Francesc Fabregas

I'm not sure how signing John Gemmell could be described as a "gamble" or a "risky punt" - surely he was signed on buttons to beef up the numbers and maybe add something different to your forward line? No-one involved in bringing him to Dumbarton would have envisaged him playing a couple of minutes here and there and maybe getting the odd start?

I understand A View from the Terrace has its own sub-forum within Pie and Bovril but it's a little out of the way, so I thought I'd bump this thread to encourage as many people to watch tonight's show as possible. It's on at 10:30pm on the BBC Scotland channel and it's going to be a lot of fun. I hope to see as many of you there as possible.

We've been drawn away to Formartine United in the third round of the Scottish Cup. This will be a tricky match but, taking everything into consideration, it's one of the best ties we could have got!

An interesting encounter awaits on Saturday when Albion Rovers host Stenhousemuir at Cliftonhill. The Warriors won the first meeting between the sides on the opening day of the season but there was very little between the two teams and the Rovers should have taken a point. Despite being bottom of the table, Brian Reid's team are a competitive bunch and I'm expecting a difficult game - if you're not prepared to match their application and enthusiasm, especially on their home turf, they're going to run over the top of you. Stenny come into this game with a bit of a defensive crisis. Nicky Jamieson hurt himself at the end of the weekend's Scottish Cup win over East Fife and is expected to be absent for at least a month, while Sean Crighton is also likely to miss out with injury. This means Adam Corbett and Dan Higgins are our only available centre-backs - two defenders who have their qualities but not necessarily your first picks for a rough-and-tumble scrap at the Rovers. I can't see us abandoning the three-at-the-back system and I worry we'll see someone like Scott Walker, a player who has yet to impress, drafted in to play as a right-sided centre-back. Callum Yeats broke down in training last week too so Ross Philp is probably going to keep his place at left wingback. I'm not too sure how we'll set up for this one. Maybe something like: - Matty Yates - - Euan O'Reilly - Adam Brown - - Ross Philp - Nat Wedderburn - Ross Forbes - Mikey Miller - - Adam Corbett - Dan Higgins - Scott Walker - - Conor Brennan - There might be scope for Mikey Anderson or Tam Orr to start but I don't think Stephen Swift will deviate too much from a winning team. I'm always nervous about a trip to Coatbridge, more so given our absentees, but if you're serious about challenging for the title, you have to beat the team at the bottom of the league.

Reece, while you're here, what's the story with Liam Brown? Why is he unavailable?

Kris Faulds is another!

Saturday's match between Stenhousemuir and Stirling Albion is, by far and away, the biggest match in the SPFL this weekend. It pits two of the division's most in-form sides against one another - Stenny are enjoying a six-game unbeaten run while the Binos are on a tear, winning their last four, including a 6-0 thrashing of league leaders Dumbarton. It's probably too early in the season to declare this a six-pointer but a defeat would be damaging to the home side's title aspirations; this encounter probably falls into the must-not-lose category for the Warriors. Stenny have played well in spells across the past six matches but our inability to keep a clean sheet is a concern, and I think there's an expectation that the team has to score two or three times every game to have any chance of winning. We've lost some comedic goals in recent weeks to Elgin City and Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, while Tommy Goss' equaliser for Annan Athletic at the weekend was the most deflating moment of the season so far. Even then, we only began playing well when they were reduced to 10 men after 30 minutes. Poor defending cost us badly against Stirling earlier in the season, with a horrorshow from Dan Higgins and a calamity from Clangers Brennan gifting the first and second goals in a 3-0 rout. I didn't think the Binos were all that impressive that afternoon, despite the scoreline, but they've improved dramatically and there seems to be threats all across the pitch. I noticed that four of their six goals against Dumbarton came from set-pieces - this is an obvious concern, as we're terrible at defending corners and free-kicks, with Brennan offering very little assurance. I'm not sure how we address this in the short term but I'm sure Stephen Swift has already given it some thought. Will Callum Yeats and Mikey Miller be available for the weekend? We missed Miller on Saturday and I think he would have given a far more disciplined performance at right-wingback than Ross Philp. Will Liam Brown be available? There's a lack of clarity over whether or not he can play. I don't think we'll deviate too much from the side that started against Annan: - Tam Orr - Matty Yeats - - Euan O'Reilly - Adam Brown - Nat Wedderburn - Ross Forbes - Mikey Miller - - Adam Corbett - Nicky Jamieson - Sean Crighton - - Conor Brennan - I don't see why we can't win Saturday's match but our late collapse and Stirling's recent performances have spooked me. I'd be glad for a point, all things considered.

