Alphabet games

Whilst not exactly screaming from the rooftops, the majority of Warriors supporters will probably be quietly contented with our recent progress. Though our league position is not yet the healthiest, we appear to have turned a corner in terms of form. And securing our passage through to the Fourth Round of the increasingly bizarrely named 'Active Nation Scottish Cup' is, of course, a welcome bonus.

In the midst of all this optimism, then, it might come as a surprise to learn that - in the League at least - we are seemingly incapable of beating teams beginning with any letter other than 'A'. Of our four league victories this season, two have been against Alloa and two against Arbroath. Unfortunately, however, before our next meeting with Arbroath on 16 January, we face five clashes against teams beginning with other letters.

This is, of course, partly the fault of the SFL, who, back in July - with their decision to relegate Livingston to the Third Division, thus handing Airdrie United a First Division spot for this season - reduced the number of teams beginning with 'A' in our league, by the not inconsiderable margin of 33%. Whilst that may be a cross we have to bear, we really do need to break the hoodoo tomorrow. The Clyde game will not be easy - they have a capable new coach in one-time Stenny assistant John McCormack - but this is still a great chance for us to pull clear of the danger zone.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the recent off-field developments at the club. The long-standing plan to become a Community Interest Company (CIC) has finally come to fruition, and looks set to benefit the club in a number of ways - safegaurding our future on the one hand, whilst also giving formal recognition to the club's work with the local community. For those readers who are still looking for that last-minute stocking filler, I urge you to follow my lead and buy a share in 'Stenhousemuir FC CIC' - the perfect gift!

Return of the blogger...

It has, for various reasons, been a long time since I posted to this blog - the usual, more regular updates will recommence henceforth. My last post was immediately prior to our victory in the play-off final, and much has happened since then. Over and above the football, of course, everything was put well and truly into perspective during the summer, by the tragic deaths of Gordon Lennon and Paul McGrillen, two former Stenny favourites. My thoughts remain with both sets of families and friends, as I'm sure do those of all readers.

As for matters on the pitch, the opening weeks of the season have been nothing but varied. After a flying start, we now find ourselves at the wrong end of the table after a run of poor results. Yet there are a number of reasons to be positive - we have shown we can compete well in this league, and with a bit more luck we would undoubtedly have been further up the table.

This was most obviously borne out by last Saturday's derby defeat to Stirling Albion. Unlike many Warriors supporters, I have always tended to regard Stirling as geniune rivals. As such, there was no chance of me missing their first visit to Ochilview since 2001 - hence my 6:30am departure from my London home last Saturday! Whilst the result was ultimately disappointing, the first half display was the best I've seen from any Stenny team for several years. Fingers crossed, therefore, that we can take the positives from defeat, and pick up a few victories in the coming weeks.

Double D

Currently engaging the posters on the main forum is the question of “who is best”? Diack or O’Reilly; two of our three frontline strikers. For me it seems that the problem is that neither of them is the complete player. They both have their plus points and their negatives, and probably more of one than the other, unfortunately. Diack is now in his second phase with the club, so we know what we get from him. He is a poor man’s Kenny Miller. A nuisance of a striker, who causes problems for opposition defences, and some would say was the perfect foil to someone like our current no. 9 Scott Dalziel. Unfortunately, like Miller, he can’t hit a barn door with a banjo. Fundamental flaw for a centre forward really. O’Reilly, has always impressed me when I have seen him play against us, however, so far, in the limited opportunities he has been given, he has not been the threat I had hoped. It may be that him and Dalziel are the “Lampard and Gerrard” of the Scottish Second Division. Great individually, but can’t play in the same team (some might say), but so far this season Diack has seemed the bigger threat when partnered with Dalziel. O’Reilly may not be as nimble as Diack, but he does have a number of other attributes e.g. pass the ball to him and there is a good chance he will control it, give him a chance in front of goal and he will score more often than he misses. However, ask him to run on to one of Scott Dalziel’s flicks or, pass it 10 yards in front of him, and there is a good chance it will dribble out for a throw. Up front Coughlin’s preference seems to be Double D (Diack and Dalziel) but that could easily change as form fluctuates and injuries and suspensions kick in. No doubt O’Reilly will get a run in the team at some point in the season, which will please some and disappoint others.

