Francesc Fabregas

No. Ross Forbes is not fit enough and he can't really get around the pitch - we can just about accommodate Nat Wedderburn but I don't think we can get away with the pair of them in there. He will, however, still have a role to play as an impact substitute, as we saw against Albion Rovers and Annan Athletic, where he can help us keep the ball further up the pitch. He was excellent when he came on at Galabank last weekend, operating as a weird false 9, and it was his finest performance for the Warriors.

Aye, fair play to Dunfermline Athletic - they deserved the win tonight based on their second-half performance alone. They were excellent over the 45 minutes and really took the game to Falkirk. I thought they'd sit on their lead but they continued to push forward to add to their tally, and they could have scored more than two. I thought Kane Ritchie-Hosler was the best player on the park but Chris Hamilton performed well at the base of midfield and Craig Wighton had a number of lovely touches up top too. James McPake used his substitutions well and the introduction of Kevin O'Hara, for instance, forced Blaine Rowe on the back foot and left Callum Morrison without support. It really feels like a seismic result and it's difficult to imagine how the Pars can lose from this position. They hold an eight-point advantage over the Bairns with nine games to play - who's going to be against them now? Falkirk did not turn up tonight. East End Park really seems to bring out the worst in John McGlynn and we saw that again this evening. Other than Brian Kinnear, who made a couple of important saves, no-one played well. The defence looked haphazard at the worst possible moments and both goals were so easily preventable. The midfield was overrun and Stephen McGinn, who should have been taking the game by the scruff of the neck, was nowhere to be seen. Max Kucheriavyi was not involved and should have made way for Liam Henderson at the interval. Most worryingly of all was the performances of Morrison, Aidan Nesbitt and Kai Kennedy. Morrison, as we mentioned, was often marked out of the match and left isolated, but Nesbitt and Kennedy were completely anonymous (and I only remembered they were playing when they were substituted). It's one thing turning it on against a terrible team like Peterhead but where were they when it came to the showdown? I've long thought that if they didn't win the league, Falkirk would get promoted via the play-offs; tonight's performance, however, has made me doubt that. This was the biggest game of the season and the key players just didn't perform. That augurs poorly for the game against Ayr United on Monday, or a play-off final against Hamilton Academical. How they bounce back from tonight's setback will be interesting to watch.

Roll up, roll up for the fifth meeting of the season between Stenhousemuir and East Fife! What can we expect from Saturday's match at Ochilview? Will either team be able to spring a surprise? Or will be get another score draw? I don't know, but I'm excited! I wasn't sure what to make of Stenhousemuir's performance against Annan Athletic on Saturday. There were positive elements, with some strong individual performances, but I don't think we suited the 4-4-2 system and, ultimately, we were lucky to have won the match. I don't think we can rely on the same good fortune here - we have to take the game to the Fifers, and that means reverting to the 4-2-3-1 formation that's broadly served us well since Gary Naysmith took charge. We're yet to see the best of Gavin Reilly, even if he has shown up quite well in his short spell at the club and, as good as he was at the weekend, I'd keep Ross Forbes in reserve for the time being. He seems to have found himself a niche role as a supersub and I don't see any reason to change it. Curtis Lyle needs to give himself a shake because he almost cost us at Galabank and I'd like to see a little more from the three attackers (even if they combined for our equalising goal). How about: - Gavin Reilly - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Mikey Miller - Nat Wedderburn - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - I'll be disappointed if we don't win here but I'm under no illusions we're in for a tricky encounter. East Fife have given us a decent game whenever we've met them so far this season, and Saturday won't be any different. If we can get the three points, I've got a feeling we'll stay in the play-offs between now and the end of the campaign.

Just look at this, what a stunning, stunning goal:

Aye, that was a really entertaining game of football and miles better than the slop we've been served up in the last three matches. Annan Athletic might have been the better team over the piece and I think a draw would have been the fairest outcome but Ross Forbes, my word! What a strike! That's by far and away the best moment of the season so far. When he had the ball outside the box, I was screaming for him to play in Euan O'Reilly to his left... then all of a sudden the ball's crashing into the net. I was in a state of disbelief. It's one of the best goals I've ever seen us score and it could be crucial in determining our season. We started both halves dreadfully, conceding two preventable goals, and I think we deserve credit for the way we pulled ourselves back into the match. Annan are probably the best side I've seen this season - they move the ball around well, have some superb players in their side (Wullie Gibson was a standout at right-back) and one of the finest strikers in the division in Tommy Goss, someone who's improved exponentially as the season's gone on. They won a lot of first and second balls and had us on the back foot for long periods, but they didn't necessarily test our goalkeeper and they'll be disappointed with the goals they lost. Nat Wedderburn equalised almost immediately after Annan's first, slamming home the ball following a corner, and Matty Yates stooped low at the back post after they failed to clear a set-piece. Nevertheless, I'd fancy them for promotion. Some players did very well for Stenhousemuir today - Callum Yeats made some sensational interventions, including clearing a goal-bound shot off the line, and Forbes and O'Reilly really brought a new dimension to our game when they were introduced late on - but we didn't really fit the 4-4-2 formation and some players struggled to get into the game. Our forwards were subdued and our midfield too open, and it doesn't suit us having Yates or Adam Brown as orthodox wide players. Curtis Lyle is a disaster waiting to happen and he should be grateful Yeats was there to hack away Goss' effort after the goalkeeper dithered over a routine bouncing ball. Sean Crighton should have done a lot better with the first goal; he seemed to lose Goss entirely. But still! What an afternoon, what a three points. If we can get the better of East Fife next weekend, I'd fancy us to cement our place in the top four.