That was some game of football yesterday. A real rollercoaster from the first kick of the ball until the final whistle. If the season ends in failure, this will be the kind of match we'll look back on, where three points suddenly evaporated to one, and cite as some kind of factor. I simply cannot understand how we, after all the hard work in getting back into the match and taking the lead, allowed Tommy Goss to score at the death from 20 yards. When the ball hit the back of the net and the big man ran towards the home support to celebrate, all I could do was laugh. A real sore one. Up until Tam Muir's red card, Stenhousemuir were comfortably second best. We didn't really have an answer to Goss, who pushed our backline around and won the majority of his headers, or Benjamin Luissant in the middle of the park, who seemed to get to every second ball and constantly drove us back. Luissant is a pretty instinctive player who appears to be better without the ball than he is with it, but he was a nuisance all afternoon. Goss' first goal was pretty well taken, the big man finishing from a tight angle, but it's disappointing that Annan's most obvious threat was left unmarked at the back post. Who was supposed to be picking him up? Stephen Swift talks about his team losing through "instances" and these instances seem to be happening every week; one clean sheet all season just isn't good enough. We have to continually outscore our opposition if we want to win. The match turned on Muir's dismissal, with the makeshift centre-back sent off for a rotten over-the-ball tackle on Matty Yates. It was a brainless challenge, with Yates some distance from the Annan goal, and the decision to remove Tony Wallace for Scott Hooper to plug the gap in the back opened the game up for us. Although we saw plenty of the ball, we didn't do much with it - Ross Forbes should have scored with an unmarked header and the same player had the opportunity to put away one of the numerous close-range free-kicks. Everything seemed a little too pedestrian. Our sterile dominance continued into the second half. I thought the interval might have brought about a couple of changes but we continued with a 3-5-2 system that, bizarrely, saw Sean Crighton operating as a right-winger. How did this happen? The ball was worked out to him so many times and all the big man could do was send it floated crosses that were easy to deal with. Our whole approach, in fact, was pretty straightforward for Annan - get it out wide and chuck it in the box. The only time it worked was when Will Sewell forced Greg Fleming into a stunning reaction save; it might be one of the best I've ever seen in the flesh. We needed to change things and Crighton was eventually moved up front. Annan could have scored when Nicky Jamieson lost possession and Goss put Josh Galloway through on goal but Conor Brennan beat away a poor effort. With nine minutes remaining, Nat Wedderburn, who'd had a frustrating game, decided to take things into his own hands and rampaged into the box. His shot was blocked but kindly rolled into Crighton's path, who steered it into the net. A second goal seemed inevitable and it duly arrived shortly afterwards when Crighton flicked home Euan O'Reilly's cross. That should have won us the match but Goss had other ideas. Was bringing on Mikey Anderson a negative move that cost the side its edge? Possibly, but if we win the match, it's not an issue. All in all, that was deeply disappointing. On one hand, the team showed character to pull themselves back into the match and have now gone six games unbeaten but on the other, Annan were there for the taking and a lack of imagination and a collapse at the end saw them tie the match. That's what you get for supporting a team like Stenhousemuir. Next week against Stirling Albion is shaping up to be a blockbuster.

Took this game in last night. Not the most entertaining game I've ever been to but I think it's fair to say it was a bit of a stroll for the home side. I can't remember Robbie Mutch have a save of note to make because Lee Hamilton and Liam Fontaine dealt with Peterhead any time they moseyed forward. Allan Delferriere was the best player on the park and the way he carries himself and moves the ball around is impressive. FC Edinburgh didn't really create much themselves but the introduction of John Robertson midway through the second half gave them the jag they needed. Peterhead were largely competitive but never really looked like scoring. Without a proper striker, their forward play was limited and easy to defend against. The main reason I attended the match was to experience Meadowbank Stadium. It is, without a doubt, the worst ground I've ever been to. I arrived a couple of minutes after the kick-off and spent the first half sitting in the front row. The perimeter fence is a perpetual nuisance and it's difficult to tell what's going on when the ball is over the far side. I sat in the second row in the second half and things are a little better, but not by much. Goodness knows how the Falkirk and Dunfermline Athletic fans will get on when they return on a dismal January afternoon. I appreciate everyone associated with the club is embarrassed with the current circumstances (and it sounds as though Edinburgh Council have been a nightmare to deal with) and they're working to rectify the situation but Meadowbank Stadium unacceptable to watch football in, especially when entrance fee is £18. A damn shame as well give how incredible their start to the season has been!