Here we go (again)

Quicker than it takes to blink, another season is upon us. Coughlin has chosen to avoid wholesale changes from the team that scraped through the play offs having finished 4th in what was a pretty mediocre third division last season. So, what makes him think that the team that gave us a pretty horrid time of it last season will be good enough to avoid a quick fire return from whence we came? The new additions are something of a mixed bag. Chris McCluskey is not your typical goalie. Someone who makes Scott Johnstone look like a giant between the sticks won’t fill you with confidence. He had a cracking game against Alloa in the Stirlingshire Cup, but I’ll feel a lot more comfortable with Bennet back in goals. Steven Thomson – bit of an unknown quantity. I cannot recall having seen him play before he arrived at Ochilview, probably because he was punted by Montrose after a handful of appearances before turning up at Tranent. Hardly a glowing CV. He played for Blackburn aswell – presumably the team hailing from Susan Boyle’s home town as opposed to the more illustrative Rovers. Pat Scullion has turned in some impressive performances pre season. From memory he caught the eye for the wrong reasons playing for Elgin i.e. he was hopeless, but Coughlin does seem to have done a good bit of business getting him to Ochilview as there was quite a bit of competition (allegedly) for his signature. He had mixed reviews at Alloa, but generally he seems to be a decent signing. Craig O’Reilly – impressed when playing for Clyde, and last season scored a couple of belters against us for Montrose; before our Second Coming. Pre season he looks very good and I think will be first choice up front, with the other strikers battling it out to partner him. He could get us a lot of goals next season (finger etc crossed) Kevin Bradley impressed last season with Montrose. He is a nippy wee player who Brechin were after aswell. So far he has been OK from what I have seen, but I think over the season he will prove to be an important player for us. Having spent the last season watching too many turgid low scoring matches, it seems we have gone from one extreme to the other. Our defence, which last season was so strong, now looks like the weak link. General perception is that we need a left back (Alan Reid please) – Steven Thomson, or Kevin Motion, are not the answers. Chris McLeod also looks a poor replacement for John Ovenstone in my opinion. And he gets suspended quite a lot. All of which puts more pressure on Gary Thom and Jordan Smith – an injury or suspension to them would make things awkward. Saturday will give us a better impression on how things will pan out – I will have to keep abreast of it via the wonders of the internet unfortunately – but despite the low key build up to the new season I can’t wait for it all to start again.

Celebrity striker spot #3

Continuing my long list of former centre forwards spotted ambling through the pub lined streets of Rose Street, Edinburgh, is Andy “Bomber” Brown. He looks a lot better in a suit than he ever did in an ill fitting Stenhousemuir shirt. His torso really was too long. Who’s next? Darren Johnstone, Willie Watters, Kenny Miller…

What a day

By the end of the day on Saturday I was absolutely knackered. A combination of a sleepless night (I would love to say it was due to a dodgy baked potato, or something, instead of pre match nerves, but who am I kidding), a nerve jangling 120 minutes (I kept finding myself literally on the edge of my seat during the match), the drama of the penalty shoot-out (which seemed to fly past) and then the sprint from my seat on to the pitch and then back again (I almost felt as if it was me who had won promotion when I ended up giving Kevin Motion a hug in the middle of the pitch) meant I was done in by the end of the day. And all for promotion to the 2nd division! For once I fancied getting to the match earlier than my usual 2.55 on the basis, that (1) it would be good to sample the pre match atmosphere and (2) I didn’t fancy having to debate with some glory hunter (ha) who had managed to perch themselves in my seat that it would be a good idea if they moved – this was going to be a day of celebration, not confrontation, I told myself. Best laid plans and all that – I left my wallet at home and had to dash back to get it. This was not good for the blood pressure that was about to be pushed to it’s limit. Fortunately I had left myself some wriggle room so that I still got to the ground in good time. I even managed to secure 2 seats next to me for my friends / glory hunters! The match itself was a tense affair. What did I expect? Ovenstone had slotted in to the back line as if had never been away. He had had an excellent season for us (well, three quarters of one) and it was good that he got the chance to be part of the promotion winning team, as he deserved it. My guess is that he won’t be with us again next season, but he will be fondly remembered. Otherwise the team was pretty much as expected. Of course Scott Bennett took all the plaudits for his penalty save but his performances, not just in the last match, but in the period after the Montrose debacle were superb. Having pencilled him down as one of the players who wouldn’t feature next season, all of a sudden he has made himself irreplaceable. And at the same time gone down in Stenhousemuir folklore. I had made arrangements to be collected after the match, not really considering what might happen in the event of Extra Time and even Penalties. However, it worked out nicely, as my 3 year old daughter arrived just in time to witness her first ever penalty shoot out. Fortunately, her mum was with her which meant that when I was leaping about like a buffoon on the pitch she was in safe hands. Safer than mine, obviously. She now has a new song to sing (which is great because it means I don’t have to listen to her repertoire of Grease songs quite as much) – “Stenny for ever, Cowden in the river” – I presume she means the Firth of Forth. As for next season, well we’ll enjoy the feeling for now before starting to worry about what might happen next. Personally, I would just like to thank the players and management for providing such a great day as Saturday.

