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, Borough Briggs, SPFL Tier 4, 29/4/23.

Another ground new to me ticked off the list.

But the game was turgid end-of-season stuff.

We had nothing to play for. Given they needed a result I was surprised Elgin were so lacklustre throughout though. Before their last minute winner (another header from a set-piece, this is getting to be a habit) they only troubled Harry Broun in goal twice; once after Martin McNiff got himself into a fankle and let in – of all people – Kane Hester, Broun saved with his foot, and another from a long range shot which Broun had to dive full length to push away.

Not that we gave their keeper much bother- a Ryan Blair shot in the first half stung his palms, Finlay Gray forced him into a diving save late on – but earlier Ally Love could perhaps have kept his lob down a bit more.

That late goal, after an unnecessarily conceded free kick, deprived us of another clean sheet. It sent them and their fans into delirium though.

I hope we’re keeping our powder dry for the play-offs.

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, New Bayview, 18/2/23.

Sometimes it just isn’t your day.

I had the feeling that might be the case when early on Ally Love was put through in a position to lob the keeper. He put it wide.

A few minutes later we had a shot blocked from what looked a promising opening.

Then we lost Gregg Wylde to injury a few seconds after it seemed Finlay Gray was fouled in their box. Had the ref given it the injury wouldn’t have happened.

Their first came from a corner that never was. The ball clearly went out from an East Fife player’s head. (It should still hve been defended though.)

Not long after Martin McNiff also had to go off.

Two substitutions in the first half and a goal down. However we were the team putting more pressure on but couldn’t work a clear opening.

With Stirling Albion two goals down at half time it was possible we might get away with it.

Second half was much the same. Declan Byrne and Russell MacLean came on but didn’t really change the dynamic. MacLean though did look to have a chance to score late on but didn’t make good contact with the ball and bundled it towards the keeper.

Their second was as a result of us chasing the point. We had too many players upfield and the break exposed us.

To make things worse Stirling managed to get two in the second half despite being down to ten men. Our advantage has dropped to only three points – which may be zero if Stirling win their game in hand.

SPFL Tier 4, Stair Park, 20/9/22.

Ah well. That’s the 100% and unbeaten records both gone.

I suppose it had to happen sometime. Whether it would have done if the game had been played as originally sceduled we’ll never know but we had two players who weren’t available tonight due to work commitments and who might otherwise have been on the pitch.

It showed good spirit to come back from two goals down through Martin McNiff and a Joe McKee penalty. Not so much when we let their ten men (our penalty saw one of their players sent off) get back up the park and gain a penalty themselves.

I’d have taken a draw but they haven’t been beaten at home yet and as I have said they are our bogey team.

I would certainly have taken 21 points from eight games at the start of the season before a ball was kicked, so nil desperandum.

There’s an eleven day break now before the last game of the first quarter up at Forfar.

SPFL Tier 3, Ochilview, 20//8/22.

I don’t know what to say about this. I’m gobsmacked.

We’ve only ever once before in my lifetime won our first four league games – in 1959/60. And I can’t remember that.

This sort of thing is so rare in the life of a football fan.

Congratulations to the players and everybody at the club.

A goal for Ryan Blair (though some give it as an own goal,) one by Martin McNiff and the clincher by Finlay Gray.

I will note though that we’ve beaten three out of the bottom four and only one of the top four. But given the situation it’s unlikely we would have beaten the rest of the top five.

Conditioned as I am by many years of disappointment I am now of course fearing the bubble will burst – but hoping it won’t.

SFL Div 1, Stark’s Park, 6/10/12.

Football. Bloody Hell!

I was at this one. (Stark’s Park is only a couple of hundred yards from my house.)

I really don’t know where to start.

My son and I approached the ground with some trepidation; after all we’d managed to secure only one point from seven games so far and the Rovers had drawn with the league leaders last week.

We were terribly open in the first half, leaving acres of space for Rovers to exploit a lot down the left hand side. Those critics of James Creaney – who sat this one out on the bench – should maybe think on. Mostly we seemed to be playing 4-5-1 with midfielders coming through to attempt to support Jim Lister when we punted it up to him. On this point it is almost useless to aim at his head; it needs to be his chest, folks. Our play betrayed an unsurprising lack of confidence; overplayed passes, poor first touches, tentative tackles abounded. Rovers seemed able to run through us at will. The transition from our possesion to theirs always seemed to lead to a backs to the wall challenge which we mainly survived. In fact their goal when it came was out of almost nothing but Jamie Ewings – presumably put in to give Stephen Grindlay a rest from picking the ball out of the net so often – might have made a better fist of saving it. Nevertheless he commanded his box well.

We had a couple of efforts on goal. I think it was Phil Johnston that made their keeper make a save and one Scott Agnew effort was almost diverted into goal by Garry Fleming.

Still at half time I had resigned myself to a defeat.