FK5's premium punk-rock soccer side are in action once again as they welcome Annan Athletic to Ochilview on Saturday. The Warriors are in great form at the moment having taken 13 points from their last five matches and have shown their minerals in victories against East Fife and Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic; Annan, meanwhile, have probably been the most disappointing side in the division so far - I expected them to build on last season and win the title but the weekend's embarrassment at Elgin City was the latest in a series of poor showings. Stenny are a different, better side than the one who meekly surrendered 2-1 at Galabank in August. The back three suits this team and gives it the balance it had been missing earlier in the campaign and a number of players are performing well just now, notably Matty Yates, Mikey Miller and Sean Crighton. I'm not too sure how we're going to line up for the weekend's match - on one hand, there's no need to change a winning side but on the other, the team that started at Bonnyrigg was designed with specific circumstances in mind. If Euan O'Reilly is unfit, we might go with two up top with Tam Orr restored to the starting XI and although Ross Forbes turned in his best performance of the season in the first half at New Dundas Park, Liam Brown can't be far away. A player of his profile wasn't brought to be a reserve. Nevertheless, it's a good place to be - we have depth and options to change things around if need be, and everyone will need to be at their best because there are players who can easily come in and replace them. - Matty Yates - Tam Orr - Callum Yeats - Adam Brown - Nat Wedderburn - Liam Brown - Mikey Miller - - Adam Corbett - Nicky Jamieson - Sean Crighton - - Clangers Brennan - Given how we've been playing in recent weeks, confidence should be high and we should be looking to win this. I don't want to get too carried away but I'd be disappointed if we can't get one over Annan given how things went last time we faced them. Home win!

Queen of the South fans warned us we were signing a lightweight sand-dancer and, to be fair to them, they were absolutely correct. Niyah Joseph has contributed precious little in his limited game time and is some way down the pecking order. He's been used as an attacking midfielder whenever he's featured but players like Adam Brown and even Ross Forbes offer a lot more. Now we've signed Liam Brown on loan from Queen's Park, I don't think he'll be used much at all going forward.

The two best Stenhousemuir teams I've seen over the past 20 years have been Des McKeown's side from 2005/06 and Davie Irons' squad from 2011/12. Both very good teams in different ways, both finished their respective seasons empty-handed. I don't want to get too carried away after some sterling results but, on paper, this is a smashing group of players, especially after Friday's additions. Let's just hope they have something to show for it come May!

That was a brilliant result and a thoroughly well-deserved three points for Stenhousemuir. The match was uncomfortable at points, especially in large parts of the second half, but I think the players and management deserve a lot of credit with how they handled a tough, up-and-at-them opponent. I wondered if this would be the game where Stephen Swift turned a corner and I think that could be the case. Fair play to everyone involved. Neilly sums up the match really well above me. Stenhousemuir dominated the first half, creating the bulk of the chances and keeping Bonnyrigg on the back foot. They were, of course, aided by some horrendous goalkeeping from Mark Weir - seven minutes into the match, he leathered a clearance off Matty Yates which spun into the net, and shortly afterwards he failed to deal with a routine corner kick that Euan O'Reilly poked home on the goal-line. His distribution throughout was horrendous. He reminded me a little of Sandy Wood all those years back at Montrose, and not in a good way. Elsewhere, Adam Brown had an effort cleared off the line, Ross Forbes almost scored with a free-kick and Mikey Miller put a good ball across the face of goal that couldn't find a taker. Despite our level of control and our two-goal lead at the interval, I was still anxious, and I had every right to be. Not long after the interval, Kieran McGachie headed a corner straight at Conor Brennan, who inexplicably mishandled it and allowed Kevin Smith to smash it home. Brennan always seems to have a mistake in him, especially when it comes to dealing with crossballs and set-pieces, and his error really seemed to spook his team-mates and supporters. Bonnyrigg gained territory and looked to hit McGachie and get bodies around him quickly and it almost paid off when Lee Currie slipped in a couple of cute passes, but our defenders were quite to the danger and cut it out. We created relatively little in the second half but our two forays upfield led to excellent goals for Yates and Tam Orr. The two strikes were sandwiched between Neil Martyniuk's penalty, given after an apparent handball by Sean Crighton. I'm not sure if there was an infringement but Bonnyrigg were able to get in behind after Ross Philp tried to play his way out of trouble at the back (something Adam Corbett and Liam Brown were guilty of at points), something you can't really do at New Dundas Park. Orr's goal at the death, superbly taken, was a blessed relief. Bonnyrigg are the poorest side I've seen so far this season and I've gone from thinking they'll be safe in mid-table to thinking they'll be in bother. There's a real lack of quality across the park and their physical approach will only get them so far. A lot of their players don't look particularly fit either. I think their next match against Albion Rovers will be huge in determining where they'll finish. It's always good to see someone like Dean Brett in the mud too. I quite liked New Dundas Park - there's nowhere quite like it in League 2 and the squint pitch adds a different dimension to the afternoon and gives teams something to think about. I'd like to think we're in a position where we can kick on and challenge for the title. It's beginning to look like a three-horse race between Dumbarton, Stirling Albion and ourselves. There isn't a lot between the teams but I think we have a little bit about us, especially with Liam Brown's addition. Who knows! Come back in a fortnight when I'm demanding Swift's sacking! I'm fickle like that!

