The Great Leap Forward

Today was a wonderful day to be a Stenny fan - all the more so because our eventual victory had seemed so unlikely, with our shambolic performance in the first half. The one man who made the difference was of course Scott Dalziel - his presence on the park, and the leadership he showed, provided such spark to those around him. Obviously he has been struggling for fitness lately, but I would suggest that - even if we have to send him onto the park in a wheelchair - he has to play next week.

There is an awful lot of work still to do, but a glimmer of hope has returned - could the Great Escape be on?

Tense times

I must confess I never thought we would be in this position - I don’t think any of us did. With the quality of players brought in last summer (Williams, Murray, Lynch, Anderson) - not to mention the likes of Paton and Gilmour who arrived more recently - there is simply no way we should even be contemplating relegation. Yet that is the situation in which we find ourselves - not only contemplating the drop, but drinking in the last chance saloon: we simply have to beat Alloa if we are to have any realistic chance of avoiding the play-offs.

My work recently took my to Nigeria, and - during the time I spent there - Stenny’s form showed considerable improvement; it then proceeded to decline upon my return. Whilst this suggests I should probably remain as far away from our matches as possible, in practice I am doing the exact opposite - i.e. travelling to Recreation Park on Saturday. (I am in fact heading north from London as I write this.)

As I write I am deliberately ignoring the ‘elephant in the room’ (or, in this case, the ineligible midfielder in the room). I don’t know if there is any truth in the rumours about Gilmour’s international clearance (or lack thereof), and somehow I suspect not - our officials are some of the most diligent around, and I would be surprised if they have let us down. In any case I am hopeful of avoiding a points deduction - we are due some luck at disciplinary hearings, not least after the gross injustice we suffered at the hands of Dunfermline last season.

I have already warned my boss that - if we fail to win on Saturday - I will probably be off sick next week. I do genuinely believe, though, that we will pick up the points. In quite simple terms, we are better than Alloa - we just have to prove it. Roll on Saturday…

A welcome distraction

The opening matches of the Carling Nations Cup this week provided a welcome distraction from our perilous league position. Wednesday evening saw me heading down to my local for an experience to which I have long been accustomed - watching Scotland games in an otherwise England-supporting pub. (The Tartan Army contingent in South West London is not the largest.) Our game was being shown on the world's smallest TV screen, situated immediately beside the unreasonably large Denmark-England screen.

One experience to which I am not quite so accustomed, however, is watching Scotland coast to victory quite so comfortably - yet there it was! Clearly there will be tougher tests ahead, but the magnitude of the victory - and the manner in which it was achieved - can only serve to boost the players' confidence.

What I cannot understand, however, is the ongoing process of 'researching whether Gary Hooper has a Scottish grandfather,' with which Craig Levein is reported to be busying himself. Surely such a protracted period of research should not be necessary. Mr Hooper either has a Scottish grandfather, or he does not; wouldn't it be easier just to ask him?

Returning home...

The first few weeks of the "Irons Age" have been nothing if not eventful. We have claimed a few good victories, and - perhaps most notably of all - the defence has looked much tighter once again. (The two notable exceptions to this were the defeats to Alloa and Stranraer, both of which were characterised by shambolic defending - but on this we shall not dwell...)

The most impressive performance of the lot was undoubtedly that against Airdrie United, in a match which we dominated with the help of a certain Eric Paton. Paton's return to the club after almost thirteen years away - albeit only as a trialist - provided us with terrific spark in midfield, remeniscent of JP McBride at his best. This got me thinking about what has become the main subject of this article - the select group of players to have played for Stenny in two separate spells:

LINDSAY HAMILTON returned to Ochilview in 1998 at the age of 867, having previously made his name at Stenny several centuries previously. A commanding goalkeeper, his form in his first spell was sufficient to earn him a transfer to Rangers, whilst his second was equally successful as he helped us to promotion in 1998-99.