Early in the second half Jamie Ewings made two very good saves to keep us in it. Then a Raith player overstretched in midfield and a good challenge in midfield broke to Jim Lister for him to move in on goal. This is the sort of one-on-one Dumbarton strikers don’t usually convert but “Blister” did. Cue much rejoicing in the Val McDermid Stand.

What a difference a goal makes. Suddenly we were getting the break of the ball, or forcing the break, and starting to take the game to the Rovers.

We didn’t dominate completely as they had a few efforts but weren’t composed enough to punish us. Their second when it arrived was against the run of play. Our defending of the corner was poor, though. Two uncontested headers in the box is shocking.

Kudos to Alan Adamson, though. He brought on striker Brian Prunty and took off central defender Martin McNiff.

Raith then made the mistake of letting us have the ball and we started to use it. We had several half chances and one that looked great when Phil Johnston’s pace and trickery at last had an end product but Blister’s header went wide.

We also had more penetration when Mark Gilhaney came on for Mark Lamont who is too easily brushed off the ball at this level.

There were a few hairy moments at our end as we were pushing up and leaving lots of space but we persevered and a great ball in to Brian Prunty saw him poke it past the keeper. Ecstasy in the Val McDermid Stand.

Still Raith could have won it as they had a one-on-one but Jamie Ewings stood tall and deflected the ball past the post with his foot.

Great mutual acclamation from the fans and players at the final whistle. We’ve doubled our points tally! (Mind you at this rate we’ll end the season on a total of 9 points.)

It says something (I’m not quite sure what) that the match sponsors gave the Man of the Match to their goalkeeper.

The lads should take confidence from this. Twice we came from behind.

We also looked more threatening when we only had three at the back. Something for the manager to ponder there, perhaps. I suspect he’ll go with five in midfield and one up front again next time though.

SFL Div 2, Ochilview Park, 15/10/11.

You may have picked up from my mentioning a pub in Cambridge two posts ago that I’ve been away. As a result of being knackered by the driving I hadn’t intended to go to this one but Onebrow said he would if I would and so I went.

I wish I hadn’t.

I now know what the poor home fans at The Rock have had to suffer. It was the bad Dumbarton that turned up for this one. We were appalling.

Stenhousemuir were much more up for it. Scott Agnew wasn’t given a moment’s peace. Two Stenny players were snapping at his heels every time he got the ball and so he couldn’t make any play. Mark Gilhaney tended to wander infield and lose the ball, Martin McNiff had a dreadful game after a not bad start. James Creaney again looked better with Ross McKinnon in front of him but their third goal came from his side. Pat Walker gets pass marks for effort.

The first goal was offside. I was in line when the pass was played forward, the linesman was ten yards upfield of the back four and couldn’t see the offence. The second, a more or less free header from a corner just before the half-time whistle killed the game.

We did get the ball in the net early in the second half but Pat Walker was given offside (by the same sodding linesman) as being in front of the play when Gilhaney shot. We might have made a game of it if that had counted but I doubt it. Stenhousemuir were better in all departments.

Their third was a totally free header by their centre half when the ball came back in after a corner had not been cleared thoroughly.

Scott Agnew’s late free kick was beautifully placed but not much consolation for a poor afternoon.

I also forgot my camera – which was in any case loaded with pictures from my trip away – so there’ll be no photos of Ochilview from this visit.

Next up, on Tuesday night, we’re at home (no points there yet) against an Albion Rovers side stuffed full of ex-Sons. Even though they’re below us and have scored only eight goals I’m fearing the outcome.

SFL Div 2, Glebe Park, 26/3/11

Whatever Alan Adamson said to the boys at half time it didn’t work. We started it as slowly as the first and lost an equally quick, if not quicker, goal. After that any semblance of defensive organisation disappeared and it was like the early season again.

We were pretty much abject throughout. Only Ryan McStay – who somehow nearly always seems to create space for himself – and Jon McShane get pass marks, the rest looked like they’d never played together.

Brechin were by far the better team and thoroughly deserved the win. But…

They are the most annoying bunch of shameless whingers I’ve ever seen. While the game was still in the balance every time a decision went against them two or three would be in the ref’s face moaning. Ryan McStay’s booking apart* Dumbarton’s players by and large accepted decisions – even the offside goal (well; it looked offside to me) – but maybe that’s why we lost.

*Ryan had gone in to protect Martin McNiff after Brechin’s neddish no 7 had raised his hands to Martin. The Brechin player should have been sent off – and therefore not on the pitch to score their second, which may have been the critical goal as we more or less fell apart then.

Our day was summed up when Andy Geggan wasted our best chance. He lofted the ball over an absolutely open goal.

A lot of Brechin’s goals came from crosses (get your act together Stephen Grindlay) the last two from pinball melées. When there’s pinball in our area there’s only ever one result.

Nevertheless we could (should?) have had three penalties, two for handball in the first half and a third for a blatant push in the last few seconds.

But we deserved nothing from this game.

It’s getting tight at the bottom again. Alan Adamson has a big job getting the boys up for a crucial game at Stenny on Tuesday night. I’m not at all confident.