Tough start to life in League 1, but every point counts towards survival!
In our situation (lost count of the amount of times i've said that so far), every point is a success!
Turning Queen's Park into kings
- Thread starter CraigWL
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In our situation (lost count of the amount of times i've said that so far), every point is a success!
SEPTEMBER 2017 (It's back...again)
MONTROSE V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Five changes from our valiant effort against Hearts, as Wylie, Whyte, Steeves, Blair and Smith come in for Burns, Mitchell, Coll, Gibson and Marr. We've had a tough time in League 1 so far, we need to be looking at this as a chance to kick start our season. We're also coming up against one of our old loanees in Ryan Baptie.
We got off to a typically horrendous start, as a long ball over the top from Liam Smith found Gardyne, who ran through and side footed it past Muir to make it 1-0. It wouldn't get any better for us, as Splaine headed in a Fyfe cross not too long after. We were struggling to mount any sort of offense and were lucky not to fall behind just after half time when Fyfe headed a Callaghan corner onto the bar. The ball was eventually cleared only as far as Young, who played the ball forward to McIntosh, who took advantage of George Smith failing to push up with rest of the defensive line and got in behind to make it 3-0.
It was getting embarrassing now, and a good passing move from Montrose allowed McIntosh to find his way into the box before he was felled by Blair, giving Montrose a penalty. Fyfe stepped up and drilled the spot kick into the bottom right to give Montrose their 4th goal of the day. To top off our horrific afternoon, Whyte went off with an injury, while Blair and Greig appeared to be struggling with knocks.
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An atrocious performance, we showed nowhere near as much fight as we did against Hearts, we were never in the game.
Chris Blair has also been ruled out for 4-5 weeks with a twisted knee. Yohan Mathis is back in full training, however.
QUEEN'S PARK V COWDENBEATH (League 1)
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Two changes from the mauling at Montrose, as Gibson and Mitchell replace Whyte and the injured Blair. A much improved performance is needed here.
We almost took the lead early on in the game, as Berry fed the ball to Mitchell, who turned into the area before firing a shot off which was tipped on to the post by Sneddon. It wasn't long into the second half before we would again strike the woodwork, when Wylie headed an early Smith cross onto the post from close range. We finally found the breakthrough mere moments later, as Black passed the ball to Collins, allowing him to turn and find the bottom right corner from the edge of the area.
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A much needed win, and a very good performance, Cowdenbeath did little to trouble us.
This match also led to Stuart Taylor losing his job as Cowdenbeath manager, despite the club sitting 5th and only 4 points off of 1st. One downside from this match is that, like Blair, Andrew Greig will also be out for around 4 weeks with a twisted knee.
Thomas Collins was also named in the team of the week after his performance
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CLYDE V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Four changes for this game, with Horribine, Davison, Whyte and Coll replacing Wylie, Mitchell, Steeves and the injured Greig. Big match here, Clyde have yet to even gain a point this season, so we'll have to be on our guard, we don't usually do well in these situations.
We took an early lead, when Berry evaded an Ashgar challenge inside the area before seeing his effort acrobatically saved by Martin. The ball fell to Horribine, who chipped the ball back in, allowing Whyte to run in and smash a left footed volley in to give us a 1-0 advantage. We were pegged back in the 29th minute however, when Brady got onto a corner from O'Brien at the near post and tapped in to level the scoring.
Just a couple of minutes later we nearly regained the lead, when Davison dinked a ball into the box which evaded the head of McMann, allowing Collins to hit a first time volley which was well saved by Martin. We suffered a blow just before half time, as McMillan was forced off with an injury. We eventually took the lead again in the 62nd minute, as Whyte slipped in Davison, who took a touch before lashign a left footed shot beyond Martin into the net. We conceded almost instantaneously however, as Aidan Smith played a through ball to Brady, who ran in and finessed a left footed shot which went in off the inside of the left hand post.
Heartbreak struck in the 86th minute, as Kerr Young rose highest to nod in a Downie corner from the penalty spot. To cap off the disappointment, Coll went off with an injury deep into stoppage time.
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Not a bad performance, but ultimately a poor result, and again we fail to kick the habit of struggling against teams on bad form.
QUEEN'S PARK V AIRDRIE (League 1)
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Another five changes for this game, as Wylie, Mathis, Mitchell, Steeves and Marr come in for Horribine, Davison, Whyte, Coll and Gibson.
We had the ball in the net in the first minute when Mathis lashed in after a ball from Mitchell, but the linesman had his flag up for offside. We nearly conceded in the 19th minute when Campbell ran about 30 yards with the ball, but Muir was able to palm the ball wide. We took the lead in the 25th minute when Mitchell stroked a right footed shot into the top left corner from the edge of the box. We doubled our lead mere seconds later when Mathis chested down a cross from Wylie before lashing home past Brown.
Airdrie had a chance to halve the deficit, after Steeves slid in from behind on Campbell, leading to the ref pointing to the spot. Watt stepped up and placed his penalty into the bottom left corner. Airdrie nearly equalised in the 35th minute when a cross from Watt eventually broke to Docherty, but Muir was again on hand to save. We made it 3-1 in the 69th minute, when Marr crossed in and found substitute Cameron, who turned the ball home. Cameron almost doubled his tally for the day, but he volleyed over a Mathis cross just moments later.
We scored again in the 78th minute, as Wylie received a short corner from Mathis, before drilling across the box and finding Marr, who poked home.
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An excellent win for us, which keeps us clear of the drop zone, in a very tight league.
DUMBARTON V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Four changes from the win against Airdrie, as Burns, Davison, Whyte and Gibson replace Wylie, Mathis, Marr and McMillan.
This will be an exceptionally tough game, Dumbarton thrashed Stirling 5-0 in their last game, and playing at home they'll be looking to follow that up.
We should have been 1-0 up after five minutes, when Collins slipped in Davison, but he blazed his shot over the bar. Dumbarton had a chance of their own when McCallum latched onto a lofted through ball from Megginson, but his 1 on 1 chance was well stopped by Muir. We fell behind in the 63rd minute when a Turner corner found its way to McGeever, who easily scored to give Dumbarton the lead. We had a chance to equalise just moments later, but Auriemma headed a Burns cross straight into the arms of Ewings.
Dumbarton would make us pay for the miss, as McKerracher slipped a ball through to Megginson, who beat Muir to the ball to double Dumbarton's lead. We gave ourselves a fighting chance in the 71st minute when Craigie dinked the ball through to Davison, who lashed home to halve the deficit. Our hopes weren't raised for long however, as Black missed his header following a long ball over the top, allowing Megginson to rush in and bag his second of the day. The game was really opening up, and we managed to score our second when a good passing move led to the ball reaching Auriemma, who found the bottom left corner from just inside the area.
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A good effort against a very good Dumbarton side, but the result leaves us only 2 points off the bottom of the league with a good bit of work to do.
Gavin Mitchell made it into 3rd place for the young player of the month award.
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MONTROSE V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Five changes from our valiant effort against Hearts, as Wylie, Whyte, Steeves, Blair and Smith come in for Burns, Mitchell, Coll, Gibson and Marr. We've had a tough time in League 1 so far, we need to be looking at this as a chance to kick start our season. We're also coming up against one of our old loanees in Ryan Baptie.
We got off to a typically horrendous start, as a long ball over the top from Liam Smith found Gardyne, who ran through and side footed it past Muir to make it 1-0. It wouldn't get any better for us, as Splaine headed in a Fyfe cross not too long after. We were struggling to mount any sort of offense and were lucky not to fall behind just after half time when Fyfe headed a Callaghan corner onto the bar. The ball was eventually cleared only as far as Young, who played the ball forward to McIntosh, who took advantage of George Smith failing to push up with rest of the defensive line and got in behind to make it 3-0.
It was getting embarrassing now, and a good passing move from Montrose allowed McIntosh to find his way into the box before he was felled by Blair, giving Montrose a penalty. Fyfe stepped up and drilled the spot kick into the bottom right to give Montrose their 4th goal of the day. To top off our horrific afternoon, Whyte went off with an injury, while Blair and Greig appeared to be struggling with knocks.
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An atrocious performance, we showed nowhere near as much fight as we did against Hearts, we were never in the game.
Chris Blair has also been ruled out for 4-5 weeks with a twisted knee. Yohan Mathis is back in full training, however.
QUEEN'S PARK V COWDENBEATH (League 1)
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Two changes from the mauling at Montrose, as Gibson and Mitchell replace Whyte and the injured Blair. A much improved performance is needed here.
We almost took the lead early on in the game, as Berry fed the ball to Mitchell, who turned into the area before firing a shot off which was tipped on to the post by Sneddon. It wasn't long into the second half before we would again strike the woodwork, when Wylie headed an early Smith cross onto the post from close range. We finally found the breakthrough mere moments later, as Black passed the ball to Collins, allowing him to turn and find the bottom right corner from the edge of the area.
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A much needed win, and a very good performance, Cowdenbeath did little to trouble us.
This match also led to Stuart Taylor losing his job as Cowdenbeath manager, despite the club sitting 5th and only 4 points off of 1st. One downside from this match is that, like Blair, Andrew Greig will also be out for around 4 weeks with a twisted knee.
Thomas Collins was also named in the team of the week after his performance
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CLYDE V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Four changes for this game, with Horribine, Davison, Whyte and Coll replacing Wylie, Mitchell, Steeves and the injured Greig. Big match here, Clyde have yet to even gain a point this season, so we'll have to be on our guard, we don't usually do well in these situations.
We took an early lead, when Berry evaded an Ashgar challenge inside the area before seeing his effort acrobatically saved by Martin. The ball fell to Horribine, who chipped the ball back in, allowing Whyte to run in and smash a left footed volley in to give us a 1-0 advantage. We were pegged back in the 29th minute however, when Brady got onto a corner from O'Brien at the near post and tapped in to level the scoring.