EUAN DONALDSON was sold to St Johnstone for a record fee of £75,000 in 1995, after his outstanding form for us in the famous Scottish Cup run. Having played at left-full back (albeit an overlapping one) in his first spell under Terry Christie, he returned in 2001 as an attacking wing-back under Brian Fairley. His second spell came to a premature end when Fairley was replaced by Jimmy Bone, who immediately disposed of all our quality players in an (ulimately unsuccessful) attempt to get us relegated. Donaldson, however, is fondly remembered.

GARETH HUTCHISON earned legendary status as a pacy goalscorer (and thoroughly good guy) in his first spell at the club, which lasted throughout the mid-90s. He starred alongside Donaldson in the aforesaid Scottish Cup run, and was still around the following year when our club enjoyed its finest hour, with the victory over Dundee United in the Challenge Cup Final. After moving on for spells at Falkirk, Alloa and Berwick, he returned in 2006 under the management of Des McKeown. Whilst he stilled showed flashes of his old sparkle, he had difficulty settling into a Stenny side which was - to put it mildly - in a 'transitional phase.' His name is nevertheless one which frequently crops up in "All-time Stenny XIs."

ROSS HAMILTON went down in history after scoring our winner against Brechin City in 1999, in the match which clinched promotion for us. A right-winger with lighning pace, he left for Alloa soon afterwards before returning in 2007 under Campbell Money. Notwithstanding a few memorable performances in his second spell (most notably in a home victory over East Fife), he failed to settle, and left soon after the arrival of John Coughlin as manager.

STEVIE FALLON is the only player in this series whose second spell at the club was longer in duration than his first. We first saw him in 2001, when he joined on a month's loan from Dundee United, playing just three matches at left back before returning to his parent club. His second spell was wholly more fruitful: he enjoyed an outstanding season in 2004-05 (having been converted into a right back), before his spell was curtailed by injury.

At present it looks unlikely that Paton himself will be added to this list - following his trial game last week, he went on to play for Stirling Albion in a bounce game on Tuesday (never a wise move, but there we go). In the meantime, then, we must content ourselves with what we have, and look forward to this afternoon's game at Ayr.

Let's get Ironing...

Traditionally, of course, New Year’s Day is a time for looking forward. In view of the recent changes at Ochilview this is especially appropriate. I must begin, however, with a tribute to our recently departed (and in my view legendary) manager John Coughlin. When JC joined us in 2007, we were second from bottom of the Third Division, and generally in crisis. Notwithstanding our recent rough patch, he leaves us in a wholly more positive position - in a higher division, and with a talented squad of players in place - one which is more than capable of hauling us to safety in 2011.

After a few weeks of intrigue, of course, we now know the identity of the man who will be leading the team for the battles ahead - Davie Irons has arrived at the club, and I hope he receives a warm welcome at Ochilview tomorrow. He has clearly impressed the Board, having emerged successful from an extensive interview process (nine candidates, apparently, made it to the interview stage). Prior to his appointment I wasn’t aware that he had applied, so - when the announcement was made - it was necessary to conduct some hasty internet research, in an attempt to ascertain what style of football he favours, etc.. The fruits of said research were the following:

• In a Q&A session soon after taking over at Cappielow, he stated that he had no particular preference for a given formation per se, but that he would choose the formation to fit the players he had, not vice versa. This led him to play 3-5-2 after taking over in 2007-08, before using 4-4-2 at times during 2008-09 (his one full season).
• In comparison to the teams around them in the middle of the First Division - Irons' Morton team both scored and conceded fewer goals (40 of each during the 2008-09 season) - this suggests a defensive mindset.
• Another useful indicator as to the style of football is whether or a manager uses a six-foot-plus striker. For what it's worth, it appears to me that Irons did not.

