Baikie Shuffles The Pack And Comes Up Trumps...

15th Dec 2007: East Fife 2, Dumbarton 0 (Barrs Scottish League Third Division)

With Steven Tweed suspended and Johnnie Smart apparently suffering from 'Flu (saw him before the game, mind, an' he looked ok tae me....), Dave Baikie was forced into a couple of changes in the team and some further shuffling of the positions in which they'd be playing. Greig McDonald stepped forward to centre half and picked up the mantle of captaincy for the day. Graham Guy slipped into the right back position and Jamie McGowan was finally deemed fit enough to make the starting line up. And what a season's debut he was set to have...

With both Montrose and Silky Stranraer looking like home bankers (ho-ho, isn't hindsight wonderful....?), it was essential that we continued our great home form and picked up full points again this afternoon. The fact that the Sons were the last mob with the insolence to score against us in the league also made it important that we put them firmly back in their place.

Any worries that we may have had pre-match were easily washed away right from kick off. We immediately pushed forward and were unfortunate to have to wait as long as two and a half minutes to open the scoring. Bobby Linn, who again put in a great shift, was unlucky not to score in our first foray forward and would probably think that he should have done better. However, before the match was three minutes old we were on our way - Paul McManus fired over a cross from the far corner and McDonald rose unchallenged to head home from ten yards out. If he'd been worried about taking on the captaincy, then the goal must have certainly settled his nerves!

At the away end, the three dozen Sons' fans who'd made the trip realised, even at this early stage, that there was nothing here for them this week. So rather than cheering on their team, they decided instead to hurl abuse at Paul McManus. Don't know what the centre forward's ever done to upset them - mebbe one of the wives has a poster of Shagger on her bedroom wall... However, the opener certainly settled the home fans who sat back and waited for the floodgates to open.

Sadly, we were in for a rather disappointing time for the remainder of the half. At times we looked fairly comfortable but our visitors also had plenty of possession. In our recent run of great results, we've all been encouraged by how well our defence and midfiled have worked hard to keep all comers away from goal. Maybe it was the change of personnel but this afternoon it seemed to me that we were somewhat too disjointed at the back - that appeared to lead to a lack of confidence and composure, so Dumbarton were able to hold onto the ball and create more opportunities than the quality of their play really deserved.

Having said that, mind, young Fox (in the box) still picked up another black and yellow pay-poke without having to do much at all. Any time that the Sons did create enough space for a shot, the young keeper merely had to stand and watch as the ball flew high, wide and not-so-handsome. Fox would have seen more action if he'd been out in the car park behind his goal.

At the other end of the park, we were getting the same as usual from Linn and McManus. Week after week they run their hearts out; and although they had to be more circumspect in their probing efforts throughout the first half, we got the same effort from both that we've all become used to. In fact, Paul was unlucky in the closing minutes of the half, as were colleagues, Paul Stewart (man of the match performance today) and Fozzie (who otherwise was all rather shite.... Well, it happens some days.).

I moved seats for the second half; up beside the GoF who was picking up his last game before heading back to Vancouver (fuckin' part-timer....). Maybe it was the change of angle, maybe it was the fact that the darkness was falling and it all looked more cosy, but the second forty five was altogether more entertaining that the first. With less than five minutes gone McManus was again unlucky to see his fine effort beat the keeper but skim the top of the crossbar. Moments later Bobby Linn fired a crackin' shot in but was frustrated when the Dumbarton keeper got behind the ball to make a decent save. The goalie was called into action again when Linn blasted in another decent effort but just about managed to keep it out.

We continue to dominate; the Sons having nothing much more to offer than some rather hefty tackles. Lloyd Young and Paul Stewart must have been right bad bastards in previous lives cos it looked like they were singled out for some right treatment. It's credit to the pair of them them that they kept their cool, buckled down and simply concentrated on playing their normal game. The Great Fozzmundo still looked a bit shakey at times but with Dumbarton having nothing left in the tank, thankfully we weren't gonna be caught out at the back.

It would still have been nice to add another goal just to calm the nerves, mind, and that finally arrived with seven minutes remaining in the game. From a free kick out on the left, Blackadder (guilty once or twice today of slipping back into his fancy-shmancy nonsense....) floated over a great cross. With the entire Dumbarton defence already looking forward tae a wash, a cup of tea and a chocolate Hobnob, Jamie McGowan (sponsored by AFTN) had the easiest of tasks to jump and skillfully head the ball goalwards. He'd put in a great shift and must have been pretty fucked by that stage of the game but as he ran towards the stand to celebrate, his joy was palpable. Great goal and a perfect way to finish his first outing of the season.

And that pretty much took care of another week. Eight on the bounce now without conceding in the league. Can anyone remember the last time we conceded at home in the league? Aye, that's right; way back in August against that silky footballing side, Stranraer. They were obviously turning it on again today at Stair Park, two down inside ten minutes and eventually finishing.... oh, aye, twelve points behind the Fife. Wi' Montrose also slipping up against Forfar (didn't we fuck them last week), it's getting more and more obvious that the title's there for us to take.

All we need to do now is what we've been doin' all season. The boys are deliverin' it on the park; we just need tae make sure that we stay right behind them all the way. It's turning out tae be a crackin' season; let's just keep it together over the festive period - that would see us in great stead for the run in.. See you all next week at Stenhousemuir (that's Larbert, right....?).