microwave transmitters, it has a tiny stand (a bit like Boghead’s old Postage Stamp) straddling the halfway line with flat surrounds beside it and on the other three sides, though with three shallow stepped enclosures on the side opposite the stand. If there’s one persion standing in front of you you won’t be able to see any of the action. You have to be on the rail. In adddition the goal nets are almost touching the “terracing” barriers behind the goals.

Anyway, congratulatiosn to Cove Rangers on their winning the league.

As for us, a nothing game next Saturday before the nerve shredding play-off. For the second season in a row we’ll come up against Edinburgh City, away on 3^rd or 4^th May, with the home leg on 7^th May. I’m not looking beyond that.

SPFL Tier 3, Shyberry Excelsior Stadium,* 16/4/22.

Another game at the Shyberry, another 3-2 defeat with them scoring the winner late.

Fate sealed then.

There is now no chance we can avoid ninth place and the relegation play-offs. Indeed we can’t avoid ninth as East Fife’s defeat means they cannot catch us.

So another miserable season grinds on.

We were apparently down 2-0 then George Stanger got us back into the game. A headed goal from a corner! Our signature method of scoring from last season sadly lacking in this.

Then a further lifeline as they went down to ten men, former Son Adam Frizzell sent off.

An own goal even gave us an equaliser.

But with two minutes left they scored the winner. That’s our season in a nutshell.

At least the next two games are free hits – though Cove Rangers (up next) need a win to clinch promotion.

Then the nail biting really starts with the semi-final away leg on May 3^rd or 4^th, and the home leg on May 7^th.

*Call it Penny Cars if you must.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 29/1/22.

This was encouraging even if Cove were clearly the better team. They passed the ball well, seemed confident in possession, looked as if they had been together for years (which they have by and large) and absolutely brimmed with the confidence you’d expect from the league leaders.

But we were never completely out of it.

We played against the wind in the first half and coped well with it, though without making their keeper do much. Sam Ramsbottom, too, had no more than a couple of things to deal with. Five minutes before half-time we got a penalty when Ross MacLean (reprieved from his ban by the reversal of last week’s red card) sucked ex-Son Morgyn Neill into tripping him at the bye-line in the box. At this point my live stream started buffering so I missed Carsy’s conversion. One nil up at half-time is an unusual experience for Sons latterly but very welcome.

I was less sanguine six minutes into the second half. They were given a penalty that no-one in the ground or watching on the stream could see a reason for – bar the ref. 1-1.

Cove immediately looked in total control and scored again. A cross ball found their man on the right in too much space. His cross was deflected up and Sam Ramsbottom could only tip the ball across the six-yard area where it was scrambled into the net. Game unxpectedly on its head inside two minutes. From then on I had no hope whatsoever of getting something from the game. We couldn’t seem to get a decent out ball. As soon as we cleared it it would come back. Passes forward were hit too long (the wind contributing but account ought to be taken of that) or not to feet.

But despite their dominance Cove didn’t score the goal that would have killed the game though they had a glorious chance which their player somehow managed to scoop over the bar from about six yards.

Towards the end we started to penetrate their half more. It was good to see the team hadn’t resigned themselves to a defeat. Then we got what was perhaps a lucky second penalty when Carlo Pignatiello was adjudged to have been fouled in their box at a fifty-fifty. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the free-kick go the other way. But it was about time our luck changed.

Carsy despatched his second pen of the game superbly, so notching his first brace ever. All his goals this season – his best scoring – have come from set-pieces. I think it makes him our joint top scorer. He has four.

Our next three games are away against teams above us in the table. We’ll need to take something from those. How that will work out we’ll need to see.

The team ought to take encouragement from this performance though.

Scottish Cup, Round Four, The Rock, 22/1/22.

What to make of this?

Against a top division side we looked reasonably comfortable and even with ten men for 46 minutes – I don’t know what Ross MacLean did to get sent off, the Pixellot camera had done its usual panning away thing when nothing’s happening at a free kick, but he’s an idiot for doing it – were in the game. And they only scored from a penalty. It struck Joe McKee’s arm but he couldn’t have got out of the way.

In fact our best chance came late on. Stuart Carswell blazed over after a couple of headers from a free kick opened up the chance for him but he rarely scores from open play. (He rarely scores at all.)

It was a pretty nondescript game all round. Dundee hardly threatened us, a couple of close range headers in the first half – one sent wide the other easily into Sam Ramsbottom’s arms – and a long range effort Sam tipped over. Second half I can only think of a Leigh Griffiths shot dragged wide and another straight at Sam.

First half Dundee did look sharper and quicker thinking, especially at loose/second balls, but as the game wore on the difference seemed to lessen.

We can’t be judged on this. Dundee were fairly toothless and we didn’t lay a glove on them either. (Ross MacLean possibly apart.) Big Josh up front did okay but wasn’t given enough service. Defenders know he’s there, though.

Cove Rangers next Saturday is a bigger test of our league chances.

I hope the display gives the team confidence, though.

SPFL Tier 3, Balmoral Stadium, 4/12/21.

To be expected I suppose, given that they are the league leaders.

But that’s now only one win in the last ten league games and we’re perilously close (one point) to the relegation play-off spot.

Things need to look up soon but I can’t see that happening against Montrose next week.

SPFL Tier 3, Balmoral Stadium, 10/4/21.

Back to business as usual then. Dumbarton nil.

I wasn’t expecting anything from this game though.

Tuesday’s a big day for us even though we’re not playing as both Forfar and Clyde have a game then.

Then the big one on Thursday night, when we play Clyde at their place.

(But we could be four points behind them by then.)

Edited to add: It seems from a photo on Twitter (click to enlarge picture) that the ball didn’t cross the line for their goal.

Also from Pie and Bovril that we were as woeful as usual so we didn’t deserve to take anything from the game anyway.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 8/4/21.

Well. Two goals.

Count them.

Two goals – and we had a penalty saved. Who’d have thought it?

In one game we have increased our goals tally in the league by 33.33%.

It helped that we scored early; a Ryan McGeever header from a Ross Forbes corner. Typical that my live-streaming feed froze momentarily and I didn’t see it, just heard the commentators go tonto. (I did wind back the feed after the game and saw how thumping a header it was.) McGeever had another close effort – with his foot! – a few minutes later which crashed off the bar and a second free header in the second half where he was way off with his direction.

Thereafter it was not quite like Groundhog Day. We did look to be more on the front foot than in recent games even if East Fife had more possession. They didn’t do a lot with it though – except for Scott Agnew’s delivery at corners which I knew would catch us out in the end, and did. Thankfully that came too late.

Our second goal was a neat through ball from Ross Forbes and a shimmy past the defender by Adam Frizell before he buried it emphatically.

I was still figuratively biting my nails. We’ve cocked up so many games since the restart.

Pity that Clyde also got a win.

On to Cove on Saturday now.