Before I sign off, a quick word for Kevin McGoldrick and Graeme Robertson, who spent a spectacularly uneventful spell in caretaker charge (three weeks, eight million feet of snow, no matches) prior to Davie’s appointment - at least they were unbeaten! Whilst Graeme has returned to his role as Head of Youth, Kevin will now be combining his U19 duties with the Assistant Manager role - here’s hoping he and Davie enjoy a fruitful partnership.

In defence of Coughlinho

For weeks, the online supporters' forum has been full of appeals for JC to throw in the kids (which I did not agree with). Now all of a sudden everybody (me included) is shocked to see Quinn and Murray out of the side. Fundamentally you can't have it both ways - with Dickson and Plenderleith coming in, some of the regular players had to be dropped.

My own view is that if you play youngsters out of desparation, you gain nothing. They come into a team which is already struggling, they quickly get their confidence shattered, and nobody gains anything. If there are specific youngsters who deserve to be picked on merit, that is a different matter and they should be encouraged - Dickson and Plenderleith may or may not come into this category, I can't judge as I've only seen them once. But throwing them in simply because we've run out of ideas is foolish.

Re: the manager's ability - form is temporary, but quality is permanent. JC has transformed our club over the last 3 years, and we are now - undeniably - going through a rough patch. I do not, however, believe that he has 'lost the dressing room' - remember that we put in a good solid performance against Brechin just two weeks ago. The solution is not to sack him, but to allow him to settle on a stable starting XI built around our key players (Williams, Clark (when fit), Murray, Anderson, Stirling, etc). Because of injuries he hasn't had a chance to do this until now; contrary to rumour, however, he has used consistent starting XIs in previous seasons, and I look forward to him doing so again.

I would be quite keen to see the Board delver a Vote of Confidence in John - so long as it's a genuine vote of confidence like the one he got two years ago, and not a 'fake' vote of confidence to be followed by the sack two weeks later. Guaranteeing his position until the end of the season would remove the current sense of uncertainty, and this can only help the players.

Root Vegetables

It was another long journey back to London after our defeat by Airdrie United, but - searching as I do for small crumbs of comfort - this was undoubtedly a higher calibre of defeat than that which we suffered on my last trip north (the 2-0 defeat by Ayr in September). Put simply, I would much rather lose to a spectacular overhead kick from Jamie Bain, than to some arbitrary Ayr United goal conceded when the usually excellent Scott Gibb falls on his backside.

The plush surroundings of the Shyberry Excelsior also made a pleasant change from Ayr's stone-age stadium, and - as if that weren't enough - we were kept entertained by the most bizarre set of advertising hoardings in the SFL. Staring back at us from across the half-way line were the words 'Root Vegetables,' emblazoned in bold type with no further explanation in sight. Equally odd was the advert, a little further to the right, for a company offering 'Clean Air Containment Services.' I would have thought the good people of Airdrie would be more concerned with containing polluted air, but evidently they do things differently in Lanarkshire...

Shyberries

I write this immediately prior to my departure for the Shyberry Excelsior Stadium, which I still insist on referring to as such even though it seems to change its name every five minutes. Since I last wrote the season has certainly begun to take shape – we have learnt that Brechin and Livingston are good (no surprise there then), and that Dumbarton are useless (again, not a huge surprise).

 

Our last two matches have each been characterised by comical defending, but whilst two weeks ago it was our defenders who were culpable at Almondvale, last week the tables were turned and we were gifted goals by Dumbarton. I was especially pleased to see Ross Clark restored to the line-up against his former club; he was in danger of becoming something of a forgotten man, but his two goals will certainly have helped him avoid that fate.

The national side have of course also been competing for our attention in recent weeks – whilst the recent double header with the Czexh Republic and Spain yielded nothing in terms of points, it was certainly memorable (whether for good or bad reasons). Levein has taken a lot of stick for his 4-6-0 formation in Prague, and I must confess that – even though my conception of football tactics is more defensively-minded than most – I think he pushed it a bit too far. (Giving ourselves no attacking outlet simply made the defensive work more difficult.) Nevertheless, in view how new he is to the job, and of his excellent track record at club level, I think we have to cut him a bit of slack – he showed against Spain that he is more than capable of learning from his mistakes, and I don’t think we’ll be seeing the 4-6-0 again any time soon. Honourable mentions, also, to Stevie Naismith and David Weir – the former is something of a goal machine just now, whilst the latter defended impeccably in both matches and continues to defy his 40 years.