Just back in from the match. A poor spectacle overall that wasn't helped by a questionable red card. I was in line with Ricky Little's poor tackle and thought there was enough ground left for Tam O'Brien to cover, but the referee thought it warranted a more severe punishment. I expected Hamilton Academical to press their advantage but they... just didn't. The build-up play was pedestrian and there was a real lack of urgency given what was at stake. Too many cantered through the match, passing the ball without any purpose or penetration. Scott Martin was the only player who understood the situation and he tried to inject some tempo into the game, but no-one else did. Accies' full-backs were poor and the attackers were generally well marshalled by Arbroath's defence. Arbroath deserve credit for coming through the match relatively unscathed. The only time Derek Gaston was tested was in the first half with Connor Smith found space inside the box, but that was about it. There are a load of duds in their team, especially in attack - where's Dick Campbell signing these boys from? The big man embarrassed himself with his red card. The sarcastic cheers as he made his way from the dugout to his seat was about as raucous as it got.

No. Cammy Binnie turned in some of the worst goalkeeping performances I saw last season when he was with Albion Rovers and I don't want my club to have anything to do with him.

I wouldn't be against starting Conor Brennan if he's fit and able to play (and I'd never thought I'd ever be advocating to get him into the team at all) but I wonder how the injury might have affected him and his willingness to go in where the studs are flying? A goalkeeper has to be a priority in the summer. Curtis Lyle is a big dud.

I'm hoping to take in this evening's match - where's the best place to get parked? Many thanks!

It'll definitely be talked about on next week's episode - it's the biggest game in the SPFL and the match that could define League 1. I was going to say "it should be a cracker!" but having watched the highlights from the last meeting between the teams - six minutes of terrible corner kicks - I have my doubts.

I imagine it's been asked elsewhere in the thread but will a PPV option be available for this match? It's the biggest game in the SPFL so far this season and I imagine a lot of people will want to watch it.

There's a big game on the horizon as third place takes on fourth - it's Annan Athletic versus Stenhousemuir! A big game and make no mistake. Galabank is one of the best away days in Scotland and I'm looking forward to the trip down. I'd fancy the home side tomorrow - Stenhousemuir have not played well in their last three matches, looking slow and ramshackle, with Gary Naysmith's "new manager bounce" beginning to wear off. Annan are a good side and we'll really have to step it up if we want to get something from the game. I wonder how we'll line up. Naysmith sprung some surprises on Tuesday night against Dumbarton, making five changes, and none of them really worked. Will we see more rotation? Or will he revert to his tried-and-tested XI? How about something like: - Gavin Reilly - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Mikey Miller - Nat Wedderburn - - Jordan Lowden - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - A couple of players will need to give themselves a shake after the last outing and I hope to see a big improvement. We've done well to turn around the season in the last two months, let's not lose focus now.

A weird game. I thought we were lucky to go into the interval one goal down but we were also unlucky not to have scored ourselves. We had a lot of the ball in the second half but other than a Nat Wedderburn shot that was slapped off the line, our pressure was sterile and we created very little. It was our poorest performance since Gary Naysmith took charge and caps a run of mediocre displays. I'm a little concerned, truth be told! Having previously seen Dumbarton twice this season, I thought they were a solid, uninspiring side but I was impressed with them last night. They were aggressive in the first half and, other than the odd foray upfield, largely kept Stenhousemuir at bay. The Sons played on the front foot and could have scored long before Finlay Gray steered home from close range, having hit the post and seen a shot hooked off the line. Their second-half showing wasn't quite as good, and they seemed content to drop deep, waste time, and sit on their lead. It was similar to the last meeting between the sides, a 1-1 draw at Ochilview, but they saw out the Warriors limited bombardment. Dumbarton's time wasting was deeply frustrating and I was disappointed the referee didn't clamp down on it - they'd been at it all the way through the second half. I don't understand why Stevie Farrell instructs his players to do this because there's enough talent in there to take the game to their opponents. Having played poorly against Albion Rovers and Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, the two worst sides in the division, I was worried coming into this match. At least we won those games - here, we would have been fortunate to have come away with a point. The defence was stretched, the midfield was often one step behind and the attack only really flickered after Gavin Reilly's introduction. Too many players didn't turn up, including Euan O'Reilly and Matty Yates. Curtis Lyle won't do and his kicking was mostly lacklustre. I understand Naysmith wanted to change things up after recent performances but I think he got a few things wrong - Kian Speirs should have been hooked long before the 85th minute and Tam Orr should have been given greater support after the interval. The only player who did reasonably well throughout was Adam Corbett (and even then, his offensive threat down the right was inadequate). There is a lot of work to be down before the weekend's match with Annan Athletic, that's for sure!