Bricking it

I don’t think I have looked forward to a Stenhousemuir match quite as much as I am tomorrow’s match. The last match in an unpredictable season that seems to have flown past. Yet the last three games have been fraught, tense matches. It crossed my mind last Sunday at Hampden and then again at Central Park (one benefit of this play off final is at least I will get one season‘s grace from visiting that god forsaken place), that this is just not an enjoyable experience, yet I can’t wait for tomorrow. The last two matches, goal-less matches, have been tense affairs. The quality of the football on show has been abysmal. You wouldn’t pay to watch it. Yet I did - twice. Who knows what tomorrow will be bring, but it will be a day to remember, one way or the other, irrespective of the quality of the 90 minutes. I think we are going to do it.

Talking tactics

Sitting here at work on the day of the first leg, I can't take my mind off the match, so I am left with little option but to update this blog again.

I've been thinking back to Sunday's game at Hampden, and specifically to John's tactical substitutions. They worked a treat on the day - bringing on 'gritty' players like Thomson helped us to see the game out.

It will be interesting to see, though, whether he follows the same strategy will happen if we're lucky enough to find ourselves ahead in the second leg of the final. Personally I hope he doesn't - if we were to concede a late goal, I wouldn't be comfortable in those circumstances without Love and (especially) Dalziel. If we do end up having to play extra time and pens, we'll need our top scorer on the park.

Roll on tonight...

The Final Countdown

So, after a long hard season, it all comes down to two matches. All that stands between this Stenny team and promotion is a two-legged tussle with our old rivals from Cowdenbeath. The memory of 2006 - when Cowden pipped us to the title against the odds - remains etched on the collective memory of Warriors supporters, and the players will be desperate to ensure that we are the ones celebrating this time.

Sunday's game at Hampden - the second leg of the semi-final - was undoubtedly nervy towards the end, but we had been the better side throughout, and our passage into the final was nothing if not deserved. It was an excellent team performance, but two players in particular were worthy of special praise - Scott Dalziel, for the skill and tenacity with which he led the line, and Craig Molloy, the best 'midfield general' we've had for many a year.

I don't want to tempt fate here, but I really do feel that we are ready for promotion this time. Whether we will actually manage it is a different matter - Cowdenbeath will be formidable opponents - but I think the time has come to make the step up. I'm not just talking about performances on the pitch, but the club as a whole. We have an excellent team of coaches in place; we have good facilities at Ochilview (most notably the artificial playing surface, which is a great asset); and the club in general is run on a very professional basis. The current stability is a far cry from the way things were a few years back, and securing promotion would be a just reward for all the hard work of recent seasons.

All that remains, then, is for us supporters to turn up in numbers, and show our support for the players as they make one final push. I will not be able to make the first leg, but will be travelling up from London for Saturday's game: Virgin Trains, in their eternal wisdom, have opted to cancel all London-Glasgow services this weekend, but even if I had to walk 400 miles, I'd be there. Because I have faith in this team. It will undoubtedly be difficult, but I think we're going to do it. After five long years in the Third Division, this is our time. COME ON THE WARRIORS!

Hampden here we come...

Well, what a turnaround in recent weeks. The Board's Vote of Confidence in John has had precisely the effect everyone was hoping for: 3 matches, 3 wins, 6 goals scored, no goals conceded, and (most importantly) a play-off spot secured with a week to spare.

On a more trivial note, the recent upturn in our fortunes will hopefully represent a reprieve for the fledgling 'Warriors TV' service. I was beginning to fear that it might be withdrawn, on account of the fact that ever since it launched, our form had been pretty catastrophic - was it bringing us bad luck?! Fortunately it has made for much more pleasant viewing in the last couple of weeks, and is an excellent and much-appreciated service, especially for long-distance supporters like myself.