Closer to home, I am keeping my fingers crossed that today’s trip north will be a more rewarding one than my last (the 2-0 defeat to Ayr in September). Airdrie United are a club for whom I have great respect – their stadium is excellent (certainly a pleasant change after Somerset Park), and they are building on a great footballing heritage in Airdrie. That said, I confess to being surprised at their relative suceess this season – with a squad of relative unknowns I had expected them to struggle. Jimmy Boyle has done a great job with them, however, so we will certainly have to be on our guard this afternoon…

Talking tactics

I made the long trip up from London to Ayr for last week’s match - the first one I’ve seen this season. Unfortunately, as the old adage goes, it’s a long journey home after a defeat, and that was a particularly sore one. I think the word is ‘frustrating’ - put simply, the game was clearly there for the taking if only we had played to our potential.

What lessons can we take forward into today’s game with East Fife? On the defensive side - despite a couple of individual errors for which we cannot legislate - I actually thought we looked reasonably solid. In normal circumstances I would prefer a back four to a back three, but given that a back three seems to give us greater stability (especially in view of the fact that we no longer have Tiger to protect the defence) - perhaps a that is the way forward.

On the attacking side, Ayr was just a bad day at the office. Obviously we are missing Williams and Lynch, but with the likes of Dalziel, Quinn and Anderson in the team, plus Murray and Magic coming off the bench, we should have created far more opportunities than we did. For future weeks, though, the key question is how to fit two wingers into the line-up if we’re using a back three - Murray has been left on the bench since this formation was introduced two weeks ago, but in the long term I’m sure most would agree we need him back in the side. Personally I would like to see us line up in a 3-4-3 formation, with one ‘out and out’ striker supported by two wingers.

In a few minutes time we’ll see whether Coughlinho agrees!

Stenny fan in 'not hating Falkirk' shock

Here’s something you won’t hear very often on this website. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a wave of benevolence, but there is definitely some sense in which I am feeling less antipathy towards Falkirk than usual.

It might have something to do with their being managed by Steven Pressley, or – as I prefer to call him – God. With his inspirational performances down the years for Hearts and Scotland, he was always a player whom it was genuinely difficult not to admire. Perhaps I’m just finding it difficult to mentally process the fact that he truly is managing Falkirk – I confess to being momentarily confused the other night when I saw pictures of him celebrating his current side’s Cup victory over his beloved Jambos.

Another factor may well be that – in the opening weeks of the season – they came up against two sides for whom I reserve greater venom, namely Dunfermline and Stirling Albion. I still bear something of a grudge against Dunfermline after last season’s Cup debacle – put simply, if you break the rules you should be thrown out of the competition, none of this replay nonsense. (I was especially irked by the fact that Jim Leishman fronted their appeal, despite the fact that he had – apparently - been overheard admitting Calum Woods’ ineligibility an hour before the original game.) As for Stirling, on the other hand, they are an intrinsically pointless institution - there is little more to be said.

I suppose the best hope is that Pressley moves on to bigger and better things, Stirling return to their natural habitat in the lower realms of the SFL, and Jim Leishman ceases to be so annoying. Then, perhaps, normal service (i.e. hating Falkirk) will be resumed…

'Progress' report...

Our progress so far this season might be described, at best, as 'mixed' - and even that would be pushing it. After positive performances in our opening two league matches and - lest we forget - the demolition of Dundee in the Challenge Cup, surely one of the best Warriors perforamnces since the glory days of 1995, things have regressed considerably. We go into this afternoon's match at Dumbarton on the back of five consecutive defeats (three in the league, one in the Challenge Cup and one in the Stirlingshire Cup).

