SPFL Tier 2, Palmerston Park, 19/8/17.

Ah well. That’s the unbeaten record in the league gone then.

I had always thought we would struggle for a result here since we played a game only 65 hours beforehand. And they had a few of our ex-players in their ranks – which usually means they’d score. The damage was only one goal though.

And amazingly, due to results elsewhere we actually moved up a place in the table.

Football’s a funny old game.

Looks like a tough one next week against the team that’s now second.

There is only one football team named in the bible.

Such is the claim anyway.

The relevant quote comes from Matthew 12.42:-

“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it:”

Notch one up for Dumfries’s finest.

In my present reading, Walter Scott’s The Heart of Mid-Lothian (which itself by way of a dance hall provided the name for another football team,) there is much talk of religion and quotation from the Bible. An explanatory note had this reference from Proverbs 17.3 which casts doubt on the declaration in the first paragraph of this post:-

“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the Lord trieth the hearts.”

Granted the relevant noun would need to be capitalised to make the abbreviation truly apposite but then so does the QoS one. At any rate I’m sure many Jambos (see nicknames in the link’s sidebar) would concur with the sentiment.

SPFL Tier 2, The Rock, 12/4/16.

Football’s an odd game and this one was certainly an example. Hardly started when their keeper made an absolute hash of a kick-out, hitting it straight to Christian Nade who strode forward with the ball, shot while still well outside the penalty box and buried it.

A nice settler you’d think in such an important game but we promptly fell out of it allowing Queens too much space and time. But still Garry Fleming could have settled nerves further if he’d put away the chance that came to him but the keeper redeemed himself a little with a good save. Jamie Ewings performed the needful on a one-on-one but only delayed the inevitable. The atmosphere was strangely quiet, the crowd perhaps too nervous to make much noise – except when the stand-side linesman made a ludicrous decision to award a throw-in the wrong way after a ricochet.

Still, Queens’ pressure gradually built up then Ian Russell did what he has done against us ever since he left. Quite why he was given the space at the edge of the box to pick up a headed clearance is another thing entirely.

Then what should have been a body blow when they cut through us just before half-time to take the lead. I couldn’t see us getting anything from the game at that point.

But a few minutes into the second half the match had turned on its head. First Tom Walsh cut out a pass near their penalty area, beat the last defender and curled a beauty high past the keeper into the top corner. In our next foray upfield Christian Nade got his head to a Mark Docherty corner and scored. (It may have bounced off a defender’s back on the way in.)

That same stand-side linesman failed to make a decision at all after a Queens player had got a nick on a crossfield pass and a Queens player took it on himself to take the throw. The ref put his whistle to his lips as if to amend things but didn’t. What are these guys paid for?

It was all still a bit nervous with not much goalmouth action but with five minutes to go after another corner Greg Buchanan was attempting an overhead kick when he was bumped in mid-air and the ref gave the penalty. (It looked a bit six and half a dozen to me but I’ll take it.) Garry Fleming tucked the award away. 4-2. Breathless stuff.

That’s the first time this season we’ve scored more than three in a league game. Timely indeed.

SPFL Tier 2, Ibrox Stadium, 5/4/16.

I meant to post about this yesterday but for some reason it slipped my mind.

This could have been worse. Given the significance of the evening for Rangers we could have been in for a doing and I feared that. I also feared the outcome even more when Livi went one up on Hibs, but that went our way as well in the end.

But how can a team go from an abject surrender to Queen of the South to what seems to have been a resolute performance against the best team in the division? Unless, of course the players tried harder on a bigger stage: but that would be a form of cheating all the other times.

Queen of the South up next on Tuesday, but we could be a point behind Livi by then.

On a more cynical note: how long will it be after Hibs get back to the top tier once again before we in the lower leagues are cut off once more (as we were by the SPL)? That’s the subtext I read into this “good for Scottish football” spiel which has greeted Rangers Tier 2 win. The way things were was only good for two clubs, not Scottish football as a whole.

SPFL Tier 2, Palmerston Park, 19/3/2016.

No comment.

Seriously.

What can I say?

Roller coaster doesn’t even begin to describe the experience of being a Sons fan.

Scottish Cup Fourth Round, The Rock, 9/1/16.

Well. Here’s a rarity.

These are the first goals we’ve ever scored against Queen of the South at the Rock. Very welcome indeed.

And another round of the Cup to look forward to.

I just hope we can repeat the feat next week. I think I’d rather have the three points.

SPFL Tier 2, Palmerston Park, 7/11/15.

I’ve only the bare bones of the result to go on…. but it’s another defeat.

At least we didn’t lose any ground on those nearest us.

The league seems to have split into three separate groups, though. Right at the top, those chasing the upper play-off slots and the ones at the bottom.

No game for a fortnight now.

SPFL Tier 2, The Rock, 24/10/15.

Oh dear. It looks like the wheels have come off the wagon big style. That’s nine goals lost in two games where in the previous nine we’d only yielded up twelve – and that with no more than two in any one game.

I don’t know what it might be but something needs to be done soon to turn things round, especially if, as might be the case, Livingston are starting to get their act together.

Our next two are against Morton at home, where our record against them isn’t great, and Queen of the South away, ditto.

SPFL Tier 2, The Rock, 19/4/14.

Since I was at Eastercon I wasn’t at this game. It looks like the promotion play off is out the window for sure now, especially since we play the top two in the last two games.

Mind you, it would be nice to beat Dundee on their own patch in the last game.

If both Livingston and Raith drop any points over the next two weekends fifth place is assured, which would be a magnificent achievement. Since they play each other on May 3^rd that’s quite likely.

SPFL Tier 2, Palmerston Park, 28/9/13.

Another away win. Great stuff. I’d have taken a draw before kick-off.

How much Queen’s exertions in midweek may have affected them I don’t know but I’m grateful if they did.

We’re only two points off second place! And we’re playing the team which occupies that spot next week at the Rock – but they’re unbeaten in seven league games.

Interesting times.