And the line-up for the play-offs could scarcely be more mouth-watering. If anyone has ever been tempted to bemoan the fact that whilst the play-off contenders in the English leagues get to play at Wembley, we don't routinely get to go to Hampden - fear not! Fate has declared that our opponents in the semi-final will be Queens Park, so the away leg will be at the National Stadium - always a favourite venue for away trips. The Hampden trip is on Saturday week, which means that the home leg is on the preceding Wednesday. As it stands, our dear tenants at East Stirlingshire will be away to Cowdenbeath on the Wednesday, thus avoiding any clash between our home leg and theirs, both of which will be at Ochilview. If Cowden were to overtake the Shire on the final day of the regular season, however, this would be turned on its head: ourselves and the Shire would both have our first-leg ties at Ochilview... presumably the Shire game would then be brought forward to the Tuesday?

The potential arrangements for the final, meanwhile, are nothing if not bizarre. (Hopefully I'm not jinxing us by talking about this?!) If both ourselves and the Shire win through, we will face a two-legged final, with both legs at Ochilview! I'm told the away goals rule doesn't apply in the play-offs, which is probably a blessing given the general ridiculousness of the situation, but the concept is nevertheless a tad strange. One thing is for sure, the prospect of two local derbies to decide promotion is one which both sets of supporters would relish; the Ochilview atmosphere would be nothing short of electric. There are, of course, various other permutations: a Stenny-Cowdenbeath final, providing us with an opportunity for revenge after they pipped us to the title in 2006; or, if we miss out, the prize of trip to Hampden for Cowden or the Shire.

Before all that, of course, we have a trip to Forfar to look forward to, for our final game of the league season. Here's hoping for a win to set us up nicely for the fun and games to come...

Looking forward

I, for one, was glad to hear that John would be retained as manager for next season, and equally glad to hear that many of those supporters who had previously sought his sacking are nevertheless willing to back him now that the decision has been made. I am - dare I say it - even slightly optimistic that performances might improve in the remainder of the season, now that the uncertainty has been lifted. One thing is for certain, though: if we are to make the play-offs, we can do without officials like those on show at Montrose last Saturday. There was obviously plenty to criticise about the players' performance, but surely the worst performance on show was that of the linesman who ruled out Kevin Motion's goal. The website report states that two Stenny players were 'interfereing with play'; I can see no evidence of this on the footage, but in any case, since when has encroaching upon our own free-kick taker been deemed a foul?!

Returning to the subject of John's future, however, I was especially interested in the following quote from the Chairman: '...with the financial backing we feel there has maybe been undue expectations on the management team – not in terms of promotion which is a number one aim of the board, but more around the need to use the finances which maybe does not suit the model John would normally adopt.' This is a crucial point. I wonder if there has been a temptation for John to 'splash out' - especially in the January transfer window - on players for whom - whatever their pedigree - we had no great need at the time. Given that John has always tended to be a defensively-minded coach, I am thinking especially of all the attacking players we've signed recently - Iain Diack, Alan Morgan, Andy Ferguson and Andrew Stirling (though I did enjoy watching the latter's contribution to our third goal on Saturday - scant consolation for a poor performance, but excellent footwork nevertheless). Perhaps it is this temptation to sign attacking players which 'does not suit the model John would normally adopt'?

In any case, full marks to both John and the board for admitting where mistakes have been made, and for attempting to learn from them, rather than just giving up. I, for one, would be delighted if we could get ourselves promoted 'a la Berwick 2007' - i.e. on the back of solid defensive performances. Attractive football is always a nice bonus, but the main thing is winning matches.

Which brings me on to tomorrow's game at Shielfield. I was planning to travel up from London for this game, but a friend of mine is moving abroad this weekend so I'm staying down here to see him off. In any case, this is do-or-die time for the play-offs, and somehow I think we might just sneak it.

Fanny Paddery

In these tought times, I realised today maybe things aren't so bad after all. Ian Diack might be bad, but surely he isn't as bad as fans favourite, Paddy Flannery. I passed this Stenhousemuir legend outside the same bakers on Rose Street frequented by another Stenny luminary, the one and only Miller Mathieson. Wonder if he's doing anything tomorrow around 3pm...