Let us focus first on the positives. Over the years we have developed the habit of signing strikers of considerable pedigree, only to see them flounder once at Ochilview - Paddy Flannery, Murray McDowell or Craig O'Reilly anyone? Fortunately it appears that Alex Williams will not be falling into that particular trap - he has lived up to his reputation as a quality striker, and all Warriors fans will be hoping he returns to fitness as quickly as possible.

Our problems, however, lie in defence. A nunber of our recent defeats (most notable those against Alloa and Peterhead) have been defined by individual errors, and it is becoming ever clearer that the defenders are struggling without the protection which last season was offered to them by Craig Molloy, sitting in front of the back four. Last week's defeat to Dumbarton was something of an anomaly in this respect - their goal was more attributable to the skill of Derek Carcary than to any shortcomings of our own - and judging from the highlights we actually played pretty well over the piece. Hopefully we can take that forward into this afternoon's match with Forfar.

On a different note, it would be remiss of me not to mention the success which ex-Stenny star David Templeton has been enjoying. I have been extremely impressed with his form for Hearts this season, and he throuoghly deserved his recent call-up to the Scotland under-21 squad. I was particularly fond of his goal against Hamilton the other week, which had 'Made in Stenhousemuir' written all over it: he capitalised on an uncharacteristic mistake from Simon Mensing - another ex-Warrior currently thriving in the SPL - before firing home past Tomas Cerny. Whilst our present players might have a fair distance to go before any of them can emulate Templeton, here's hoping that we recover swiftly from our current troubles...

Pass me my vuvuzela

In all my many years following the Warriors, I can scarcely recall such excitement in respect of a new season. The summer months have seen us hogging the limelight with an array of impressive and attack-minded signings: for me, the highlight was Alex Williams’ arrival. On one level, his goalscoring record over the years speaks for itself; on another level entirely, he will undoubtedly have endeared himself to Stenny supporters by turning down an offer from Stirling Albion (his alma mater, and a club currently paying a highly uncharacteristic visit to the First Division) to join up at Ochilview. Yet at the same time, my reaction to all this has been one of puzzlement - Coughlinho has, after all, built a reputation as a highly successful coach of defensively-minded teams. Why this sudden change of philosophy? It’s almost like Arsene Wenger (or – to quote an example from closer to home – Des McKeown) instructing his players to settle for a one-nil victory and shut up shop. I am more than happy to trust John’s judgement – and if the new style pays dividends then it will be most welcome; I simply find it surprising. And I do have one reservation – the loss of midfield dynamo Craig Molloy. It has been suggested that last season’s excellent defensive record might be attributed – at least in part – to the ‘defensive’ work performed higher up the park. Notwithstanding his loss of form in the latter part of last season, ‘Tiger’ was the great protagonist in that respect. Our new midfield is packed with talented players, but they are mostly attack-minded. I might not win many friends for saying this, but as things stand just now, I would have been tempted to sacrifice one of our many forwards if this had enabled us to hold onto Molloy. But that is all water under the bridge: now is the time to look forward to the season ahead. Readers might be forgiven for thinking that I too have changed my philosophy: this blog has traditionally been a bastion of optimism, yet here I am worrying about our midfield and hankering after Craig Molloy. To redress the balance, then, let me state that- whilst this post highlights a couple of minor concerns – I am certainly not immune to the growing wave of Stenny-optimism. The squad is – on balance – significantly stronger than last year, and by extension, the strongest that we have had for many years (since last year’s squad was itself our strongest for a while). As such I will stick my neck out and say I think we can finish (wait for it)… THIRD, behind Brechin and Livingston. And – at the other end of the spectrum – even if hell freezes over we should still finish ahead of Airdrie United, who are likely to be hindered by their lack of any players over the age of about 14. On that note, let the long journey begin.

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...