SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 15/2/25.

Well, we scored twice; Michael Ruth with a pen and Carlo Pignatiello with a second equaliser. But we lost three. And once again to a team who, if we’d won, we might have put a bit of fear into.

It’s getting depressing. We might at least look as if we were making a fight of it.

SPFL Tier 3, Links Park, 21/12/24.

A welcome win – all the better for us being without our main two front players and first choice goalkeeper. I was more than a bit nervy, though, watching the results show after they got one back with about ten minutes to go. Still, we held on for the draw.

Finlay Gray did us the honours scoring both goals at what is not often a happy hunting ground for us.

We’re now at the dizzy heights of four points.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 21/9/24.

Well, I suppose the unbeaten league run had to end sometime, but from the comments on the game I’ve read we were all over them apart from their goal.

This result, combined with Arbroath’s win over Annan, means we’re now (joint) bottom of the league. Ominous.

We really need to start winning games soon.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 26/3/22

Well, it wasn’t a defeat, we didn’t lose a goal inside the first five minutes and we ended up with a clean sheet. It could be termed progress.

But we needed a win. Especially since Peterhead beat Falkirk so we’re now four points behind them. And it’s four games in a row now without scoring.

We’re just sleepwalking into relegation.

It could have been different. Yes, we didn’t threaten much in the first half (we didn’t threaten at all) but were reasonably comfortable.

We ought to have scored in the second when a fine Carlo Pignatiello run saw him unselfishly draw the ball back to Paul Paton in front of an open goal but he scuffed his shot miserably.

A minute or so later they were awarded a penalty which looked to be curtains for us. However Kieran Wright in goal made a very good save. It’s his first clean sheet for us. How he must have longed to have a defence in front of him.

Another plus point was Josh Oyinsan’s return. He gives us presence up front but isn’t fully match fit I would say.

Whether or not the appearance as a sub by the long-injured (and long unseen) Kristoffer Syvertsen is a plus was difficult to tell. He again probably isn’t match fit and didn’t do much in his minutes on the pitch to say if he’s an asset or merely a body.

We have five games left, two of them against the top two away. There’s no way we’re pulling this out of the bag.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 19/3/22.

We really do need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.

Three minutes in, Falkirk’s first attack, and Stephen Bronsky totally misjudged a header back to Kieran Wright from a bouncing ball, leaving it far too short. A Falkirk forward latched onto it. Game over. From then on Falkirk only had to stroll through the game.

A fine move from their perspective gave them a second but it was far too easy. It also looked as if Kieran Wright maybe ought to have saved it.

We did have a flurry towards the end of the half with a few corners and a Stephen Bronsky hedaer from a corner that beat their keeper but a defender on the post cleared it. That was our one shot on target all game.

This was utterly dire. I had absolutely no confidence that we would ever score: we could barely put any passes together. I doubt Falkirk will have an easier game this season and they are no great shakes.

That’s three blanks in a row now scoring wise. I simply don’t know where our next goal is going to come from.

We’ve got third placed Montrose next week, a team with double our points tally. How many will they rack up? (Even if they have only scored four more than us in total.)

SPFL TIer 3, Links Park, 5/2/22.

Another welcome point. That’s two from two games against teams in the top three. Last month we would probably have lost them both.

Big Josh Oyinsan got his second for us too and the club website says new loanee keeper Kieran Wright (in his first game for us) was a major factor in us getting a draw.

It’s a big week for us with a game away to Queen’s Park (in fourth) on Tuesday and Clyde (in fifth) away next Saturday. Points from those would be much appreciated, but we’ve lost 3-0 to Queen’s Park twice already this season.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 11/12/21.

This all started quite well. We had the better of the first part of the game, even if Montrose looked tidy on the ball they didn’t threaten our goal. Eoghan Stokes put a header against the post from a narrow angle, Conner Duthie latched onto an exquisite pass from Andy Geggan, rounded the keeper and slotted it. The retreating defender could only put it in the net. Callum Wilson hit the bar from a corner.

Then the roof fell in. Paddy Boyle misjudged the bounce of the ball and his attempt to recover caught their attacker who tumbled to the ground. Penalty. No question. Then two minutes later they pulled our defence out of shape and had a man over on the left. Goal. Eoghan Stokes was through one on one just before half-time but the keeper narrowed the angle well and saved with his legs.

Again at the start of the second half we looked as if we might get back into it but the third goal killed it. Failure to challenge properly allowed the attacker to manœuvre the ball into a striking position. Game over.

It’s especially disappointing as we looked bright enough going forward when we passed the ball. We can only hope that a Ryan McGeever return might improve our defence (and provide an extra attacking threat on set pieces.)

Down to second bottom. Next Saturday’s game against Peterhead looks like a six pointer even this early. Lose it and I reckon we’re stuffed.

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, Balmoor Stadium, 2/10/21.

Ouch!

I wouldn’t normally have watched this but my younger son invited myself and the good lady over for the afternoon and dinner. Not a good afternoon as it turned out but the dinner he cooked was lovely.

I kind of knew it wasn’t going to be our day when they scored flukily early on. Their player’s shot was mishit well wide but another stuck his foot out to deflect it in. Thereafter we dominated the first half but couldn’t find the net. The wind was playing havoc and our players couldn’t seem to judge it well. Still, 1-0 down at half-time was recoverable.

Two nil down three minutes later wasn’t, a cross swung into the box met at the back post. Then Ryan McGeever tied himself in knots at another cross and only succeded in letting it hit off him into the path of the attacker.

The wind was so bad that at one point a Sam Ramsbottom goal kick reached halfway to the halfway line and then blew out for a corner kick! It looked like our players suggested to the ref that the conditions were such that the game should be abandoned but at 3-0 I doubt he was going to do that.

Their fourth wouldn’t have happened at 1-0 or 2-0, their player just swung at the ball from a tight angle and it screamed in off the post.

The fifth was a penalty where I thought their player had just fallen down rather than being fouled but the Pixellot camera angle and distance from the action make it difficult to tell.

Bizarrely I thought we actually played quite well – even the Peterhead stream’s commentators admitted this was not a 5-0 game – and I was impressed by the players’ commitment even at 5-0 down. The wind took away our best weapon as our crosses into the box didn’t find their targets.

So, nine games in, we’ve played everyone else and we’re fifth – possibly sixth if Montrose beat Queen’s Park tomorrow.* And our goal difference is back down to 0.

We’re equal points on third but only three points above eighth. It’s a ludicrously tight league.

*Perhaps not likely since Queen’s haven’t lost yet.

SPFL Tier 3, Links Park, 28/8/21.

This is turning into an interesting season.

I had mentally written this one off. An away game against the (previously unbeaten) league leaders at a ground we’ve not done well at in recent times?

But we went two up (one of them from Kalvin Orsi – maybe he is a centre forward after all) and eventually held out for the win despite a late penalty for them.

I can’t remember when we last beat the league leaders on their own patch.

At the minute there’s not much between the teams in mid table and those at the top and bottom.

There’s a fortnight to wait for the next game though. That ought to allow time for injured players to get back to fitness but today’s picks did well enough. It’s against East Fife though and they picked up their first three points today so will be confident.