The Ballad of Charlie McGhee – 2nd Stanza

[Yeti01]

View attachment 209304


24 September 2016 - Its something


A visit from Alloa was next on the agenda with Peterhead desperate for all 3 points. McAllister gave them a great start netting on 13 minutes from a Noble cross.

View attachment 209303

Jay Cheyne extended Peterhead's advantage just before the half hour mark with a neat finish at the near post.

View attachment 209302

Peterhead were made to work for it though as Nuttall dragged a goal back for Alloa 10 mins after the restart when Cheyne left his header back to the keeper a little short.

View attachment 209301

Cheyne made up for it though turning provider for the 3rd and final Peterhead goal in the 76th minute, crossing for Wilkie to head home.

View attachment 209300

A much better performance by the Blue Toon that left manager McGhee feeling a little better about their chances of making the playoffs.

View attachment 209299

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 207497



1 October 2016 – Welp


Off the back of the good win over Alloa Peterhead welcomed Brechin to Balmoor Stadium. Any feelings of optimism though were quickly dispelled as Brechin found themselves up 2 nil just after the hour mark through a Robert Thompson double.


View attachment 207496

View attachment 207495



Peterhead received a lifeline on 73 minutes as Paul Lawson was sent off for persistent fouling but, despite their dominance, Peterhead had to wait until the 90th minute before they saw any reward. Brady tucking home after being played in nicely by McAllister.


View attachment 207494



A disappointing result then for Peterhead as a win here would have allowed them to regain their spot in the top 4…


View attachment 207492



Charlie was not happy.


View attachment 207491

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 207489


15 October 2016 – Frustration levels growing!!



Ay, Ay, Ay, who’d be a manager. McGhee had just watched his side play reasonably well but get flogged… Even the newspapers were saying how lucky Airdrie had been.


Things were tight until after halftime when Airdrie managed to puncture the Peterhead rearguard 3 times.


View attachment 207487


View attachment 207485


View attachment 207483



“We have to do something to arrest this slide, this simply isn’t good enough!!” Charlie implored his side to do more after the final whistle.


View attachment 207481

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 207480


18 October 2016 – At least the performance was there…



On to Livingston then. A trip to the former Scottish Championship’s home ground of Almondvale has loomed large on the schedule of most Scottish League 1 sides this season as one of the most daunting and today proved no exception for Peterhead.


Livi striker Craig Moore (no, not the Craig Moore of Socceroo fame) has topped the goal scorers charts this season in league 1 thanks to his ability to get in behind defences with his pace and he did so just before half time here – Nipping past his marker Ross to head in at the far post.


View attachment 207479



Peterhead then made things even more difficult for themselves when they scored a somewhat calamitous own goal. Midfielder Sean Winter, in his desperation to clear a corner, could only toe poke the ball directly into his own net.


View attachment 207478



To the squad’s credit they didn’t let get them too down and they fought back, scoring a goal with ten to play to reduce the deficit to one. Rory McAllister, without a doubt the top performer for Peterhead this season, headed in at the back post to give Peterhead some hope.


View attachment 207477



Unfortunately it wasn’t to be for the Blue Toon and Livingston ran out 2-1 winners.


View attachment 207475

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 207474


22 October 2016 – Things, can only get better….


Prior to the Dunfermline game McGhee got word that McAllister’s effort in the last game had seen him break the previous record for career goals for Peterhead. At only 29 – there is still time for that number to grow also!


View attachment 207467



Peterhead, knowing Dunfermline are a technically better side then they are, attempted to set up and play on the counter. What followed was a very end to end match. Jamie Insall got Dunfermline on the board early when he struck a relatively tame shot at Billy Taylor, who has been deputizing whilst main keeper Caraux has been our with a separated shoulder, that the Peterhead keeper fumbled in. Not the best of starts for the Blue Toon.


