SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 27/3/21.

Well this was a must win – and we lost it.

OK it was a great strike but perhaps we shouldn’t have been allowing it. It came from Adam Frizell losing the ball in their half with trying to be too tricky. Not much is coming off for him at the moment, but that’s true for the whole team.

Their goalie didn’t have a save to make the whole game. Not that Peterhead had many efforts on goal. Typical the one that counted came from a former Son, Ben Armour, who’s making a habit of scoring the only goal of a game against us. He’s yet another player whose talents we never seemed to be able to harness when he was with us.

Looking at our fixture list I can’t see where even a single point is going to come from. And Clyde pulled back a point on us today too.

It’s beginning to feel awfully like a relegation season. And yet on total goals conceded we would be third in the league. That stat shows where our trouble lies. No creativity in midfield. On goals scored we’re rock bottom.

Tuesday night at Falkirk could be brutal for which I will not be tuning in.

Then there’s Airdrie at home on Thursday evening. Another eye-bleeding watch no doubt.

The hope’s not killing me just now, since I have none at all.

The amended fixtures that will suposedly allow Tier 3 SPFL clubs to complete 18 games for this season have been published.

(After a top five/bottom five split a further four fixtures are proposed to make up a 22 game season – but only if every side has managed to fit the 18 game total in.)

Sons’ games are scheduled as follows:-

Saturday, March 20 – Forfar Athletic (H, 3pm)
Saturday, March 27 – Peterhead (H, 3pm)
Tuesday, March 30 – Falkirk (A, 7.45pm)
Thursday, April 1 – Airdrieonians (H, 7.45pm)
Tuesday, April 6 – Montrose (H, 7pm)
Thursday, April 8 – East Fife (H, 7pm)
Saturday, April 10 – Cove Rangers (A, 3pm)
Saturday, April 17 – Clyde (A, 3pm)
Tuesday, April 20 – Partick Thistle (H, 7.45pm)

To those has to be added the game against Huntly in the Scottish Cup on March 23 (ko 7.45 pm) and a possible tie beyond that if we win.

It’s some schedule, In fact it’s an insane schedule given that we have a less than threadbare squad and no hint of imminent signings.

The players will be dead on their feet by Apr 1 (5 games in 12 days.) There’s also 4 in the seven days Apr 3-10 if we’re in the next round of the Cup. That’s due on Sat Apr 3.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 24/11/20.

My second experience of live-streaming. It was slightly less odd than before. The emotional engagement is diluted compared to actully being at the game.

We had more possession for the first ten minutes or so but never really threatened their goal. It’s always ominous when you know the opposition is likely to be good but don’t show anything. Sure enough once they came into it we were more or les on the back foot.

Their first was a good cross but the guy who scored it, coming in at the back post, was totally unmarked.

Their second – a great strike from a free-kick – I thought came from a foul that wasn’t a foul. Whether Kevin Dabrowski in goal might have done better is difficult to tell on a live stream. He is a bit susceptible to long-range hits it seems. He was also beaten by a shot from well outside the box which hit the bar.

In the second half things just went downhill. Ryan McGeever had had to be substituted at half-time, then Adam Frizell, then Rico Quitongo and finally Nat Wedderburn all for injuries it seemed. We’re lucky we’ve got ten days before our next game for the chance to recover.

Even so, sub Denny Johnstone managed to hit the post in an attack which the stream mostly missed, then a fine Robert Jones cross from the bye-line was headed wide by Jaime Wilson.

Their third was another defensive shocker from us, a long through ball from that Wilson chance wasn’t dealt with and their player managed (luckily?) to evade Dabrowski’s attempt to steal the ball as he went round him.

Very late on Johnstone again had a strike which the keeper tipped round the post at full stretch. Even later Wilson played in Robert Jones for a sitter but he took too long to hit it and allowed the defender to block it wide.

So in a game where Falkirk more or less strolled it we could have scored three times – and that with players shoe-horned into positions not their usual. But we didn’t score at all.

The good start to the league season feels like a long time ago now.

SPFL Tier 3, Balmoor Stadium, 21/11/20.

Well. Normal service appears to have been resumed. A good start with a draw, two wins and three clean sheets has been overtaken by two defeats in a row. Mind you according to the club’s view of the game we again, as a fortnight ago, might have got something from the game.

We now have three very hard matches indeed in a row against Falkirk, Partick Thistle and Cove Rangers respectively, all of whom are above us in the table.

My spot in front of the computer is booked for the live stream on Tuesday night.

Scottish League Cup*, the Rock, 10/11/20.

Well, the least said about this the better.

Down to barer than the bare bones for various reasons (injuries, suspensions) we could only put two subs on the bench.

In that context and with players having to make shift, it’s not too dreadful. Thankfully it wasn’t a league game.

But. Expect the same – or worse – on Saturday in the last of this season’s League Cup ties at Kilmarnock?

*Betfred Cup if you like.

Football? What football?

Saturdays are empty at the moment, no trepidation in the run-up, no joy or despair at 4.45.

It seems an age since I posted news about Dumbarton FC.

Still, Sons’ opponents in this year’s League Cup (Betfred Cup) have been announced.

Kilmarnock, Dunfermline Athletic, Falkirk and Clyde make for pretty stiff opposition.

Something to look forward to, though. (Or perhaps, dread.)

SPFL Tier 3, Broadwood Stadium, 7/3/20.

I suppose this was always a likely result given the balance of incentives. They were seven points closer to the relegation zone than us. After today’s results they’re effectively six points further away since all the teams below them lost. They can reckon themselves safe now too.

Next Saturday we’re at home to Falkirk. They need the points more than we do. But we’ve not lost a goal at home for over four games. Who knows what will happen?

SPFL Tier 3, The Falkirk Stadium, 4/1/20.

Not too surprising really.

Despite recalling two players from loan spells elsewhere we still had only two outfield players on the bench – the two returners.
We still apparently managed to look good for the first half – even hit the bar – and ought to have had a penalty according to a Falkirk fan on Pie and Bovril.

Amazingly we’re still sixth and still four points away from fourth and six ahead of seventh but unless we get more players either in or fit we’ll only be going one way.

Next week against Clyde is a mustn’t lose.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 16/11/19.

It seems we wuz robbed.

I wasn’t at the game but switched the radio on about 4.15 for Sportsound on Radio Scotland. I was informed that we were 1-0 up with ten minutes to go and thought – Falkirk will score. A bit later the programme went over to the Rock for “developments.” Even the reporter at the ground thought Falkirk’s penalty was controversial.

Of course their taker banged it in.

I commented to the rest in the car (none of whom care about football) that if we’d been playing Forfar the penalty would most likely not have been given. C’est la vie.

Seeing as how they thumped us 6-0 at their place earlier this season and our home record against them is poor lately I’d have taken a draw before the game though.

All in all it wasn’t a bad day even if it’s always disappointing to lose a goal so late.

It’s the Cup next week. I’d like to go through of course but a Cup run might be a luxury we could do without.

SPFL Tier 3, Falkirk Stadium, 10/8/19.

Two games in, two defeats, no goals scored, seven conceded.

That’s a good start isn’t it?

Looks like Sons’ fans fears for the league season were well founded.

Tuesday night’s game at the Rock against St Mirren under 21s in the Challenge Cup* could be another humiliation.

What Peterhead will do to us at their place next Saturday also doesn’t bear thinking about.

Right now I’m even wondering if we will outdo (underdo?) Brechin’s record low points total of two seasons ago.

It’s the hope that kills you.

*Now the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup