Yaaawwwwn...
13th Dec 2008: Stirling Albion 1, East Fife 0 (Barrs Scottish League Division Two) |
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Q - What's the difference between last week's game and this afternoon's encounter? Ah'd be hard pressed tae remember a game that was so desperately disappointing as today's. There have been times this term where we've been blown away by teams far better than us; there have been games when our own self belief has been enough to simply push and push until we get there in the end; there have been matches where we've had to hang on for grim death and will the ref tae blow the whistle. And then there was today's entertainment... We might be able to point tae a few ifs, buts and mebbes, the occasional aaahhh, and even one 'oootchafucker-thatwizclose' but, if truth be known, when you take Willie McCulloch's performance out of the equation, what we're left with is pretty much a big pile of pish. That said, the conditions were hardly conducive to good football - sub zero temperatures and stinging rain throughout ensured that whatever was on show from the players on the pitch, it was gonna be tempered by the fact that everyone in the stand was fuckin' freezin'! And sadly, there was to be little from the players to warm the cockles of the fans in the stand. It took approximately five minutes this afternoon for us all to realise that it wasn't going to be an awful lot better than last weekend. Sure, the gaffer had decided, for the first time in weeks, to throw two up front but with the Wonderhorse relegated to the bench, you got the feeling that maybe we'd missed a trick. Opinions about Sanny are divided among the fans but I for one think that the big man would have been well able to combine wi Shagger and cause some panic in the Binos' box. Of course, that wasn't to be but even so, surely we had enough in the tank to overcome a team that hadn't played in a fortnight and hadn't won a match since the start of November. Well, unfortunately not. Stirling certainly looked like they were out of match practice but the boys in Black and Gold didn't appear to be very much sharper. Despite creating a couple of early chances, it was already evident that it wasn't going to be plain sailing. No' that the Binos looked a whole lot better. They appeared rather ragged throughout, the fact that they seemed to have a bit more time on the ball probably said more about our midfield than it did about theirs. After about twenty minutes, mind, they'd settled better than we had and now started to manufacture a few chances of their own. Thankfully, Wullie Mac was playing to his normal high standards and pulled off a couple of great saves to keep us in the game. He had no chance however, just moments from the half time whistle when Albion took the lead. They'd won a free kick out right following a clumsy tackle by Dougie C and Stewart Devine's slick cross into the box was just begging to be put away. But given what a bastard that we all know football can be, it was inevitable that the ball would be missed by the Binos' forwards and instead rattle off the Fozzmeister's head and end up in the back of the net. Fozzy's had a shitey enough week as it is - this just put the tin lid on it! It was a right boot in the baws for all of us but just seconds later we had a chance to pull it back to level terms. Torro rose unchallenged at a corner and met the ball perfectly, only to suffer heartache when he saw the ball clip the top of the bar and slide over. That was enough for the ref who brought proceedings to a halt and almost sprinted up the tunnel for his halftime tea an' hobnobs. The rest of us had tae be satisfied wi luke warm Bovril fae the pie stall (it wasnae just me, was it, the Bovril was fuckin' cold, right?). Ah guess the interval comestibles wurnae much better for the players either. The Stirling keeper had hardly had a thing to do in the entire first half - a soggy biscuit and a cold cuppa just weren't tempting enough tae entice him back out for the second forty five. His replacement was a big, lanky streak of pish whose head reached the clouds when he stood up straight. Perhaps we'd have more luck against him. Only seconds in we had the opportunity tae test him, a great through ball from Shaun Fagen allowed Shagger to make space for a shot and blast one goalwards. The keeper was nowhere but McManus was to be thwarted as his shot slid excruciatingly past the post. Still, it was more than we'd created in the entire match so far and at least gave us reason to believe that we could get back into the game. Well, that was the theory anyway. The reality was somewhat different. The next time we had anything tae get excited about was just shy of the hour mark when two of the Albion players decided that they'd rather go fifteen rounds wi' each other than play fitba. What the rammy was about, ah have no idea but they both ended up in the ref's book, together, alas, with a speechless Jay Smart who just seemed to stray within card-brandishing range and picked a yellow for himself. The cheat's report should be interesting reading... Certainly more interesting than the fare that was being served up on the pitch. The Binos started tae look far more confident as the Fife's efforts became more desperate. Bobby Linn was unlucky to see a great shot beat their keeper but not their full back who scooped the ball off the line just in time. Apart from that, however, it was, like the weather, getting more and more dismal. The players looked cold, lost and uninterested - it's hardly surprising that some of the fans started drifting away. The motley crew of Binos fans were going nowhere, mind. They made as much noise as three dozen halfwits can; not very loud but still enough to out sing the home support. Mind you, at least they had something to sing about. As the game headed inexorably (but not nearly quickly enough) to its conclusion it was the Reds that upped the pace and looked for another goal. In the last fifteen minutes they were able to pick holes in our frazzled defence and once more (well, actually thrice more..) we were saved by the performance of our keeper. The final one-nil defeat was hard enough to bear; the thought of a team as ordinary as Stirling Albion beating us by more would have been insufferable. So the decision about this week's man of the match was the easiest ah've had to make all season - well done, Willie, you really did earn it! Ah'm no' sayin' that the rest of the team didnae put in a hardworkin' shift. It's just that it seemed that no matter what they attempted, they appeared tae have accepted that they'd fail even before they'd tried it. The last month's been a tough one for all of us; it seems that virtually every player in the team was feelin' it this afternoon. And that was only ever gonna mean one thing. We eventually schlepped off the park at full time a thoroughly defeated side, the fans who remained doing their best to lift the boys' spirits as they made their way down the tunnel. As we all made our own way out into the dark, dreich night, however, there was plenty for us all to be thinking about. An' ah don't suppose many of us would have been comforted by the news that Peterhead had been on the wrong end of a doin' today. However, always one to look on the bright side (my glass is half full...), it keeps them in range I suppose. Even though there are a few more teams looking over our shoulders, we're still fifth in the table with a visit tae the Arsehole of Scotland tae look forward to next Saturday. So here's hoping... Given our current fortunes, you can be sure it'll be another tough outing for DB and the boys. But spare a thought for Mr Fridayclub. Next weekend's ma burthdy so as a "special treat", ma missus has bought us tickets for The Witches of Eastwick at the Playhouse - it is licenced, isn't it?. So win, lose or draw next Saturday, bear that in mind as you're heading back home tae Fife. Two fuckin' hours in the exalted company of Marty Pellow and three wanabee Chers (ah'll tell you all about it in next week's match report!!!) ought to be enough to put all of our recent disappointments into some kind of perspective. See - there's aye somebody worse off! C'mon the Fife, back tae winning ways next Saturday! |