View attachment 207466



The score remained that way until after half time when Peterhead struck back. Anton Brady nipping in to steer home a McCluskey cross on 49 minutes.


View attachment 207465


5 minutes later though an Dunfermline’s lead was restored when Paul George went on a marauding run that culminated with him finishing off the inside of the Taylor’s near post.


View attachment 207464



Displaying reasonably resiliency though Peterhead fought back to again level things. McAllister, extending his lead at the top of the Peterhead career’s goals list, with a looping header from a McGowan cross.


View attachment 207463



With 15 minutes to go though Dunfermline’s McCluskey allowed them to take the lead for a 3rd time when he evaded the attention of 2 Peterhead defenders to knock home from close range.


View attachment 207462



The Blue Toon fought hard from that point on but couldn’t find the equalizer. That’s now 4 losses on the trot for Charlie’s men and he must do something to stop their slide down the table – they now sit in 7th…


View attachment 207461
View attachment 207460

 

[PatrickLFC]

Tough run there but Charlie will find a way!

 

[Yeti01]

Tough run there but Charlie will find a way!

Yeah I'm thinking I need to change my tactics. The 442 wide diamond seems to leave too much space in the middle of the park which drags my CDs and FBs around and we are being torn apart by better sides (which is pretty much everyone in the league at the moment..)

Am thinking Charlie might have to swallow his pride a bit and set up a deep lying countering flat 442 until I have the players to implement a high press correctly.

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 207312



29 October 2016 - About **** time!!!


Relief, sweet relief is what Charlie felt at the end of this one. After weeks of tinkering and trying to get the best out of his limited squad they had finally picked up all three points again.

They came courtesy of a single goal, scored by Anton Brady in the 27th minute, as he rose highest to meet a McNeil cross and head home.

View attachment 207307

A potentially critical win then for the Blue Toon as they strive to press back up the table and push for a playoff spot.

View attachment 207304
View attachment 207303

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206774


2 November 2016 – Not bad…



A tough away trip awaited Peterhead next. Despite only being promoted last season East Fife have been there or thereabouts all season so Charlie knew this would be a tough game.


Ross Brown put the visitors ahead after 7 minutes after he evaded the attentions of Blockley with a clever run.


View attachment 206773



Thankfully though that man McAllister wouldn’t give in and he go on the end of a decent move to bring the Blue Toon level.


View attachment 206772



They rode their luck a little in the dying stages but Peterhead secured a decent point away at a good side. McGhee was happy enough with the performance which signaled a continuation in the right direction.



View attachment 206771

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206769


5 November 2015 – Crazy, just crazy



From utter despair to extreme ecxtasy, in only 2 minutes!! The game had started well today. Anton Brady scoring two goal to put Peterhead up 2 nil after 55 minutes.


View attachment 206768


View attachment 206767



Then came the fightback, first Smith dragged one back fro Alloe in the 77th minute before Layne scored the goal that appeared to secure Alloa a point in the 90th minute. McGhee was furious!!


View attachment 206766


View attachment 206764



Cometh the hour (and a half) cometh the man though and McAllister, collecting his own rebound, smashed in from close range to rip all 3 points back for Petehead! A wonderful finish for the fans but for the Managers? Not so much…


View attachment 206763


View attachment 206762

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206761


19 November 2016 – On the improve



A much harder game then it appeared to be on paper had McGhee smiling at full time. Despite their low position on the table Annan served it up to Peterhead here.


Peterhead got on the board when McAllister put them ahead after only 2 minutes when he got on the end of a McCluskey cross. From that moment on though, Annan were every bit the Blue Toon’s match.


View attachment 206759



Fortunately Peterhead have been much more resilient at the back in recent times and saw out the victory which again was huge the way the season is panning out.