Just a couple of minutes later we nearly regained the lead, when Davison dinked a ball into the box which evaded the head of McMann, allowing Collins to hit a first time volley which was well saved by Martin. We suffered a blow just before half time, as McMillan was forced off with an injury. We eventually took the lead again in the 62nd minute, as Whyte slipped in Davison, who took a touch before lashign a left footed shot beyond Martin into the net. We conceded almost instantaneously however, as Aidan Smith played a through ball to Brady, who ran in and finessed a left footed shot which went in off the inside of the left hand post.
Heartbreak struck in the 86th minute, as Kerr Young rose highest to nod in a Downie corner from the penalty spot. To cap off the disappointment, Coll went off with an injury deep into stoppage time.
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Not a bad performance, but ultimately a poor result, and again we fail to kick the habit of struggling against teams on bad form.
QUEEN'S PARK V AIRDRIE (League 1)
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Another five changes for this game, as Wylie, Mathis, Mitchell, Steeves and Marr come in for Horribine, Davison, Whyte, Coll and Gibson.
We had the ball in the net in the first minute when Mathis lashed in after a ball from Mitchell, but the linesman had his flag up for offside. We nearly conceded in the 19th minute when Campbell ran about 30 yards with the ball, but Muir was able to palm the ball wide. We took the lead in the 25th minute when Mitchell stroked a right footed shot into the top left corner from the edge of the box. We doubled our lead mere seconds later when Mathis chested down a cross from Wylie before lashing home past Brown.
Airdrie had a chance to halve the deficit, after Steeves slid in from behind on Campbell, leading to the ref pointing to the spot. Watt stepped up and placed his penalty into the bottom left corner. Airdrie nearly equalised in the 35th minute when a cross from Watt eventually broke to Docherty, but Muir was again on hand to save. We made it 3-1 in the 69th minute, when Marr crossed in and found substitute Cameron, who turned the ball home. Cameron almost doubled his tally for the day, but he volleyed over a Mathis cross just moments later.
We scored again in the 78th minute, as Wylie received a short corner from Mathis, before drilling across the box and finding Marr, who poked home.
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An excellent win for us, which keeps us clear of the drop zone, in a very tight league.
DUMBARTON V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Four changes from the win against Airdrie, as Burns, Davison, Whyte and Gibson replace Wylie, Mathis, Marr and McMillan.
This will be an exceptionally tough game, Dumbarton thrashed Stirling 5-0 in their last game, and playing at home they'll be looking to follow that up.
We should have been 1-0 up after five minutes, when Collins slipped in Davison, but he blazed his shot over the bar. Dumbarton had a chance of their own when McCallum latched onto a lofted through ball from Megginson, but his 1 on 1 chance was well stopped by Muir. We fell behind in the 63rd minute when a Turner corner found its way to McGeever, who easily scored to give Dumbarton the lead. We had a chance to equalise just moments later, but Auriemma headed a Burns cross straight into the arms of Ewings.
Dumbarton would make us pay for the miss, as McKerracher slipped a ball through to Megginson, who beat Muir to the ball to double Dumbarton's lead. We gave ourselves a fighting chance in the 71st minute when Craigie dinked the ball through to Davison, who lashed home to halve the deficit. Our hopes weren't raised for long however, as Black missed his header following a long ball over the top, allowing Megginson to rush in and bag his second of the day. The game was really opening up, and we managed to score our second when a good passing move led to the ball reaching Auriemma, who found the bottom left corner from just inside the area.
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A good effort against a very good Dumbarton side, but the result leaves us only 2 points off the bottom of the league with a good bit of work to do.
Gavin Mitchell made it into 3rd place for the young player of the month award.
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OCTOBER 2017
BERWICK V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Four changes from the defeat against Dumbarton, as Wylie, Blair and McMillan replace Whyte, Gibson and Burns. We have a solid past record against Berwick, winning 4 and drawing 1 of our 5 encounters with them, we must be looking to continue that run here.
We fell behind just after the 20 minute mark when Lavery found space down the left flank and crossed to an unmarked Dillon, who volleyed past Muir to give Dumbarton the lead. We almost equalised moments later when Wylie knocked down a Mitchell cross to Collins, but his volley was well saved by Scully. We were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute, when Black tripped Lavery 25 yards out and received his second yellow card.
Lavery was again involved 6 minutes later, as he headed in at the near post to double Dumbarton's lead. We shipped a third goal late on when O'Neill got onto a Jacobs cross at the back post and slammed home past Muir.
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A very poor showing which leaves us bottom of the league, the reality of the situation was really setting in...
In other news, we learned who we would face in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup...
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AYR V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Three changes from our loss to Dumbarton, as Greig, Berry and Gibson come in for Wylie, Black and McMillan. We have to be looking at this as a winnable game, Ayr have won less game than we have this season but are the draw specialists of the league, drawing 6 of their 9 games so far this season.
We took the lead after just 4 minutes, when Thom ended up putting the ball into his own net as he attempted to stop Collins from scoring at the near post. Ayr would hit back in the 38th minute however, when Blakeman curled home a free kick from 20 yards. We appeared to have regained the lead in the 67th minute, but the flag was raised for offside after Greig latched on to a long ball over the top and placed his shot past Hutton.
Ayr had the ball in the net themselves in the 77th minute, when Court ran on to an Adeyemo through ball and beat Muir, but the linesman's flag was again raised for offside.
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Perhaps a fortunate result given the match stats, but we'll certainly take it.
QUEEN'S PARK V RAITH (League 1)
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Three changes from the draw at Ayr, as Craigie, Auriemma and Black come in for Whyte, Mitchell and Gibson. We could do ourselves a big favour here by winning this game, we don't want to fall behind the rest of the pack.
We took the lead after an incredible 17 seconds, as a Davison cross eventually broke to Greig, who slammed home to give us the advantage. Our lead didn't last long however, when Grant turned in a Gardyne corner at the near post. Raith took the lead mere moments later when Murphy got ahead of Black to score after Finnie cross. We had an excellent opportunity to draw level in the 24th minute, when Davison broke into the box and was tripped by Bates. Davison stepped up and duly dispatched his spot kick. We weren't level for long though, when a superb Raith passing move led to an opportunity for Murphy, and he drilled his shot in along the floor.
Murphy was on hand to bag his hat trick late on in the first half when he received a cross at the near post before slamming home. We gave ourselves a fighting chance midway through the second half, as Bates could only head out as far as Wylie, who volleyed into an empty net from just inside the area after McGurn had attempted to claim the ball. Our fans were sent into raptures in the 87th minute when Collins fired into the top corner after a through ball from Craigie, only to be left heartbroken as they saw the linesman's flag raised for offside.
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We were unlucky to lose that one, but that's little consolation, we need to start picking up wins soon otherwise our task will become exceptionally tough.
It wasn't a totally disastrous month for us, as Gregor Wylie won the Young Player of the Month award
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BERWICK V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Four changes from the defeat against Dumbarton, as Wylie, Blair and McMillan replace Whyte, Gibson and Burns. We have a solid past record against Berwick, winning 4 and drawing 1 of our 5 encounters with them, we must be looking to continue that run here.
We fell behind just after the 20 minute mark when Lavery found space down the left flank and crossed to an unmarked Dillon, who volleyed past Muir to give Dumbarton the lead. We almost equalised moments later when Wylie knocked down a Mitchell cross to Collins, but his volley was well saved by Scully. We were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute, when Black tripped Lavery 25 yards out and received his second yellow card.
Lavery was again involved 6 minutes later, as he headed in at the near post to double Dumbarton's lead. We shipped a third goal late on when O'Neill got onto a Jacobs cross at the back post and slammed home past Muir.
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A very poor showing which leaves us bottom of the league, the reality of the situation was really setting in...
In other news, we learned who we would face in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup...
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AYR V QUEEN'S PARK (League 1)
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Three changes from our loss to Dumbarton, as Greig, Berry and Gibson come in for Wylie, Black and McMillan. We have to be looking at this as a winnable game, Ayr have won less game than we have this season but are the draw specialists of the league, drawing 6 of their 9 games so far this season.
We took the lead after just 4 minutes, when Thom ended up putting the ball into his own net as he attempted to stop Collins from scoring at the near post. Ayr would hit back in the 38th minute however, when Blakeman curled home a free kick from 20 yards. We appeared to have regained the lead in the 67th minute, but the flag was raised for offside after Greig latched on to a long ball over the top and placed his shot past Hutton.
Ayr had the ball in the net themselves in the 77th minute, when Court ran on to an Adeyemo through ball and beat Muir, but the linesman's flag was again raised for offside.
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Perhaps a fortunate result given the match stats, but we'll certainly take it.
QUEEN'S PARK V RAITH (League 1)
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Three changes from the draw at Ayr, as Craigie, Auriemma and Black come in for Whyte, Mitchell and Gibson. We could do ourselves a big favour here by winning this game, we don't want to fall behind the rest of the pack.
We took the lead after an incredible 17 seconds, as a Davison cross eventually broke to Greig, who slammed home to give us the advantage. Our lead didn't last long however, when Grant turned in a Gardyne corner at the near post. Raith took the lead mere moments later when Murphy got ahead of Black to score after Finnie cross. We had an excellent opportunity to draw level in the 24th minute, when Davison broke into the box and was tripped by Bates. Davison stepped up and duly dispatched his spot kick. We weren't level for long though, when a superb Raith passing move led to an opportunity for Murphy, and he drilled his shot in along the floor.
Murphy was on hand to bag his hat trick late on in the first half when he received a cross at the near post before slamming home. We gave ourselves a fighting chance midway through the second half, as Bates could only head out as far as Wylie, who volleyed into an empty net from just inside the area after McGurn had attempted to claim the ball. Our fans were sent into raptures in the 87th minute when Collins fired into the top corner after a through ball from Craigie, only to be left heartbroken as they saw the linesman's flag raised for offside.
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We were unlucky to lose that one, but that's little consolation, we need to start picking up wins soon otherwise our task will become exceptionally tough.
It wasn't a totally disastrous month for us, as Gregor Wylie won the Young Player of the Month award
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NOVEMBER 2017
QUEEN'S PARK V DUMBARTON (Scottish Cup 3rd Round)
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Three changes from our previous game, as Mitchell, Whyte and Gibson come in for Craigie, Auriemma and Blair. This should be an interesting game, it would be nice to progress in the cup, but the league is our main focus.
