Shirra Brilliance

Blimey, the last two visits to the football have been fantastic. Having returned from my summer hols where I had managed to fit in one more match (well, strictly, two matches) and another new stadium - Real Mallorca entertained Newcastle, Hannover and Berlin in the "Summer Cup" aka an opportunity to rip off the tourists; again - I returned just in time to catch our home match against Montrose. First half was appalling and put me in mind of the worst ever performances; again. It probably wasn't that bad, but it felt it. Second half couldn't have been any more different. A couple of changes and it was like watching a new team (Brazil?) We totally outclassed the opposition and could easily have gone on to win a match we had looked like losing an hour earlier. Scott Dalziel, who had spent the previous 45 minutes imitating his own shadow, managed to score with a couple of clinical headers, and finally, literally, John Ovenstone managed to head wide when he had all the time in the world to choose his spot. Ovenstone looks like Freddy Flintoff, and is a brute of a player. Not sure how he would cope against a nippy striker, but he isn't likely to lose many headers. On to Dumbarton for a rare away day for myself. Having missed kick off on each of my last three visits to The Rock, it was one extreme to the next. The expected roadworks and traffic congestion (Celtic were at home) didn't materialise and I arrived 45 minutes before kick off, just as the reporter from The Sun arrived in the car park. Like me he was looking forward to the game as he also had been at the Montrose game and thought "Stenny were a good team", he told a fellow reporter. I wonder if this was Scotland on Sunday's delegate? The same one who obviously hadn't listened too closely to the man from The Sun. He left before the end of the match and filed his report with the opening gambit "THE spoils were shared at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium in a dire 1-1 draw between Dumbarton and Stenhousemuir." If he had stayed till the end he would have realised that we were a good team this season, one who won't crumble under the slightest whiff of pressure from the opposition, and indeed one who fights to the end. What a delight to see our team push forward looking for a winner right to the last minute. Andy Shirra's goal was a belter, as was Kevin Motion's, and was a well deserved winner. Next weekend brings Cowdungbeath and an opportunity to resurrect our rivalry from two or three years ago. They are top of the pile at the moment which is a surprise to me. Still early days but this feels like an important match.