Should he stay or should he go

Earlier today the club confirmed that John Coughlin would remain as manager into next season. The dreaded Vote of Confidence. Following on from the humiliating defeat at Montrose on Saturday I was convinced that the time had come for Coughlin to go. To me it appeared that there was something fundamentally wrong at the club. The same problem we have had, it would seem, forever. Why is it that we can, on the face of it, have as good a squad of players as any other club yet we still manage to come up short every season? As usual, in situations like this, the manager becomes public enemy no. 1. Someone is to blame, and he is an easy target (he has of course not done himself any favours with some of his team selections!). Almost without fail, every Stenhousemuir supporter was delighted when Coughlin was appointed. He had a great record at most of his other clubs. So, is sacking Coughlin the answer? Is there really anyone else better than him available to the club? On reflection, probably not, but I think Coughlin can consider himself lucky. To me it appears that he has been treated very well by the club, and the supporters. Don’t forget that his record last season was hardly something to shout about. One thing is for sure though, if we start the next season off slowly then it won’t be long till we are looking for yet another manager.

Manager of the year?

Whilst our form has turned somewhat sour of late - at least until tonight's victory over Albion Rovers - one Stenny hero who nevertheless has good reason to celebrate is our ex-centre back Harry Cairney, who is nearing the end of a remarkably successful season in charge of our Third Division rivals Annan Athletic. Cairney represented the Warriors between 1983 and 1992, making 306 appearances, before moving on for an equally long and successful spell at Brechin City. He began his managerial career with Annan in the 2003-04 season, and returned to the club in 2006 following an unsuccessful spell at Arbroath. Yet when Annan were elected to the SFL at the start of the current season, the challenge facing Cairney was perhaps the greatest of his career.

Annan’s election was a surprise to many, myself included: I felt that Spartans had a strong case, with excellent infrastructure and a relatively strong squad (which at the time included Kevin Motion) already in place – the side had finished as champions of the East of Scotland League. Annan, on the other hand, had finished seventh in the same league, and the club had to put urgent plans into place to bring Galabank up to SFL standards – the work was still ongoing when we visited them in August.

Against that backdrop, Cairney did remarkably well to assemble a squad capable of competing at this level. Of the 25 players in Annan’s first team squad, eleven joined the club last summer. (Most of these players were youngsters with no SFL experience; one of them was Darren Johnstone, whose previous senior career had consisted of around three matches for Stenny in 2003.) They have played their part in an excellent campaign: the side got off to a flying start, and have really hit form again in the last couple of months.

The Third Division manager of the year award is, as such, something of a no-brainer. Sides such as Cowdenbeath, Dumbarton and ourselves were always expected to be in promotion contention, and even the Shire have invested considerable funds in their squad this season. Whoever goes on to win the title, then, the team of the season is undoubtedly Annan Athletic. When the season began I was amongst their many doubters – I expected them to finish rock bottom – but they remain alongside ourselves in playoff contention, and have thus proved me entirely wrong.

In support of the gaffer...

Prior to tonight's last gasp victory at Cliftonhill, I sensed some people might have been starting to lose patience with John. It is, however, important to keep things in perspective - not simply because we won this evening, but because John has, overall, done a very good job since he came to the club. Whatever people say about his motivational abilities, the fact is any group of players on a losing run will look like they've lost heart. It's a blip - a fairly major blip, admittedly, but it doesn't mean John has suddenly become a bad manager.

As it stands, we still have a good chance of making the play-offs, especially after tonight's result. Even if we head into the play-offs on something of a downward spiral, the pressure-cooker type atmosphere of those games means they're a law unto themselves - I'm sure the players we have, with John at the helm, would give a good account of themselves. And if the worst comes to the worst, and we find ourselves in the Third Division again next season, there is certainly nobody better than John to have another go at winning the league. The point I'm making is that nobody stands to gain anything from a change of management. Whatever happens in the remaining matches, I'd be very surprised if the board would consider sacking John, and I hope John himself is equally intent on sticking with it for the long term.

In the 2005-06 season, under John’s stewardship, Berwick had a very similar campaign to ourselves this time around, setting the pace early in the season before falling away during the winter. (The ultimate beneficiaries and eventual champions were of course Cowdenbeath, who took advantage after our own challenge collapsed during April.) The following season, however, after a slow start, John’s Berwick team came good and won a richly-deserved title. In the current situation, then, I remain optimistic about our long-term prospects, precisely because we have John at the helm.