We took the lead in the opening 10 minutes, as Greig played his corner just inside the area, allowing Berry to run in and lash past Ewings. Dumbarton almost leveled moments later, but Muir was able to deny Turner. It didn't take long for Dumbarton to actually find the net however, when a long throw broke to Turner, who powered in to make it 1-1.
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A decent performance, and we've done well to draw, but going to Dumbarton and winning will be a very tough ask.
If we pull it off, we will be rewarded with a visit by St. Johnstone.
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DUMBARTON V QUEEN'S PARK (Scottish Cup 3rd Round Replay)
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Four changes from the last encounter with Dumbarton, as Greig, Auriemma, Craigie and Blair replace Burns, Mitchell, Whyte and Steeves.
Things didn't get off to a good start, as Davison went off with an injury in the 5th minute. We fell behind in the 33rd minute when McGeever nodded down a Kirkpatrick cross to Turner, who slammed home to give Dumbarton the lead. We had a good chance to equalise early in the second half when Greig latched on to a long ball, but his effort was poorly hit right into the arms of Ewings. Greig had the ball in the net in the 65th minute, but his goal was chalked off as he was adjudged to have punched a Gibson cross in.
And, with just 15 minutes, we suffered our second injury of the game as Wylie went off. Dumbarton killed the game off with just 5 minutes left as McKerracher slid through Mackay, who slipped it under Muir to make it 2-0.
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A poor result, but not an unexpected one, we're really struggling lately.
This match also marks Thomas Collins' 8th game in a row without a goal for the club, a surprising run given his decent form at the start of the campaign.
QUEEN'S PARK V MONTROSE (League One)
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Six changes from the Dumbarton loss, as Jackson, Mathis, Donnelly, Mitchell, Steeves and Marr replace Collins, Davison, Auriemma, Craigie, Gibson and Smith. We really need to be looking at picking up a win here, lest we start falling a long way behind the rest of the pack. We are also coming up against our old loanee left back, Ryan Baptie.
We took the lead just after the minute mark, as McDonald attempted to hoof the ball clear, but the ball struck Mitchell and fell into the path of Jackson, who squeezed it past Farningham to score his first goal for the club. Our chances of holding on to our slender lead took a blow in the 27th minute however, when Blair received his marching orders for tripping McIntosh when he was the last man. We almost doubled our advantage five minutes later, when Mitchell played a through ball to Black, but he shot wide with a first time effort.
Montrose found an equaliser when Splaine crossed to the back post and found McLauchlan, who tapped in. Montrose appeared to have taken the lead on the stroke of half time, but Brown's effort was chalked off for offside. We handed Montrose a golden chance to go 2-1 up with just 15 minutes left as Black tripped Bain as he was running down the byline into the area. Bain dusted himself down, but fired his penalty straight down the middle and Muir was able to palm the ball out wide. Montrose again came forward in the 78th minute, and nearly took the lead when Hutchison crossed to the back post and found Splaine, but Splaine's volley was superbly saved by Muir.
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Disappointing to not win the game, but given that we went down to 10 men, not a bad point to get.
Unfortunately, this game also means that we have gone 5 games without winning in the league, a run which we need to end soon.
STIRLING V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Five changes from the Montrose game, as Collins, Horribine, Craigie, Gibson and Smith come in for Jackson, Mathis, Donnelly, Marr and the suspended Blair.
We fell behind in the 19th minute when Burns was found at the back post by Coulson, allowing him to tap in. Things got even worse for us not too long later, when MacKenzie drilled along the floor to Cunningham, who easily scored from 6 yards.
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Another poor performance from us, in a game which again we never really turned up for.
So, that now makes it 6 games without a win for us, a terrible run of form for sure. We weren't adapting to the league well at all, and our team just wasn't looking like a cohesive unit, more like a bunch of strangers. The question is, could we turn it around? Are we good enough to stay in League One?
QUEEN'S PARK V DUMBARTON (Scottish Cup 3rd Round)
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Three changes from our previous game, as Mitchell, Whyte and Gibson come in for Craigie, Auriemma and Blair. This should be an interesting game, it would be nice to progress in the cup, but the league is our main focus.
We took the lead in the opening 10 minutes, as Greig played his corner just inside the area, allowing Berry to run in and lash past Ewings. Dumbarton almost leveled moments later, but Muir was able to deny Turner. It didn't take long for Dumbarton to actually find the net however, when a long throw broke to Turner, who powered in to make it 1-1.
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A decent performance, and we've done well to draw, but going to Dumbarton and winning will be a very tough ask.
If we pull it off, we will be rewarded with a visit by St. Johnstone.
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DUMBARTON V QUEEN'S PARK (Scottish Cup 3rd Round Replay)
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Four changes from the last encounter with Dumbarton, as Greig, Auriemma, Craigie and Blair replace Burns, Mitchell, Whyte and Steeves.
Things didn't get off to a good start, as Davison went off with an injury in the 5th minute. We fell behind in the 33rd minute when McGeever nodded down a Kirkpatrick cross to Turner, who slammed home to give Dumbarton the lead. We had a good chance to equalise early in the second half when Greig latched on to a long ball, but his effort was poorly hit right into the arms of Ewings. Greig had the ball in the net in the 65th minute, but his goal was chalked off as he was adjudged to have punched a Gibson cross in.
And, with just 15 minutes, we suffered our second injury of the game as Wylie went off. Dumbarton killed the game off with just 5 minutes left as McKerracher slid through Mackay, who slipped it under Muir to make it 2-0.
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A poor result, but not an unexpected one, we're really struggling lately.
This match also marks Thomas Collins' 8th game in a row without a goal for the club, a surprising run given his decent form at the start of the campaign.
QUEEN'S PARK V MONTROSE (League One)
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Six changes from the Dumbarton loss, as Jackson, Mathis, Donnelly, Mitchell, Steeves and Marr replace Collins, Davison, Auriemma, Craigie, Gibson and Smith. We really need to be looking at picking up a win here, lest we start falling a long way behind the rest of the pack. We are also coming up against our old loanee left back, Ryan Baptie.
We took the lead just after the minute mark, as McDonald attempted to hoof the ball clear, but the ball struck Mitchell and fell into the path of Jackson, who squeezed it past Farningham to score his first goal for the club. Our chances of holding on to our slender lead took a blow in the 27th minute however, when Blair received his marching orders for tripping McIntosh when he was the last man. We almost doubled our advantage five minutes later, when Mitchell played a through ball to Black, but he shot wide with a first time effort.
Montrose found an equaliser when Splaine crossed to the back post and found McLauchlan, who tapped in. Montrose appeared to have taken the lead on the stroke of half time, but Brown's effort was chalked off for offside. We handed Montrose a golden chance to go 2-1 up with just 15 minutes left as Black tripped Bain as he was running down the byline into the area. Bain dusted himself down, but fired his penalty straight down the middle and Muir was able to palm the ball out wide. Montrose again came forward in the 78th minute, and nearly took the lead when Hutchison crossed to the back post and found Splaine, but Splaine's volley was superbly saved by Muir.
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Disappointing to not win the game, but given that we went down to 10 men, not a bad point to get.
Unfortunately, this game also means that we have gone 5 games without winning in the league, a run which we need to end soon.
STIRLING V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Five changes from the Montrose game, as Collins, Horribine, Craigie, Gibson and Smith come in for Jackson, Mathis, Donnelly, Marr and the suspended Blair.
We fell behind in the 19th minute when Burns was found at the back post by Coulson, allowing him to tap in. Things got even worse for us not too long later, when MacKenzie drilled along the floor to Cunningham, who easily scored from 6 yards.
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Another poor performance from us, in a game which again we never really turned up for.
So, that now makes it 6 games without a win for us, a terrible run of form for sure. We weren't adapting to the league well at all, and our team just wasn't looking like a cohesive unit, more like a bunch of strangers. The question is, could we turn it around? Are we good enough to stay in League One?
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I really hope it comes sometime soon before we end up too far adrift!
DECEMBER 2017
COWDENBEATH V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Three changes from our loss to Stirling, as Mathis, Auriemma and Blair replace Horribine, Black and Smith. I'm not expecting too much from this game, the lads are low on confidence and Cowdenbeath are flying in 3rd place right now, we just needed to do our best.
We almost took a sensational early lead when Collins set up Greig just inside the area, but Thomson produced an excellent save to deny him. We were under the cosh from that moment on in the first half, and unfortunately Craigie was forced off with an injury not long before the interval. We started the second half horrendously and fell behind in the first minute of it, as a long throw caused havoc inside our area before the ball fell to Glen, who stroked home to give Cowdenbeath a lead.
The game was reaching its final stages, and just when it looked like we were out of it, Auriemma received the ball from Berry 25 yards out, took a touch, and curled a superb strike into the top right corner, sending our dugout into raptures.
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A great result given the gap between the two sides, but it still leaves us bottom of the league, and now 3 points adrift of Clyde in 8th due to their victory.
Unfortunately, due to the bruised rib he sustained during the game, Thomas Collins will miss roughly 2 weeks of action. Auriemma was also named in the team of the week for his superb goal.
Also, despite our poor form, i was still being linked with (and offered) the odd job here and there.
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It really isn't the correct time to be leaving, though.
Kudos to our U20s for snatching this result, too!
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QUEEN'S PARK V CLYDE (League One)
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Four changes from the dramatic game against Cowdenbeath, as Horribine, Wylie, Coll and Marr replace Mathis, Steeves, Craigie and the injured Collins. This is a great opportunity to get a win, one which could see us rise out of the drop zone if Ayr also fail to win.
After a largely uneventful first half, Smith latched on to a long ball over the top from McMillan, before placing it past Muir to give Clyde a 1-0 lead.
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A very dull and drab game, where the only real incident was Clyde scoring their goal. If we had played anything like we did against Cowdenbeath, we probably would have gotten something out of this.
After a team meeting with the squad after the match in an attempt to raise morale, we were as ready as we ever would be to go into our next encounter against Airdrie.
Speculation on my future was still running wild, however.
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AIRDRIE V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Five changes from our defeat to Clyde, as Collins, Davison, Craigie and Steeves replace Wylie, Horribine, Auriemma, and Coll. 17 year old Darren Clark also comes in for Marr to make his senior league debut.
We took an early lead as Collins played the ball to the edge of the box to Davison, who knocked the ball past Love before firing into the far corner. We doubled our advantage just moments later as Greig received the ball at the near post from a corner before crossing in to Blair, who headed it past Brown to make it 2-0, what a performance so far!
We were inches away from making it 3-0 when Greig hit the crossbar from the edge of the area after being played in by Craigie. Airdrie should have pulled a goal back just before half time when Watt crossed to an unmarked Maxwell, but he somehow fired first time right into Muir's arms from 6 yards. Greig hit the woodwork again on the other side of half time, heading a Mitchell cross onto the post from close range.
We rattled the frame for an incredible third time, when Berry's powerful free kick struck the upright in the 52nd minute. Airdrie pulled a goal back in the 66th minute as Higgins placed the ball past Muir after being fed in by Maxwell. Maxwell had a chance of his own as he fired from the edge of the box, but he was denied by a great block from McMillan. We hit the post yet again in the 69th minute when Davison had a long range effort which struck the inside of the post and bounced clear.
The action was becoming frantic, and Airdrie could have equalised just a minute later when McQueen was found with a long ball, but thankfully Muir was on hand to tip the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner however, the ball fell to Stewart, who lashed a powerful effort against our crossbar, which saw the ball bounce out to Watt, who tapped in to an empty net. Devastating.
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A big disappointment to throw the lead away like that, but at least we're off the bottom. The performance left me with some optimism going forward, too.
Chris Blair and Thomas Collins were named in the team of the week for their showings in this game.
QUEEN'S PARK V BERWICK (League One)
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Five changes from the last game, as Horribine, Jackson, Auriemma, Black and Marr come in for Collins, Davison, Clark, Gibson and Mitchell. This is a mammoth task for us, Berwick had won 11 of their 16 games so far and were flying at the top of the league, we could be embarrassed if we have a real off day.
We could have fell behind early on after a drilled long ball found Dillon, but he was denied by a superb sliding tackle by Blair. We thought we had gotten away with it but the resulting corner led to carnage inside our area, and the ball was eventually scrambled in by Ross to give Berwick a 1-0 lead.
Things got no better for us in the 36th minute, when a strike from Ferguson deflected off of Steeves and into the net. We had a decent opportunity to get a goal back just before half time when Jackson latched onto a long ball, but his shot from a fairly narrow angle was well saved by Scully. We did eventually find the net in the 56th minute however, when Horribine crossed in and found substitute Cameron, who just about beat Scully to make it 2-1. Nearly 10 minutes later and we scored a sensational equaliser, as Marr was found by Berry with a diagonal ball before crossing the ball into Cameron, who volleyed home to level the scoring, talk about a super sub!
We fell behind again just moments later however, when Currie dinked a ball over the top to Dillon, who had the ball knocked away from him by an excellent slide tackle from Marr, unfortunately the ball fell right into the path of Ferguson, who fired past the scrambling Muir. Despite some late presses from us, we weren't able to find a way back into the game.
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A great effort against the league leaders, but it again leaves us rock bottom of the table, and an appalling 10 league games without a win. The alternating wins and draws were really getting on my nerves. It also took us to 12 without winning in all competitions, which is a new club record, one which i really didn't want.
The speculation also refused to die down.
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Certainly never thought my name would be in the same article as Sami Hyypia when i started this venture.
QUEEN'S PARK V DUMBARTON (League One)
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Eight changes from the game against Berwick, as we try something different in an attempt to get a win out of this. McPherson, Wylie, Collins, Donnelly, McKinnon, Gibson and Mitchell come in for Horribine, Jackson, Greig, Craigie, Steeves, Black and Marr. 18 year old Neil Irvine also comes in for Auriemma to make his first appearance since the 14/15 season.
We should have taken the lead after just 2 minutes, when we caught Dumbarton on the counter as Collins dinked the ball over the top to Wylie, who ran through unopposed from about 30 yards, but his one on one opportunity was saved by Ewings. We conceded a penalty just a couple of minutes later however, as McKinnon handballed a cross by Agnew. Turner stepped up and duly converted the spot kick.
We had a half chance in the 17th minute after some great passing play but Collins fired into the arms of Ewings from just inside the area. We found the equaliser in the 18th minute however when McKinnon exchanged passes with Berry and was set free down the left flank before crossing in and finding Collins, who headed in to level the scoring and end his long goal drought. It took us until the 62nd minute to push forward with another attack, and Irvine had a fantastic opportunity to put us ahead after he was slipped in by Donnelly, but his effort was well saved by Ewings. The resulting corner was played to Collins at the near post, who went down after a slide tackle from behind by Graham and the ref pointed to the spot, despite Collins appearing to dive.
Gibson stepped up, but his powerful spot kick was pushed out by Ewings. That was the chance... Dumbarton almost made us pay with 15 minutes left, as Megginson headed a whipped in free kick against the post. Then, in the 81st minute, Megginson crossed in and found Turner, whose initial effort was saved by the legs of Muir, but the ball fell right into the path of McCallum, who tapped in to an empty net to give Dumbarton a late 2-1 lead. We just couldn't get a break.
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Chris Blair managed to get 2nd place in the YPOTM award
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More and more stories kept on getting forwarded to me, too, with me among the favourites to replace Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher
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I had more important things to focus on though, Hampden was a gloomy place right now, the squad was miserable, we just couldn't win a game, eleven games without a single victory is shocking by anyone's standards. I was giving my all and trying everything but nothing was working...
COWDENBEATH V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Three changes from our loss to Stirling, as Mathis, Auriemma and Blair replace Horribine, Black and Smith. I'm not expecting too much from this game, the lads are low on confidence and Cowdenbeath are flying in 3rd place right now, we just needed to do our best.
We almost took a sensational early lead when Collins set up Greig just inside the area, but Thomson produced an excellent save to deny him. We were under the cosh from that moment on in the first half, and unfortunately Craigie was forced off with an injury not long before the interval. We started the second half horrendously and fell behind in the first minute of it, as a long throw caused havoc inside our area before the ball fell to Glen, who stroked home to give Cowdenbeath a lead.
The game was reaching its final stages, and just when it looked like we were out of it, Auriemma received the ball from Berry 25 yards out, took a touch, and curled a superb strike into the top right corner, sending our dugout into raptures.
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A great result given the gap between the two sides, but it still leaves us bottom of the league, and now 3 points adrift of Clyde in 8th due to their victory.
Unfortunately, due to the bruised rib he sustained during the game, Thomas Collins will miss roughly 2 weeks of action. Auriemma was also named in the team of the week for his superb goal.
Also, despite our poor form, i was still being linked with (and offered) the odd job here and there.
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It really isn't the correct time to be leaving, though.
Kudos to our U20s for snatching this result, too!
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QUEEN'S PARK V CLYDE (League One)
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Four changes from the dramatic game against Cowdenbeath, as Horribine, Wylie, Coll and Marr replace Mathis, Steeves, Craigie and the injured Collins. This is a great opportunity to get a win, one which could see us rise out of the drop zone if Ayr also fail to win.
After a largely uneventful first half, Smith latched on to a long ball over the top from McMillan, before placing it past Muir to give Clyde a 1-0 lead.
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A very dull and drab game, where the only real incident was Clyde scoring their goal. If we had played anything like we did against Cowdenbeath, we probably would have gotten something out of this.
After a team meeting with the squad after the match in an attempt to raise morale, we were as ready as we ever would be to go into our next encounter against Airdrie.
Speculation on my future was still running wild, however.
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AIRDRIE V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Five changes from our defeat to Clyde, as Collins, Davison, Craigie and Steeves replace Wylie, Horribine, Auriemma, and Coll. 17 year old Darren Clark also comes in for Marr to make his senior league debut.
We took an early lead as Collins played the ball to the edge of the box to Davison, who knocked the ball past Love before firing into the far corner. We doubled our advantage just moments later as Greig received the ball at the near post from a corner before crossing in to Blair, who headed it past Brown to make it 2-0, what a performance so far!
We were inches away from making it 3-0 when Greig hit the crossbar from the edge of the area after being played in by Craigie. Airdrie should have pulled a goal back just before half time when Watt crossed to an unmarked Maxwell, but he somehow fired first time right into Muir's arms from 6 yards. Greig hit the woodwork again on the other side of half time, heading a Mitchell cross onto the post from close range.
We rattled the frame for an incredible third time, when Berry's powerful free kick struck the upright in the 52nd minute. Airdrie pulled a goal back in the 66th minute as Higgins placed the ball past Muir after being fed in by Maxwell. Maxwell had a chance of his own as he fired from the edge of the box, but he was denied by a great block from McMillan. We hit the post yet again in the 69th minute when Davison had a long range effort which struck the inside of the post and bounced clear.
The action was becoming frantic, and Airdrie could have equalised just a minute later when McQueen was found with a long ball, but thankfully Muir was on hand to tip the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner however, the ball fell to Stewart, who lashed a powerful effort against our crossbar, which saw the ball bounce out to Watt, who tapped in to an empty net. Devastating.
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A big disappointment to throw the lead away like that, but at least we're off the bottom. The performance left me with some optimism going forward, too.
Chris Blair and Thomas Collins were named in the team of the week for their showings in this game.
QUEEN'S PARK V BERWICK (League One)
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Five changes from the last game, as Horribine, Jackson, Auriemma, Black and Marr come in for Collins, Davison, Clark, Gibson and Mitchell. This is a mammoth task for us, Berwick had won 11 of their 16 games so far and were flying at the top of the league, we could be embarrassed if we have a real off day.
We could have fell behind early on after a drilled long ball found Dillon, but he was denied by a superb sliding tackle by Blair. We thought we had gotten away with it but the resulting corner led to carnage inside our area, and the ball was eventually scrambled in by Ross to give Berwick a 1-0 lead.
Things got no better for us in the 36th minute, when a strike from Ferguson deflected off of Steeves and into the net. We had a decent opportunity to get a goal back just before half time when Jackson latched onto a long ball, but his shot from a fairly narrow angle was well saved by Scully. We did eventually find the net in the 56th minute however, when Horribine crossed in and found substitute Cameron, who just about beat Scully to make it 2-1. Nearly 10 minutes later and we scored a sensational equaliser, as Marr was found by Berry with a diagonal ball before crossing the ball into Cameron, who volleyed home to level the scoring, talk about a super sub!
We fell behind again just moments later however, when Currie dinked a ball over the top to Dillon, who had the ball knocked away from him by an excellent slide tackle from Marr, unfortunately the ball fell right into the path of Ferguson, who fired past the scrambling Muir. Despite some late presses from us, we weren't able to find a way back into the game.
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A great effort against the league leaders, but it again leaves us rock bottom of the table, and an appalling 10 league games without a win. The alternating wins and draws were really getting on my nerves. It also took us to 12 without winning in all competitions, which is a new club record, one which i really didn't want.
The speculation also refused to die down.
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Certainly never thought my name would be in the same article as Sami Hyypia when i started this venture.
QUEEN'S PARK V DUMBARTON (League One)
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Eight changes from the game against Berwick, as we try something different in an attempt to get a win out of this. McPherson, Wylie, Collins, Donnelly, McKinnon, Gibson and Mitchell come in for Horribine, Jackson, Greig, Craigie, Steeves, Black and Marr. 18 year old Neil Irvine also comes in for Auriemma to make his first appearance since the 14/15 season.
We should have taken the lead after just 2 minutes, when we caught Dumbarton on the counter as Collins dinked the ball over the top to Wylie, who ran through unopposed from about 30 yards, but his one on one opportunity was saved by Ewings. We conceded a penalty just a couple of minutes later however, as McKinnon handballed a cross by Agnew. Turner stepped up and duly converted the spot kick.
We had a half chance in the 17th minute after some great passing play but Collins fired into the arms of Ewings from just inside the area. We found the equaliser in the 18th minute however when McKinnon exchanged passes with Berry and was set free down the left flank before crossing in and finding Collins, who headed in to level the scoring and end his long goal drought. It took us until the 62nd minute to push forward with another attack, and Irvine had a fantastic opportunity to put us ahead after he was slipped in by Donnelly, but his effort was well saved by Ewings. The resulting corner was played to Collins at the near post, who went down after a slide tackle from behind by Graham and the ref pointed to the spot, despite Collins appearing to dive.
Gibson stepped up, but his powerful spot kick was pushed out by Ewings. That was the chance... Dumbarton almost made us pay with 15 minutes left, as Megginson headed a whipped in free kick against the post. Then, in the 81st minute, Megginson crossed in and found Turner, whose initial effort was saved by the legs of Muir, but the ball fell right into the path of McCallum, who tapped in to an empty net to give Dumbarton a late 2-1 lead. We just couldn't get a break.
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Chris Blair managed to get 2nd place in the YPOTM award
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More and more stories kept on getting forwarded to me, too, with me among the favourites to replace Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher
View attachment 229302
I had more important things to focus on though, Hampden was a gloomy place right now, the squad was miserable, we just couldn't win a game, eleven games without a single victory is shocking by anyone's standards. I was giving my all and trying everything but nothing was working...
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JANUARY 2018
Another year, and we need to make it a good one if we're going to keep our place in the league. The month has kicked off with the confirmation of the departure of Daniel Hoban to Raith.
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A potentially very good goalkeeper, something which is shown by the team he has moved to, but he wasn't going to get ahead of Muir, and he wasn't happy about that, so all the best to him in the future.
QUEEN'S PARK V AYR (League One)
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Five changes from our loss to Berwick, with Collins, Davison, McMillan, Biggart and Jones coming in for Jackson, Horribine, Auriemma, Steeves and Marr. Rare starts for Biggart and Jones, they've got a good chance to impress here. This match could be huge for us, against the side only one point and one place above us in the league, a win here could give us a huge boost.
Unfortunately, we fell behind after just half an hour, as Walker turned McMillan just outside the area before striking into the bottom right corner to give Ayr a 1-0 lead. We would hit back just before half time however, as Donaldson mis controlled when he intercepted a long ball from Blair, allowing Collins to steal the ball from him before running in and sliding it past Hutton to level the scores. We then took the lead not long into the second half when Craigie set up Greig, who placed his shot into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1.
Ayr would come forward in the 70th minute when Court slipped in Walker, who saw his initial effort saved by Muir, the ball went out wide to Quitongo however, who crossed it back in to Walker, who volleyed home to equalise for Ayr. Walker almost bagged his hat trick when he latched onto a long ball over the top, but he was well denied by Muir.
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This game felt like a missed opportunity, although at least we didn't lose.
RAITH V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Four changes from the draw against Ayr, with Clark, Mitchell, Steeves and Marr coming in for Craigie, McMillan, Biggart and Jones. We're very unlikely to get a result here in truth, Raith are doing well and sitting in 4th place, and we can't get a win for love nor money.
We got off to a predictably bad start, as Paterson took down a throw in from Kerr just inside the area before being clattered into by Marr, leading to the ref pointing to the spot. Murdoch stepped up and slammed his pen into the bottom left corner. Things could have gotten worse just after the half hour mark when Hardie latched on to a long ball, but Muir was on hand to tip his effort onto the crossbar. Things DID get worse from the resulting corner however, which was headed in by Fitzpatrick after it was whipped in by Gardyne.
Things were made no easier for us in the 75th minute, when Mitchell was forced off with an injury after we had made all 3 of our subs. We gave ourselves a lifeline in the 83rd minute however, when McMillan turned home a Greig cross following a corner situation. Our hopes were dashed moments later however when Simpson charged through our backline and lashed a shot past Muir to make it 3-1.
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Another disappointing defeat to add to our long list.
I was losing faith with every passing day, at least once a week players were complaining about a lack of football, we weren't putting in the performances on the matchdays, i'd tried everything, short passing, long ball, pressing, standing off, basics, advanced tactics, different formations, everything ended the same way, with a defeat. Was it my fault? I don't know, but it was depressing. I could only shake my head while sipping something strong whenever i looked at our league position, there didn't seem to be any hope.
QUEEN'S PARK v STIRLING (League One)
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Five changes from our defeat to Raith, as Horribine, Craigie, Auriemma, Gibson and Smith come in for Davison, Clark, Mitchell, Black and Marr. The media were making us clear favourites for this one and i really don't know why, but i'd love to prove them right.
We had a decent chance to take the lead in the 23rd minute when Berry got slipped in, but his effort from a narrow angle was easily saved by Murdoch. We took the lead in the 55th minute when Berry's volley following a corner was turned in on the way through by Gibson.
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Incredible! We've actually gone and done it, we've won a game! After an incredible 13 league games without a victory, we've gone and pulled one out of the bag. We need to use this to kick on. It's also the first time we've kept a clean sheet in 17 league games. Scott Gibson and Vincent Berry were named in the team of the week for their showings.
MONTROSE V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Three changes from our win over Stirling, as Davison, Mitchell and Black replace Horribine, Craigie and Gibson. We'll have to see if we can build up some momentum after our win.
We almost fell behind early on in this snowy day when Blair miscontrolled inside his own area, presenting the ball to McIntosh, but his effort was superbly saved by Muir. We came forward with an attack of our own 7 minutes later and took the lead when Collins turned in an early cross by George Smith. We could have doubled our advantage in the very next minute, but Black fired wide when he got onto the end of a Berry free kick. McIntosh was troubling us in this game, and could have scored in the 28th minute, but he hit the side netting from a tight angle. He would finally get his reward 10 minutes later, poking home a Splaine cross at the near post. We hadn't really been troubling Montrose since that Black miss.
We flipped the script a minute later however, as Davison somehow beat Edwards at his near post from a tight angle after being played in by Collins. Montrose could have equalised with 15 minutes left when Splaine was played in from the right hand side, but he fired his effort wide of the far post. Gardyne then had a golden opportunity to equalise for Montrose, but he blazed his shot high and wide.
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Wins are apparently like buses, you wait an age for one and then two come along at once! We were probably a little lucky to get a win out of that one, but i'm certainly not going to complain.
We also received the news that James Stables has provided a cash injection of £60k to help with running costs. The finances were at least looking a lot better than when i first got here though.
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It wasn't all good news, as we lost both Darren Clark and Ross Cameron to Championship side Morton.
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Just shows how vulnerable we still are when it comes to teams poaching our players. I always expected Cameron to leave at some point, but Clark is a big shame, he could have been great for us in the coming years.
QUEEN'S PARK V COWDENBEATH (League One)
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Two changes from the win over Montrose, with Craigie and Gibson coming in for Smith and Black. I'd certainly take a draw here, 7 points from our last 3 games would be a great way to end the month.
We fell behind in the 32nd minute when a long throw caused havoc inside our area, and Steeves' attempted clearance hit Slattery and rebounded into the goal. Cowdenbeath nearly doubled their lead mere minutes later when Slattery was found at the near post with a corner, he laid the ball back to Durojaiye, who struck the foot of the post with a driven shot. The ball was eventually cleared for a corner, which found the head of Glen after being whipped in by O'Donnell, allowing him to nod home to double Cowdenbeath's lead. We nearly pulled one back 10 minutes into the second half, but Davison's left footed shot struck the left hand post as he cut inside from the right flank.
We came close to scoring a fluke 10 minutes later when Collins' attempted cross from the right flank landed on the top of the crossbar and bounced behind.
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Feels like a bit of a step backwards after the last two games, but we'd have been deluding ourselves if we were expecting the winning run to last very long.
We decided to get busy ourselves in the transfer window, bringing in ex St.Johnstone striker Bradley Sinclair to fill the void left by the departure of Cameron.
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We were also in discussions to sign ex Dundee midfielder Dale Davidson, but he opted instead to join Highland League side Peterhead.
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On the departure side of things, youth defender Darren Grant has decided to leave and join Stranraer.
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Thomas Collins also made 3rd place in the YPOTM award for January.
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Another year, and we need to make it a good one if we're going to keep our place in the league. The month has kicked off with the confirmation of the departure of Daniel Hoban to Raith.
View attachment 229260
A potentially very good goalkeeper, something which is shown by the team he has moved to, but he wasn't going to get ahead of Muir, and he wasn't happy about that, so all the best to him in the future.
QUEEN'S PARK V AYR (League One)
View attachment 229253
Five changes from our loss to Berwick, with Collins, Davison, McMillan, Biggart and Jones coming in for Jackson, Horribine, Auriemma, Steeves and Marr. Rare starts for Biggart and Jones, they've got a good chance to impress here. This match could be huge for us, against the side only one point and one place above us in the league, a win here could give us a huge boost.
Unfortunately, we fell behind after just half an hour, as Walker turned McMillan just outside the area before striking into the bottom right corner to give Ayr a 1-0 lead. We would hit back just before half time however, as Donaldson mis controlled when he intercepted a long ball from Blair, allowing Collins to steal the ball from him before running in and sliding it past Hutton to level the scores. We then took the lead not long into the second half when Craigie set up Greig, who placed his shot into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1.
Ayr would come forward in the 70th minute when Court slipped in Walker, who saw his initial effort saved by Muir, the ball went out wide to Quitongo however, who crossed it back in to Walker, who volleyed home to equalise for Ayr. Walker almost bagged his hat trick when he latched onto a long ball over the top, but he was well denied by Muir.
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This game felt like a missed opportunity, although at least we didn't lose.
RAITH V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Four changes from the draw against Ayr, with Clark, Mitchell, Steeves and Marr coming in for Craigie, McMillan, Biggart and Jones. We're very unlikely to get a result here in truth, Raith are doing well and sitting in 4th place, and we can't get a win for love nor money.
We got off to a predictably bad start, as Paterson took down a throw in from Kerr just inside the area before being clattered into by Marr, leading to the ref pointing to the spot. Murdoch stepped up and slammed his pen into the bottom left corner. Things could have gotten worse just after the half hour mark when Hardie latched on to a long ball, but Muir was on hand to tip his effort onto the crossbar. Things DID get worse from the resulting corner however, which was headed in by Fitzpatrick after it was whipped in by Gardyne.
Things were made no easier for us in the 75th minute, when Mitchell was forced off with an injury after we had made all 3 of our subs. We gave ourselves a lifeline in the 83rd minute however, when McMillan turned home a Greig cross following a corner situation. Our hopes were dashed moments later however when Simpson charged through our backline and lashed a shot past Muir to make it 3-1.
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Another disappointing defeat to add to our long list.
I was losing faith with every passing day, at least once a week players were complaining about a lack of football, we weren't putting in the performances on the matchdays, i'd tried everything, short passing, long ball, pressing, standing off, basics, advanced tactics, different formations, everything ended the same way, with a defeat. Was it my fault? I don't know, but it was depressing. I could only shake my head while sipping something strong whenever i looked at our league position, there didn't seem to be any hope.
QUEEN'S PARK v STIRLING (League One)
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Five changes from our defeat to Raith, as Horribine, Craigie, Auriemma, Gibson and Smith come in for Davison, Clark, Mitchell, Black and Marr. The media were making us clear favourites for this one and i really don't know why, but i'd love to prove them right.
We had a decent chance to take the lead in the 23rd minute when Berry got slipped in, but his effort from a narrow angle was easily saved by Murdoch. We took the lead in the 55th minute when Berry's volley following a corner was turned in on the way through by Gibson.
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Incredible! We've actually gone and done it, we've won a game! After an incredible 13 league games without a victory, we've gone and pulled one out of the bag. We need to use this to kick on. It's also the first time we've kept a clean sheet in 17 league games. Scott Gibson and Vincent Berry were named in the team of the week for their showings.
MONTROSE V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Three changes from our win over Stirling, as Davison, Mitchell and Black replace Horribine, Craigie and Gibson. We'll have to see if we can build up some momentum after our win.
We almost fell behind early on in this snowy day when Blair miscontrolled inside his own area, presenting the ball to McIntosh, but his effort was superbly saved by Muir. We came forward with an attack of our own 7 minutes later and took the lead when Collins turned in an early cross by George Smith. We could have doubled our advantage in the very next minute, but Black fired wide when he got onto the end of a Berry free kick. McIntosh was troubling us in this game, and could have scored in the 28th minute, but he hit the side netting from a tight angle. He would finally get his reward 10 minutes later, poking home a Splaine cross at the near post. We hadn't really been troubling Montrose since that Black miss.
We flipped the script a minute later however, as Davison somehow beat Edwards at his near post from a tight angle after being played in by Collins. Montrose could have equalised with 15 minutes left when Splaine was played in from the right hand side, but he fired his effort wide of the far post. Gardyne then had a golden opportunity to equalise for Montrose, but he blazed his shot high and wide.
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Wins are apparently like buses, you wait an age for one and then two come along at once! We were probably a little lucky to get a win out of that one, but i'm certainly not going to complain.
We also received the news that James Stables has provided a cash injection of £60k to help with running costs. The finances were at least looking a lot better than when i first got here though.
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It wasn't all good news, as we lost both Darren Clark and Ross Cameron to Championship side Morton.
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Just shows how vulnerable we still are when it comes to teams poaching our players. I always expected Cameron to leave at some point, but Clark is a big shame, he could have been great for us in the coming years.
QUEEN'S PARK V COWDENBEATH (League One)
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Two changes from the win over Montrose, with Craigie and Gibson coming in for Smith and Black. I'd certainly take a draw here, 7 points from our last 3 games would be a great way to end the month.
We fell behind in the 32nd minute when a long throw caused havoc inside our area, and Steeves' attempted clearance hit Slattery and rebounded into the goal. Cowdenbeath nearly doubled their lead mere minutes later when Slattery was found at the near post with a corner, he laid the ball back to Durojaiye, who struck the foot of the post with a driven shot. The ball was eventually cleared for a corner, which found the head of Glen after being whipped in by O'Donnell, allowing him to nod home to double Cowdenbeath's lead. We nearly pulled one back 10 minutes into the second half, but Davison's left footed shot struck the left hand post as he cut inside from the right flank.
We came close to scoring a fluke 10 minutes later when Collins' attempted cross from the right flank landed on the top of the crossbar and bounced behind.
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Feels like a bit of a step backwards after the last two games, but we'd have been deluding ourselves if we were expecting the winning run to last very long.
We decided to get busy ourselves in the transfer window, bringing in ex St.Johnstone striker Bradley Sinclair to fill the void left by the departure of Cameron.
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We were also in discussions to sign ex Dundee midfielder Dale Davidson, but he opted instead to join Highland League side Peterhead.
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On the departure side of things, youth defender Darren Grant has decided to leave and join Stranraer.
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Thomas Collins also made 3rd place in the YPOTM award for January.
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ninjaskill
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Bit of form is good to see, also as a Morton fan nice to see them mentioned in a story even if it is for stealing players. Doing well considering anyone can take your players though
So many annoying one-goal defeats that might as well have resulted in a point. But hey - you finally got your win(s) and got away from that last place. Now to stay away!
Haha, cheers mate, never thought i'd see a Morton fan on here! I forgive them for taking advantage of us
So many annoying one-goal defeats that might as well have resulted in a point. But hey - you finally got your win(s) and got away from that last place. Now to stay away!
I certainly hope so mate! At least if we finish 2nd bottom we give ourselves a chance in the play off.
FEBRUARY 2018
CLYDE V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Four changes from the defeat to Cowdenbeath, as Jackson, Smith, Black and the debuting Sinclair come in for Greig, Craigie, Gibson and Davison. This is a vital match, Clyde sit just 3 points ahead of us, so a win would be massive, we haven't beaten Clyde in any of our last 7 matches against them however, so this will be a big ask, especially playing away.
Sinclair had a golden chance to open his account when he was played in by Collins, but he blazed his shot high and wide from about 8 yards out. Not a great start to his Queen's Park career... Sinclair had another opportunity to score with 10 minutes to go in the game, but his effort was well blocked by McGhee. The resulting corner fell to Horribine on the edge of the box, whose shot was parried out by Martin, only as far as the head of Collins, who nodded home from close range to give us the lead!
We were reduced to 10 men in the dying minutes of the game when McGhee threw the ball in to McShane, who was clattered in the back by Black, who received his second yellow card, meaning Berry had to fill in as a centre half for the remaining minutes. Then, disaster. In the 93rd minute of the game, Downie struck the post from the edge of the box, and the ball rolled back out directly into the path of Smyth, who tapped in to an empty net to sink the hearts of everyone in the red shirts of Queen's Park.
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A cruel, cruel blow to our survival chances, one which also drops us back down to the bottom of the league after Ayr's convincing win over Montrose.
We received some bad news from our physio in mid week, as centre back Chris Blair has come down with a virus and will be out for 2-3 weeks.
DUMBARTON V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Four changes from the draw at Clyde, with Wylie, Craigie, Gibson and McMillan coming in for Jackson, Auriemma, the suspended Black and the ill Blair. Another tough game here against a side who again we don't have a very good record against, if we play like we did in the last game i feel we have a decent chance, though.
We nearly started off terribly in this game plagued by torrential rain, when Brophy took down a long ball over the top in the first minute, but his shot was well parried by Muir. Dumbarton again nearly scored in the 17th minute when McCallum headed a Linton cross towards goal, but his effort was sensationally stopped by Muir. However, the resulting corner was flicked to the back post by Brophy, where McAusland was on hand to volley home from close range. We hit back almost immediately however, when Wylie played a reverse ball through to Sinclair, who placed the ball into the far corner to bag his first goal for the club.
