Scottish Cup, Third Round, The Rock, 27/11/21.

It took us a while but we won it in the end.

We were pretty comfortable first half. Sauchie had a few corners but never really troubled Sam Ramsbottom in our goal. Their one clear opportuniyty was blazed over the bar. Not that we had many on target ourselves but we did score a very good goal, Carlo Pignatiello slotting it under the keeper after an exchange of passes between Conner Duthie and himself.

Second half Sauchie came into it a bit more. But their goal was a joke. Their forwards had been falling over easily all game and one finally did it in the box. It was never a penalty. But of course they put it in and that gave them impetus.

Neverthless we continued to create openings, frustrated by a few poor crosses from Edin Lynch and other balls just out of reach plus an away keeper in inspired form.

About five minutes to go and sub Ryan Schiavone poked a cross over the line but neither the ref nor lino gave it. A replay after that would have been sore to take but we worked another opnening and the ball broke to Joe McKee who buried it. In the final minute of added time we got another, a Conner Duthie shot apparently spilled by the keeepr with Schiavone on hand to net the rebound. I say apparently because the live stream had stayed focused on Duthie not the ball. I only had the commentary and subsequent kick-off to indicate we’d sealed it.

A potential banana skin avoided then.

On Monday we’ll find out who we’ve got in the next round.

SPFL Tier 3, The Rock, 13/11/21.

From the moment Stuart Carswell, standing in at centre half for the injured Ryan McGeever, misjudged the bounce of the ball and handed Falkirk an easy chance I watched this with an air of resignation.

Nothing went right.

Our deliveries into the area were poor, we were never first to any loose balls, we created nothing. If not for Sam Ramsbottom in goal this could have been a cricket score.

Not that Falkirk were really good: they didn’t have to be. Competence was enough.

Sure, Ryan Schiavone up front made life a bit uncomfortable for their centre backs but to no avail, he was on his own for the most part.

We are now nine points worse off in the second quarter of the season than we were against the same teams in the first. It’s seven games since we last won.

Our next seven league games are against sides above us in the table. That’s not good reading.