Home straight

It’s been a while since this blog has been updated. General disillusion and depression regarding the team’s performance is to blame I think. However, as we enter the last quarter of the season one way or the other this could get quite exciting. Our form showed some signs of improvement during the recent double header against Cowdenbeath. It was far from perfect but it was certainly a step in the right direction; namely, towards the opposition goal as opposed to side ways or backwards. The introduction of Craig Molloy has been one factor behind this, and the pairing of him with Kevin Motion in the middle in the second Cowden match meant that we enjoyed our best performance for quite some time. Of course all good things must come to an end. It would have been nice if it had lasted more than 3 or 4 days though. The match against The Shire was disappointing for so many reasons, but the fact is that I don’t think any team in this league would have coped with them that day. Until the 4th goal went in I didn’t think we were actually playing that badly, and certainly the introduction of Andy Ferguson up front seemed to give us a real physical presence we haven’t had all season, but at the end of the day we were beaten by a (much) better team. The issue for them is whether they can keep that level of performance up for the rest of the season. If they can then they could win the league. I thought Cowden looked a spent force when we played them. Very similar to our performances over the previous few weeks. Given Cowden’s slump it means that all of a sudden the race for the title is very much back on. Given our poor form of course this shouldn’t really be of concern to us but we certainly have the squad capable of challenging for the title, it is up to them and the manager to get the team performing to the level that they are capable of. Of course, if things continue the way they have since the turn of the year then we need to look over our shoulders. A play off spot is not guaranteed. Forfar in particular look like they could mount a challenge. The ability of most teams to beat anyone in the league means that nothing is decided yet. If Forfar or Albion do go on a run then it means that they are taking points off other teams which could open the way for a team to take the title, if they can go a decent run for the remainder of the season. I have my doubts that it will be us (too many well documented perceived weaknesses in the team) but you never know what is going to happen next. Meanwhile we head north to face bottom dogs Elgin who by all accounts seem to have improved since Ross Jack took charge. I think it will be a tough match but if we can take three points then it could be the kick start we need.

Escapism

The last couple of weeks have been nothing if not frustrating. On the one hand, we have lost ground in the league, and Saturday’s defeat at the Rock meant that we were unable to capitalise on Cowdenbeath’s slip-up. In the Cup, meanwhile, it was infuriating to lose the game to such a ridiculous goal: I watched it several times on Sky Sports that evening, and it looked progressively more bizarre with each viewing. Positive thinker that I am, however, my intention is to put our current trials and tribulations to one side, and to focus on Stenny players of old – specifically Roddy McKenzie and Chris Innes, now team-mates at Livingston. It seems an eternity since either was at Ochilview, so it might come as a surprise to many to hear that neither has yet reached the veteran stage of his career – Roddy is 33 whilst Chris is one year his junior. Innes spent two seasons with us in the late 90s before moving to Kilmarnock for the healthy sun of £45 000, whilst McKenzie’s became an instant legend in November 1995, when his remarkable performance in the shoot-out helped us secure the Challenge Cup. My interest in Livingston’s fortunes is based not only on their ex-Stenny stars, but also on their Italian contingent. I recently spent a year living in Italy, and was thus pleased (if a little bemused) by Angelo Massone’s decision to invest in Scottish football. His ‘grand plan’ seems to have turned a little sour of late, with the sacking of his compatriot Roberto Landi as coach, not to mention the ongoing financial difficulties. I will nevertheless be hoping that Livi recapture the form they showed in Landi’s first few weeks as coach – it would be great to see Roddy and Chris back in the SPL next season. Closer to home, meanwhile, our attentions turn to next week’s clash with Montrose. Whether or not the Diack transfer saga is resolved before Saturday, this game is crucial to our title hopes. Here’s hoping we get back on track…

Ducking Hell

Another cup run comes to a limp close. After another uninspiring 90 minutes we were finally undone when Willie Lyle decided enough was enough - a trip into darkest Fife to Cowdenbeath is bad enough, but there was no way he was crossing that bridge more than is absolutely necessary - and therefore, a midweek replay against East Fife was out of the question. So, he ducked. Our priority is obviously the league, but it would have been nice to go on a wee cup run and maybe get one of the big diddy teams (as opposed to the a wee diddy team). Sure enough, East Fife got a match against the team managed by Diddyman Extraordinaire - Jimmy Calderwood, whose opening gambit on Sportscene after his team had struggled past Alloa was that the pitch was a "great leveller". So, on days when every grass pitch became a paddling pool, before it became a mud bath, Aberdeen played Alloa on the proverbial "bowling green" and Alloa pulled Aberdeen down to their level!!