Dumbarton had another chance in the 23rd minute, but Brophy's effort from the edge of the area was weak and easily held by Muir. Just a minute later however and Dumbarton regained the lead, as McCallum headed a Darren McKerracher cross into the bottom left corner. We should have equalised in the 60th minute when Jackson slipped in Smith, but his powerful effort was tipped wide by Ewings. We restored parity a moment later, when Sinclair headed in from the penalty spot following a Steeves cross to score his second of the game.
And then, incredibly, a long throw from Mitchell found Jackson, who skipped past the challenge of McAusland before squaring to Sinclair, who tapped home to bag the first hat trick of his career in just his second game for the club. The joy was short lived however, when Brophy again flicked on a corner and found Graham, who took a touch before slamming in despite Muir getting a hand on the shot. The excitement wasn't over however, and we regained the lead almost immediately, when Horribine headed home a Steeves free kick from deep.
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A truly incredible match, one which we were perhaps fortunate to get a win from, but a massive 3 points for us regardless. Clyde's equally dramatic win over Ayr keeps Ayr at the bottom of the league, although as a result we still remain 3 points behind Clyde. Muir, Steeves and Sinclair all made the team of the week for their performances
One negative to come out of the match is that Gregor Wylie will miss 3-4 weeks of football after sustaining a gashed leg.
The injury issues didn't stop there either...
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Great shame, hopefully he can come back better than ever, the time out has been shortened to 3 months after we sent him off to a specialist.
I was also linked with yet another job...
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QUEEN'S PARK V AIRDRIE (League One)
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Just the one forced change for this game, as Davison replaces the injured Wylie up top. Not a bad game to have to try and retain some momentum, but we'll still have to play well to get a result.
We got off to a great start, as Collins exchanged passes with Sinclair before slotting home in the 11th minute. Unfortunately, George Smith was forced off in the 17th minute with an injury. Can't have it all your own way i suppose. We had a half chance in the 27th minute when Davison received the ball from Collins, but his snap shot flew right into the arms of Brown. Mitchell also sustained a knock and i took him off at half time to be on the safe side. We had a lucky escape in the 71st minute, when Carberry struck his shot against the post after a drilled cross from Maxwell. We could have doubled our lead in the 81st minute when Steeves launched a ball over the top and found Jackson, but his first time volley was well saved by Brown.
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A great win for us, one which takes us closer to the pack and extends our lead over Ayr. The only disappointment was the number of injuries and knocks sustained. Thankfully (at the risk of sounding cruel!) Jackson was the only one who will be sidelined, as he will be out for 11 days to 2 weeks with a bruised rib. McMillan and Steeves were included in the team of the week for their performance.
We've also received another cash injection, this time a total of £95k. A local newspaper also conducted a poll asking whether Shaun Fraser should be in the first team, incredibly, not a single fan wanted him in the side, i feel justified for once!
BERWICK V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Three changes from the win over Airdrie, as Auriemma and the returning Blair and Black come in for Craigie, Gibson and McMillan. A massive ask here, Berwick sit comfortably top of the league, although they did drop points in their last game against Clyde.
After a relatively quiet opening, we took a shock lead in the 42nd minute as Collins received the ball from Mitchell before turning and firing into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box to take his tally for the season into double figures. We were keeping Berwick quiet, but unfortunately were forced into a change after 61 minutes when Mitchell sustained an injury. Berwick pushed forward in the 64th minute and nearly scored when Currie drilled a shot along the floor which Muir parried into the path of Wilson, who thankfully hit the rebound directly at Muir.
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An incredible result, knocking off the league leaders. It's fantastic that we're finally playing like i know we can. George Smith was named in the team of the week for his very solid display.
Gavin Mitchell suffered a dead leg and will be out for around a week.
We had an excellent presence in the monthly awards as well.
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My first manager of the month award since November 2016, exceptionally proud right now.
The team has been magnificent over this past month, and i really hope we've turned a corner, onwards and upwards!
CLYDE V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Four changes from the defeat to Cowdenbeath, as Jackson, Smith, Black and the debuting Sinclair come in for Greig, Craigie, Gibson and Davison. This is a vital match, Clyde sit just 3 points ahead of us, so a win would be massive, we haven't beaten Clyde in any of our last 7 matches against them however, so this will be a big ask, especially playing away.
Sinclair had a golden chance to open his account when he was played in by Collins, but he blazed his shot high and wide from about 8 yards out. Not a great start to his Queen's Park career... Sinclair had another opportunity to score with 10 minutes to go in the game, but his effort was well blocked by McGhee. The resulting corner fell to Horribine on the edge of the box, whose shot was parried out by Martin, only as far as the head of Collins, who nodded home from close range to give us the lead!
We were reduced to 10 men in the dying minutes of the game when McGhee threw the ball in to McShane, who was clattered in the back by Black, who received his second yellow card, meaning Berry had to fill in as a centre half for the remaining minutes. Then, disaster. In the 93rd minute of the game, Downie struck the post from the edge of the box, and the ball rolled back out directly into the path of Smyth, who tapped in to an empty net to sink the hearts of everyone in the red shirts of Queen's Park.
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A cruel, cruel blow to our survival chances, one which also drops us back down to the bottom of the league after Ayr's convincing win over Montrose.
We received some bad news from our physio in mid week, as centre back Chris Blair has come down with a virus and will be out for 2-3 weeks.
DUMBARTON V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
View attachment 229098
Four changes from the draw at Clyde, with Wylie, Craigie, Gibson and McMillan coming in for Jackson, Auriemma, the suspended Black and the ill Blair. Another tough game here against a side who again we don't have a very good record against, if we play like we did in the last game i feel we have a decent chance, though.
We nearly started off terribly in this game plagued by torrential rain, when Brophy took down a long ball over the top in the first minute, but his shot was well parried by Muir. Dumbarton again nearly scored in the 17th minute when McCallum headed a Linton cross towards goal, but his effort was sensationally stopped by Muir. However, the resulting corner was flicked to the back post by Brophy, where McAusland was on hand to volley home from close range. We hit back almost immediately however, when Wylie played a reverse ball through to Sinclair, who placed the ball into the far corner to bag his first goal for the club.
Dumbarton had another chance in the 23rd minute, but Brophy's effort from the edge of the area was weak and easily held by Muir. Just a minute later however and Dumbarton regained the lead, as McCallum headed a Darren McKerracher cross into the bottom left corner. We should have equalised in the 60th minute when Jackson slipped in Smith, but his powerful effort was tipped wide by Ewings. We restored parity a moment later, when Sinclair headed in from the penalty spot following a Steeves cross to score his second of the game.
And then, incredibly, a long throw from Mitchell found Jackson, who skipped past the challenge of McAusland before squaring to Sinclair, who tapped home to bag the first hat trick of his career in just his second game for the club. The joy was short lived however, when Brophy again flicked on a corner and found Graham, who took a touch before slamming in despite Muir getting a hand on the shot. The excitement wasn't over however, and we regained the lead almost immediately, when Horribine headed home a Steeves free kick from deep.
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A truly incredible match, one which we were perhaps fortunate to get a win from, but a massive 3 points for us regardless. Clyde's equally dramatic win over Ayr keeps Ayr at the bottom of the league, although as a result we still remain 3 points behind Clyde. Muir, Steeves and Sinclair all made the team of the week for their performances
One negative to come out of the match is that Gregor Wylie will miss 3-4 weeks of football after sustaining a gashed leg.
The injury issues didn't stop there either...
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Great shame, hopefully he can come back better than ever, the time out has been shortened to 3 months after we sent him off to a specialist.
I was also linked with yet another job...
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QUEEN'S PARK V AIRDRIE (League One)
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Just the one forced change for this game, as Davison replaces the injured Wylie up top. Not a bad game to have to try and retain some momentum, but we'll still have to play well to get a result.
We got off to a great start, as Collins exchanged passes with Sinclair before slotting home in the 11th minute. Unfortunately, George Smith was forced off in the 17th minute with an injury. Can't have it all your own way i suppose. We had a half chance in the 27th minute when Davison received the ball from Collins, but his snap shot flew right into the arms of Brown. Mitchell also sustained a knock and i took him off at half time to be on the safe side. We had a lucky escape in the 71st minute, when Carberry struck his shot against the post after a drilled cross from Maxwell. We could have doubled our lead in the 81st minute when Steeves launched a ball over the top and found Jackson, but his first time volley was well saved by Brown.
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A great win for us, one which takes us closer to the pack and extends our lead over Ayr. The only disappointment was the number of injuries and knocks sustained. Thankfully (at the risk of sounding cruel!) Jackson was the only one who will be sidelined, as he will be out for 11 days to 2 weeks with a bruised rib. McMillan and Steeves were included in the team of the week for their performance.
We've also received another cash injection, this time a total of £95k. A local newspaper also conducted a poll asking whether Shaun Fraser should be in the first team, incredibly, not a single fan wanted him in the side, i feel justified for once!
BERWICK V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Three changes from the win over Airdrie, as Auriemma and the returning Blair and Black come in for Craigie, Gibson and McMillan. A massive ask here, Berwick sit comfortably top of the league, although they did drop points in their last game against Clyde.
After a relatively quiet opening, we took a shock lead in the 42nd minute as Collins received the ball from Mitchell before turning and firing into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box to take his tally for the season into double figures. We were keeping Berwick quiet, but unfortunately were forced into a change after 61 minutes when Mitchell sustained an injury. Berwick pushed forward in the 64th minute and nearly scored when Currie drilled a shot along the floor which Muir parried into the path of Wilson, who thankfully hit the rebound directly at Muir.
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An incredible result, knocking off the league leaders. It's fantastic that we're finally playing like i know we can. George Smith was named in the team of the week for his very solid display.
Gavin Mitchell suffered a dead leg and will be out for around a week.
We had an excellent presence in the monthly awards as well.
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My first manager of the month award since November 2016, exceptionally proud right now.
The team has been magnificent over this past month, and i really hope we've turned a corner, onwards and upwards!
ninjaskill
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Look well clear of Ayr and good form another year in league 1 I think
Also us morton fans can be found anywhere in the world*
* so long as you are in their stadium when a game is on
Also us morton fans can be found anywhere in the world*
* so long as you are in their stadium when a game is on
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The way you're going now, you may just survive outright...