View attachment 206760

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206758


26 November 2016 - Stay, just a little bit longer...



Next McGhee had to navigate his team through the Scottish Cup 3rd round against league 2 side East Stirlingshire. Disappointly, a rotated squad couldn’t do the business even at home…

View attachment 206757




Thanfully later that week Charlie got some very good news when Peterhead proposed new contract talks. It didn’t take Charlie long to sign on the bottom line – he’s at a club he loves and enjoying life at the moment!


View attachment 206756


View attachment 206755

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206754


30 November 2016 – Really nice.



This had to go down as probably the best all round team performance in Charlie’s tenure. Despite preferring to wherever possible play on the counter Charlie has his team also looking to knock it around when the opposition sits deep and the counter isn’t on and today was such a day.


Their first goal came when Wilkie stole in at the far post to turn a cross home.


View attachment 206750



Anton Brady continued his recent good form when he also got on the end of a cross and finished from close range.


View attachment 206749



The scorline was pleasing today but most impressive was the performance. The Blue Toon had been dominant against an opposition sitting very close to them on the table. This won pushed Peterhead up into the playoff sports in 4th – the challenge will be to stay there now!


View attachment 206748

 

[xJamieWilliams]

This is a great read mate

 

[ninjaskill]

Doing well and nice job getting the new contract as well. Expect there may be some interest in Charlie soon from further up the leagues

 

[Yeti01]

This is a great read mate

Cheers Jamie! As always really enjoying your Stevie G Story.

Doing well and nice job getting the new contract as well. Expect there may be some interest in Charlie soon from further up the leagues

Cheers mate. I'm actually really enjoying this challenge at the moment (am finding it extremely hard to develop any kind of consistency at the moment as the next few updates will show!!) so will definitely stick around for another year or two.

I'm actually a bit torn as, seeing this was his only favored club from the BAP story, I think, regardless of how ambitious he might be, he probably shouldn't leave them until he has them established in the Scottish Premiership - which could take a while at my current rate of improvement!!

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206207


6 December 2016 – Wow



This week didn’t start off so well when Peterhead were bundled out of the Scottish Cup by League 2 side East Stirlingshire. Despite being by far the better of the two sides a rotated Peterhead squad succumbed to 2 extra time goals…


View attachment 206206



If that was bad though worse was to come. The Blue Toon then travelled to Brechin for an away match that, on paper at least, it appeared that Peterhead would be favorites for. Things didn’t quite work out that way. A combination of poor finishing and disgraceful defending lead to them being 4 nil down after only 57 minutes…


View attachment 206205
View attachment 206204


View attachment 206203


View attachment 206202



Peterhead did drag one back on 89 minutes when tucked one home but the game has well and truly left them behind at that point!!


View attachment 206201



A disappointing display after working so hard to reestablish themselves in the playoff spots.


View attachment 206200

 

[Lippo255]

:S a couple of poor performances there mate. Sure you can right the ship though.

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206196

10 December 2016 – The El Bakhtoui show



Charlie just shook his head… ‘I suppose this was against Dunfermline and I shouldn’t be too ****** off..’ he thought to himself as he trudged over and shook Allan Moore’s hand. He was right, Dunfermline are one of only 2 fully professional (Livingston being the other) in League 1 this season and had been by far the better side here. Doesn’t mean he wasn’t disappointed though.


Fassail El Bakhtoui had been the star of the show today. Grabbing himself another hattrick against the Blue Toon after his 3 goals in the final game of last season…


View attachment 206195


View attachment 206194


View attachment 206193



Up and down, McGhee’s biggest concern appears to be getting his team playing with a modicum of consistency at the moment!!


View attachment 206192

 

[Yeti01]

View attachment 206191

17 December 2016 - Ouch!!


Charlie couldn't even really bear to look at the papers. They had been embarrassed against Livingston. The worst part was it had been at home and the fans weren't happy!! "F*cking something needs to change and fast!!" McGhee thought to himself as he threw the headline to one side and started his commute to the training pitch....

View attachment 206190

(I'll just leave this here...)​

View attachment 206189