Silky Stranraer Still No' Good Enough...

2nd Jan 2008: East Fife 2, Stranraer 1 (Barrs Scottish League Division Three)

Ma beer buddy, Brian (previously mentioned in my St Johnstone match report earlier this season) came along for this afternoon's eagerly anticipated encounter. He's lived in Dagly Bay for about thirty years but when he's really pissed, he has been known to admit that he actually grew up in Stranraer (and he still managed tae get a decent job - unbefuckinleavable). In an equally pished moment a few weeks ago we agreed that we'd come along today. Seemed like a good idea at the time - by full time today, it looked more and more like good sense tae me. But to say that old Diggers was pissed off would be the understatement of the season. His team had just lost the game and he'd also lost all feeling in his legs - ah must have forgotten to tell him tae wear his long-johns...

Prior to that, mind, we'd watched a pretty entertaining game. Considering the weather conditions (another light breeze blowing off the sea), both teams at least tried tae play fitba (a few meaty challenges notwithstanding....). Playing with the wind at our backs in the first half, it was imperative that we took full advantage and tried to win the points before the interval. Although we stung the fingers of the Blues' keeper on a couple of occasions, the so-called wind advantage, however, was proving to be rather troublesome.

Even the lightest of passes forward tended to be caught in the gale and, as often as not, the ball went like an exocet rocket and ended up in touch. I'm glad we'd parked at the sea end car park; the number of times the ball ended up among the cars at the other end, there'll be more than a few keekers of dents needin' knocked out (any of the directors got a shareholding in a panel beater's business, d'you reckon???).

It wasn't proving any easier for our visitors. For some strange reason, they persisted in trying to kick long high passes up the park (that's no doubt the silky Gerry Britton way....), only to see the ball get caught on an up draft and then head straight back towards them. The couple of times that they did get the ball into our penalty area it tended to be one against many; the only real opportunity that they created was well saved by McCulloch. I was a bit surprised that he'd started the last couple of games but all was made clear at halftime today when the announcer (come back Cazza, all is forgiven!) let us know that young Fox has been called back to Celtic. Guess we should all expect Artur Boruc to be heading on his way some time during January.... see what odds you'll get at Laddies!

We came out for the second half and had our best fifteen minutes of the game. Rather than struggling with the conditions, we managed to hold good possession, fire some decent passes together and, more importantly, get plenty of men forward to threaten the Stranraer defence. Just five minutes in we opened the scoring. Ryan Blackadder (who, otherwise, didn't exactly set the heather on fire) managed to chip a neat pass into the Blues' box and, in what seemed to take an eternity, Craig O'Reilly eventually managed to control the ball and turn towards goal. How he was gifted so much time is a mystery but he wasn't complaining and finally poked the ball goalwards, managing to wrong foot Scott Black, the Stranraer keeper, in the process (no' the kind of big stiffy that his missus would normally appreciate, I'm sure).

We kept up the decent football - McDonald, Cameron, Stewart, Young, Linn and old-man Fozzmundo (pechin' away like he was really enjoyin' it) all putting in great shifts - but Stranraer eventually re-grouped and started firing balls forward on the wind (that would be the silky, long ball, desperation game, Gerry??). It all then rather developed intae a somewhat more tetchy affair as our visitors, no doubt, realised that another loss at the hands of the Fife would put paid to their championship aspirations (play-offs????). Both sets of players were happy to go in hard (and not always too fairly) but the referee seemed more than content to 'penalise' accidents. A couple of players took skelps tae the face but those challenges looked innocuous enough tae me (granted, it wasnae ma puss that got walloped).

Meanwhile, Paul Stewart and Lloyd Young appeared to have been singled out for special attention from the young farmers in the Blues' midfield - no' that the whistler appeared tae notice. It was after Lloyd had been clobbered, just past the hour mark, that the ref decided to award a free kick in favour of the visitors (fuck, you work it out...). They fired a hopeful ball deep into the box which evaded all attemps tae clear (Steven Tweed probably just edged it in the 'looking daft' stakes) and left Kevin Nicoll free to fire home from close range. To be fair tae big Tweedie, ah thought that it went in a bit too easy - but maybe that's just being rotten to Wullie in goal...

So now we were ready for a real test. With the wind still blowing relentlessly in our faces and with Stanraer's spirits lifted by their equaliser, it might have been easy for the boys to try to defend what we had and avoid losing any further goals. Not a bit of it - they had the best part of a thousand folk cheerin' them on and expecting all three points. It's real testament to Baikie and the team that they've now seemed to move on and accept that goals will be scored against them. It's not the end of the world that it appeared to be at Stenny and here on Boxing Day. Rather than dwelling on the goal, the team made a concerted effort to get back into the game. They were unlucky right from the re-start not to bang in another. But, despite failing to find the net on that occasion, Stranraer weren't gonna keep us out for ever.

With time running out (and auld Brian's legs falling off wi' the cold), we pressed forward, Stranraer now satisfied to hang back and hold out for a draw (what ambition....). As we piled bodies into their box it was evident that a goal, if it came, was unlikely to be contender for goal of the season. However, they all count and I'm as happy as the next man tae see a full-on stramash in the box and then the ball falling to a man in red and white. From a tight angle on the edge of the six yard box Greig McDonald picked up the ball and, rather than looking for a pass into the crowded goalmouth, instead struck a low shot just inside the nearside post. And like I said, it didn't have to be pretty to be effective. The big fullback (or maybe these days we should just call him a 'total footballer') had grabbed all three points; as he ran to acknowledge the accolades from the fans in the stand, his joy was palpable. Great goal big yin - you the man!!

The Blues did still have time to launch another couple of speculative punts into the Fife box but the ball was safely in the middle of the park when the ref finally blew for full time. Tough conditions and tough opposition had posed a challenge that had been well managed by the boys and they trotted off well happy with the world. However, there was still time for a bit more action and for the second home game running there was some afters in the tunnel.

We're already aware of the Stranraer gaffer's accusations regarding racial abuse of one of his team so, no doubt, that particular story will trundle on for some time before he's eventually proved to have been mistaken. What did make me laugh, mind, was the fact that the first person to jump in and try tae break up the altercation was the auld tannoy announcer. If only the daft old bugger had remembered tae switch off the microphone before getting embroiled in the action.

"Now, lads, now then, stop, stop, now lads, stop" booming around the stadium. If that wasn't enough to calm everything down, then it really is time tae send for Cazza!

See you all at Borough Briggs on Saturday. C'mon the Fife!!!!