Where's the best place to get parked in Dumbarton? It's been a long time since I've visited!

Adam Brown has agreed a contract extension with the club. I'm pleased with this. He's a decent player, he's always positive with the ball, and he's good for five or six goals a season.

Mark "Mr Goals" McGuigan left Stenhousemuir in the summer of 2021 and joined East Fife, but he retired 10 days later to study a PhD. He's combining his studies with coaching Celtic's youth players.

While Dumbarton have been playing poorly at the moment, so too have Stenhousemuir - the only difference is we've somehow won our last two matches. We were miles off it against Albion Rovers last weekend until some inventive half-time substitutes, and truly appalling against Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic on Saturday, so I'm approaching tomorrow's encounter with a degree of trepidation. Given the state of Dumbarton's pitch, I'm expecting another 90 minutes of brutal football, but I do think we have a chance. I think we'll make a couple of tweaks to Saturday's XI: - Gavin Reilly - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Miller - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - Let's go for it! A win for the Warriors would be enormous.

Incredible to think that such a dreadful game of football could somehow get worse. Appalling and embarrassing for everyone concerned and I'm pleased to see both clubs have acted quickly.

I'm not sure how anyone could have enjoyed that today. It was a dire game of football between two miserable sides, separated by a fluke goal. That's the worst we've played under Gary Naysmith - everything seemed panicky and uncoordinated and we seemed terrified in possession, with the ball thumped into the air as soon as we got it. You can make allowances for the bumpy pitch and the slope but even so, it was a miserable fare. Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic didn't really create much, bar a chance in either half, and it's easy to see why they're struggling at the bottom of the table. I appreciate they've had a couple of hard-luck stories in recent weeks but there's just an overall lack of quality there. I've seen some of their supporters on social media saying it was "another really good performance" and I can't for the life of me think how. I'm pleased it was Dean Brett that was sent off today. He needlessly flicked his fingers at Nicky Jamieson's ballbag during an altercation and had to walk. He's a gobshite and a nasty piece of work and I'm glad it was him who let his team down. Don't let his protestations on his Twitter account fool you - it was a red-card offence (even if Jamieson made the most of it). Jamieson and Sean Crighton generally played well and dealt with most of the long balls thumped in their direction. Curtis Lyle had his best game for the club and made two important blocks. Both full-backs were poor. The midfield only began to show cohesion after the goal. Gavin Reilly looked spry and Tam Orr played well enough when he came on. We'll certainly need to see an upturn in the next few days when we travel to face Dumbarton and Annan Athletic. We've looked shoddy against the two worst sides in the division and we'll need to see a big improvement when we come up against two of the best.

We've added Jacob Blaney from Hibernian on loan until the end of the season. Blaney is a defender and is quite well thought of at Hibernian, according to sources. Let's hope he does us a turn!

Hmm, this is what I expected. But who knows! We really need someone that can hold up the ball in the final third and maybe Gavin Reilly could be our man!

Is Gavin Reilly any good? On paper, it looks like a good signing but I have my suspicions.

Stenhousemuir have signed Gavin Reilly from Queen of the South on loan until the end of the season. On paper, this looks like a good signing but I have my suspicions. If he's being punted from a dreadful Queen of the South team, what can he offer the Warriors? Nevertheless, I hope he can do us a good turn, allow us to keep the ball high up the park, and maybe score a couple of goals.

Fair play to Kian Speirs, I quite like what I've seen from him for far. Nothing too fancy, nothing too outrageous, he uses the ball very well and adds a a degree of composure in the middle of the park. He's quite energetic too and can get around a bit.

The biggest game on the planet is taking place on Saturday when Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic welcome Stenhousemuir to New Dundas Park. It's an important game for both sides and a victory either way could have ramifications at the foot of the table or the promotion play-offs. Bonnyrigg are the poorest side I've seen so far this season but they cannot be underestimated - they should have beaten us when the sides last met in November. Stenny have improved a lot since then, and I'd be disappointed if we don't win here. I wonder what condition the pitch will be in and I wonder what that means for our approach to this match. Will we stick with the tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation we've used since Gary Naysmith joined the club? Or should we utilise the 4-3-3 that saw us run out comfortably on our last visit to Midlothian? Or should we stuff the midfield in the same way we finished the weekend's game against Albion Rovers? We're in for a hard game on a difficult surface and I've no doubt we've planned and prepared accordingly. Nicky Jamieson should be back for this one, so we should be able to field our first-choice XI, and I wonder if we'll go with: - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Mikey Anderson - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Miller - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Curtis Lyle - I'm going for a narrow Stenhousemuir win for this one. I'll see you there!