I certainly hope we can carry this on!
Certainly didn't see it coming, we've just popped into life, inspirational signing of Sinclair i reckon
I hope so! That's the only goal this season, survival, we can reassess from there.
And i'll have to keep a sharp eye out for any Morton shirts when i'm out and about from now on!
MARCH 2018
QUEEN'S PARK V RAITH (League One)
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Three changes from our win over Berwick, Craigie comes in for Mitchell, while Gibson and Coll come in for the suspended Berry and Steeves, who have both incurred 6 yellow cards. Having a home game is a good opportunity to continue our good form, but Raith are tough opposition.
We took the lead after 10 minutes when Davison got his head onto a cross from Sinclair to nod the ball home. We came forward again in the 35th minute, and were awarded a penalty when Sinclair was clattered by Murdoch just inside the box. Gibson stepped up, and stuck his penalty into the corner to make it 2-0. We were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time when Smith received a second yellow card for tripping Fitzpatrick. Raith should have scored a couple of minutes after the break, but Grant fired wide after latching onto a long ball.
They came close again in the 77th minute when Murphy found space to take down a cross from Paterson, but his shot was well saved by Muir. Raith eventually got on the scoresheet a couple of minutes from time when Murphy slid the ball under Muir after being played in by Grant.
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A very good win, especially impressed with the determination we showed to hold on after going down to 10 men. This means we are now 10 points off the foot of the table, and 4 points off the relegation play off spot. William Muir was included in the team of the week for his performance.
We received yet another cash injection from James Stables in mid week, this time a total of £120k.
To add to the good news, we have our new intake of youth players.
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Some very impressive prospects in there, how many of them we'll be able to keep a hold of, i don't know.
Another local newspaper decided to conduct another poll, this time on whether Yohan Mathis should be in the first team. 89% of fans believe he should be according to the results. He had an impressive first season with us but hasn't really impressed since, i'm not ruling him out of contention though.
AYR V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Five changes from the win over Raith, as Jackson, McMillan, Mitchell and the returning Berry and Steeves come in for Davison, Craigie, Coll, Gibson and Smith. A good opportunity to carry on our winning form here, Ayr have only won 2 games all season, and only have one win since the start of October. Our 3 previous encounters with them have all been draws, however.
We took the lead not long after the half hour mark, when Jackson rifled a shot towards goal following a Mitchell cross, the ball deflected off of Thom and past the despairing dive of Hutton. We doubled our lead just moments later when Collins teed up Mitchell, who drilled the ball in at the near post from 15 yards. We could have been 3 up just before half time when Jackson dinked a ball over the top to Collins, but he was denied by a last ditch sliding challenge from Forsyth. Steeves played the resulting corner to the edge of the box and found Collins, who unleashed a powerful volley which was tipped wide by Hutton. Ayr would make us pay for those misses, when Walker tapped in from close range from a Wallace cross.
Then, devastatingly, Ayr were level in the 77th minute when Wallace stroked home after being played in by Crawford.
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Certainly feels like a missed opportunity, that game. Still, at least we didn't lose. William Muir and Gavin Mitchell made it into the team of the week.
Incredibly, Grant Murray was sacked after this game, and i was touted as his replacement!
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Bit harsh i think, given how well his side did to turn around the deficit in that last game.
STIRLING V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Two changes from the draw against Ayr, with Gibson and Smith coming in for McMillan and Mitchell.
We fell behind in just the second minute of the game when Cunningham tapped in a Coulson cross at the far post to notch his 20th goal of the season. Things got worse 3 minutes later, as Sinclair was forced off with an injury. Stirling were incredibly reduced to 10 men in just the 8th minute of the game as Sludden incurred his second yellow card for pushing Berry. We restored parity just a moment later when Jackson took advantage of a poor touch by Kelly to rifle the ball home.
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Not a bad result on the road, but i feel we could have taken advantage of playing against 10 men a little better, we're also still dangerously close to the bottom two.
To make things worse, Bradley Sinclair will be out for 6-7 weeks with a twisted ankle, while Andy Jackson will miss 3 weeks with a damaged elbow.
QUEEN'S PARK V MONTROSE (League One)
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Three changes from the game against Stirling, as Wylie and Mitchell come in for Jackson and Blair. 15 year old Willie McGinn comes in for Sinclair up top for his first appearance since coming in from the youth intake. 16 year old defender Andrew Watson also makes his way onto the bench. This match could be crucial to our season, Montrose sit only 2 points behind us in the league, so a loss could be a killer.
After a completely drab first half, the first bit of action came in the 55th minute when Collins swiveled after receiving the ball from Smith and fired a left footed shot past Edwards to give us a 1-0 lead.
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A vital win which keeps us well clear of the drop zone and extends our unbeaten run to 8 games.
We also set a rather unwanted record...
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At least the lads aren't scared to get stuck in!
I also scooped my second manager of the month award in a row...
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Very happy to be given recognition, but much more happy looking at the league table!
An odd month in terms of results, but we retained our unbeaten streak and now lie 5 points clear of the relegation play off, and 12 points clear of the bottom of the league. Great to see!
QUEEN'S PARK V RAITH (League One)
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Three changes from our win over Berwick, Craigie comes in for Mitchell, while Gibson and Coll come in for the suspended Berry and Steeves, who have both incurred 6 yellow cards. Having a home game is a good opportunity to continue our good form, but Raith are tough opposition.
We took the lead after 10 minutes when Davison got his head onto a cross from Sinclair to nod the ball home. We came forward again in the 35th minute, and were awarded a penalty when Sinclair was clattered by Murdoch just inside the box. Gibson stepped up, and stuck his penalty into the corner to make it 2-0. We were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time when Smith received a second yellow card for tripping Fitzpatrick. Raith should have scored a couple of minutes after the break, but Grant fired wide after latching onto a long ball.
They came close again in the 77th minute when Murphy found space to take down a cross from Paterson, but his shot was well saved by Muir. Raith eventually got on the scoresheet a couple of minutes from time when Murphy slid the ball under Muir after being played in by Grant.
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A very good win, especially impressed with the determination we showed to hold on after going down to 10 men. This means we are now 10 points off the foot of the table, and 4 points off the relegation play off spot. William Muir was included in the team of the week for his performance.
We received yet another cash injection from James Stables in mid week, this time a total of £120k.
To add to the good news, we have our new intake of youth players.
View attachment 228784
Some very impressive prospects in there, how many of them we'll be able to keep a hold of, i don't know.
Another local newspaper decided to conduct another poll, this time on whether Yohan Mathis should be in the first team. 89% of fans believe he should be according to the results. He had an impressive first season with us but hasn't really impressed since, i'm not ruling him out of contention though.
AYR V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
View attachment 228781
Five changes from the win over Raith, as Jackson, McMillan, Mitchell and the returning Berry and Steeves come in for Davison, Craigie, Coll, Gibson and Smith. A good opportunity to carry on our winning form here, Ayr have only won 2 games all season, and only have one win since the start of October. Our 3 previous encounters with them have all been draws, however.
We took the lead not long after the half hour mark, when Jackson rifled a shot towards goal following a Mitchell cross, the ball deflected off of Thom and past the despairing dive of Hutton. We doubled our lead just moments later when Collins teed up Mitchell, who drilled the ball in at the near post from 15 yards. We could have been 3 up just before half time when Jackson dinked a ball over the top to Collins, but he was denied by a last ditch sliding challenge from Forsyth. Steeves played the resulting corner to the edge of the box and found Collins, who unleashed a powerful volley which was tipped wide by Hutton. Ayr would make us pay for those misses, when Walker tapped in from close range from a Wallace cross.
Then, devastatingly, Ayr were level in the 77th minute when Wallace stroked home after being played in by Crawford.
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Certainly feels like a missed opportunity, that game. Still, at least we didn't lose. William Muir and Gavin Mitchell made it into the team of the week.
Incredibly, Grant Murray was sacked after this game, and i was touted as his replacement!
View attachment 228772
Bit harsh i think, given how well his side did to turn around the deficit in that last game.
STIRLING V QUEEN'S PARK (League One)
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Two changes from the draw against Ayr, with Gibson and Smith coming in for McMillan and Mitchell.
We fell behind in just the second minute of the game when Cunningham tapped in a Coulson cross at the far post to notch his 20th goal of the season. Things got worse 3 minutes later, as Sinclair was forced off with an injury. Stirling were incredibly reduced to 10 men in just the 8th minute of the game as Sludden incurred his second yellow card for pushing Berry. We restored parity just a moment later when Jackson took advantage of a poor touch by Kelly to rifle the ball home.
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Not a bad result on the road, but i feel we could have taken advantage of playing against 10 men a little better, we're also still dangerously close to the bottom two.
To make things worse, Bradley Sinclair will be out for 6-7 weeks with a twisted ankle, while Andy Jackson will miss 3 weeks with a damaged elbow.
QUEEN'S PARK V MONTROSE (League One)
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Three changes from the game against Stirling, as Wylie and Mitchell come in for Jackson and Blair. 15 year old Willie McGinn comes in for Sinclair up top for his first appearance since coming in from the youth intake. 16 year old defender Andrew Watson also makes his way onto the bench. This match could be crucial to our season, Montrose sit only 2 points behind us in the league, so a loss could be a killer.
After a completely drab first half, the first bit of action came in the 55th minute when Collins swiveled after receiving the ball from Smith and fired a left footed shot past Edwards to give us a 1-0 lead.
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A vital win which keeps us well clear of the drop zone and extends our unbeaten run to 8 games.
We also set a rather unwanted record...
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At least the lads aren't scared to get stuck in!
I also scooped my second manager of the month award in a row...
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Very happy to be given recognition, but much more happy looking at the league table!
An odd month in terms of results, but we retained our unbeaten streak and now lie 5 points clear of the relegation play off, and 12 points clear of the bottom of the league. Great to see!
If we carry on like we have been we'll be absolutely fine! Who knows what will happen, though, keeping my fingers crossed!