Plastic Fantastic

As this afternoon's 'Homecoming' Scottish Cup ties began to take shape (am I the only supporter who actually likes the new name for the tournament?), my focus was, as ever, on events at Ochilview. Amongst the other ties, though, I found myself taking a particular interest in the clash between Alloa and Aberdeen at Recreation Park, and allowed myself a wry smile when the home side equalised just before the break. (I'm writing this at half-time: it's currently 0-0 between Stenny and East Fife, and 1-1 between Alloa and Aberdeen.) Why this enthusiasm for Alloa match, I hear you ask?

My interest stems entirely from the attitude shown by the Aberdeen boss, Jimmy Calderwood, towards Alloa's artificial playing surface. Earlier this week, he admitted he was considering resting several of his star players, since the risk of injury on the plastic surface was too great. I have always had the utmost respect for Jimmy Calderwood - he is a terrific coach - and to be fair to him, he retracted his comments after holding a training session on the surface. Nevertheless I was surprised he didn't make more of an attempt to get his facts right before speaking out in public. His scepticism about the playing surface presumably stems from Dunfermline's experiment with a plastic pitch - the only one in league football in the country at the time - whilst he was the manager there. Yet whilst there was widespread opposition to Dunfermline's surface - perhaps with good reason - it is well-known that those artificial pitches installed more recently, such as Alloa's and our own, are made to a higher-quality specification.

From my own perspective - and I'm sure most Warriors fans would agree with me here - the plastic pitch has been a great success. Our old grass surface used to cut up every winter; the new surface looks fantastic all year round, despite being used much more heavily. Hiring the pitch out to the Shire, not to mention making it available for private hire, provides a valuable source of revenue for the club - clearly this would not have been feasible with a grass surface. With regards to the quality of the surface, meanwhile, these 'new' artificial surfaces are FIFA Grade 2 approved, i.e. Champions League approved. That makes it seem all the more ridiculous when managers raise unfounded safety concerns, or, last summer, when the SPL forced newly-promoted Hamilton to replace their top-quality artificial surface with a (quite possibly lower quality) grass eqivalent.

As I come to the end of my article, we're now well into the second half, and unfortunately Alloa are trailing the Dons by two goals to one. More importantly, however, we are level at 0-0 with East Fife, and thus in with a fighting chance of reaching the fifth round. The BBC website's claim that ours was a featured match on 'Final Score,' on BBC1, appears to be nonsense, so I will stay tuned to Radio Scotland and keep my fingers crossed for the last few minutes...

Some things never change...

...or so the saying goes. 2008 was undoubtedly an eventful year for the Warriors, but as the New Year dawns, we find ourselves celebrating in time-honoured fashion: the obligatory handsome win against the Shire. Perhaps, though, it means even more than usual this year, for two reasons. For one thing, the day before the match, over a pint in a London pub, I discovered that one of my new work colleagues was a Shire fan - so the match was inevitably going to take on an added significance within our office.

The other major difference between this game and previous derbies, of course, was simply that few people were expecting a three goal margin of victory. The Shire have hit form for the first time since the Bronze Age, and are beginning to look like genuine promotion contenders. Their pre-match preparations were disrupted by the loss of their regular goalkeeper Jamie Barclay, but rumours of a 12-year old stand-in proved to be unfounded: Jim McInally had managed to recruit Barry John Corr, the entirely competent ex-Celtic and Stranraer keeper. So from a Warriors point of view, Saturday's result was nothing if not impressive.

Whilst it may not have been a classic, the players showed their quality and demonstrated their capacity to grind out a result. The first two goals were extremely well taken: Dalziel showed great predatory instincts after ex-Warrior Craig Tully worked his 'magic' in the Shire defence, whilst Motion's goal was something else. Surely he is the first player in history to perform two overhead kicks in such quick succession, including one after going to ground! Shirra also looks to be on top of his game going forward, whilst at the other end Bennett did all that was asked of him. All in all, then, an excellent afternoon's work, and all the more reason to look forward to next Saturday's clash with East Fife.