Now we've brought in Ross Philp and Liam Brown, we've got a squad of 20 which is probably the ideal number to take into the second quarter of the campaign. We have good options in almost every area of the pitch and every player will be called upon at some point. I can't see anyone moving on, not until January at least. Liam Brown will surely come into the starting XI today in place of Ross Forbes. Wedderburn anchoring with Liam and Adam Brown operating further forward is quite tasty and I'm looking forward to seeing how it knits altogether. I'm not sure where Philp fits into things, right enough, but we're in a good place. Really can't wait to see Liam Brown in action, what a coup and a far more exciting signing than someone like Craig Bryson.

We've signed Liam Brown on loan from Queen's Park until the end of the season. I don't want to get too carried away but, on paper at least, this is a sensational piece of business. He's one of the best central midfielders in the lower leagues and should stick out a mile.

We brought Spencer Moreland in at Ochilview when we were going through a bit of an injury crisis and needed someone to beef up the numbers in the middle of the park. He made two appearances and left no impression in either game. Perhaps the most notable moment from his time at Stenhousemuir was during an away game at Elgin City where the team bus forgot to pick him up. I hope he can do Forfar Athletic a decent turn but this group of signings screams "eighth-place finish" to me.

This is good to hear. Whereabouts does he play? Am I right in saying he can play in the middle, wide on the right and at right-back?

Ross Philp has joined the club on loan from Kelty Hearts until January.

And so, to the game I've been most looking forward to all season: a trip to New Dundas Park to see Bonnyrigg Ross Athletic taking on Stenhousemuir! I think this might be the first competitive meeting between the sides, unless someone can correct me. It's a contest between two teams in contrasting form - Bonnyrigg started the season superbly but results have faltered in recent weeks, while the Warriors have bounced back from three consecutive defeats to collect 10 points out of a possible 12. This could be a cracking contest. The impression I get from watching Bonnyrigg's highlights is they're a bunch of big lads with a great team spirit but some of their players perhaps lack the quality and the fitness to compete in the SPFL. Nevertheless, I'm expecting a difficult, physical game on a tight park in front of a partisan home support. As for Stenny, have they turned a corner under Stephen Swift? I think this will be the match where we'll find out. The victory over East Fife was thoroughly deserved but a win on Saturday might convince the doubters (myself included) that's he's finally cracked it. I think we'll see a couple of changes from the team that started at Bayview - Adam Corbett might come in for Chocolate Dan Higgins and Euan O'Reilly must be included after his two goals. This might be the kind of match where Mikey Anderson's industry could be valuable, hopefully at the expense of the lumbering Ross Forbes. Maybe Tam Orr might get the nod ahead of Will Sewell. - Matty Yates - Will Sewell - - Euan O'Reilly - Adam Brown - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Anderson - Mikey Miller - - Adam Corbett - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - - Conor Brennan - I'd be over the moon with a win but given this is a relative step into the unknown, I'd be content with a point and a positive performance. I'll see you there!

A come-from-behind victory for the Warriors this evening - a lovely bit of business! Chuck in Dumbarton's loss at Stranraer and it's been a supremely positive night. I'll look forward to reading the comments from those that went along.

Jamie Barclay! One of the worst to ever do it. Now there's a goalkeeper who was unfit! As for Conor Brennan, he might be many things but he's certainly not unfit.

I've been using Pie and Bovril since 2004 and this is the first time I've ever seen someone accusing a goalkeeper of being unfit. Bizarre stuff!

An interesting clash between East Fife and Stenhousemuir lies in wait on Tuesday night. The Fifers had made a decent fist of it so far this season and appear to be performing above their modest pre-season predictions, while the Warriors have yet to really get going, despite collecting seven points from their last three fixtures, and seem to be losing daft goals every week. Both sides will have their eyes on three points and will probably be disappointed with anything other than a win, especially given how the division is beginning to pan out. I'm not quite sure what to expect from East Fife but they seem to have faltered a little in recent weeks with two draws and a loss. On one hand, their last-gasp equaliser at Stranraer shows they're a side who'll fight till the final whistle; on the other, the weekend's stalemate with Annan Athletic, where they tossed away a two-goal lead, shows a carelessness and a brittleness that can be exploited. Nevertheless, players like Kieran Millar and Alan Trouten are two of my all-time lower-league favourites, and guys like Scott Shepherd have the ability to cause us bother. I think Stenhousemuir will continue with their 3-5-2 system but there are a couple of players who need to buck up their ideas. Callum Yeats isn't offering us much down the left, Nicky Jamieson was poor at the weekend, and Will Sewell has a tendency to drop completely out of games, but I wouldn't necessarily make wholesale changes just yet. The only player I'd remove from the starting XI is Ross Forbes and replace him with Mikey Anderson or Mikey Miller (if it's the latter, Adam Corbett should move to right-wingback). Is there anything we can do to make sure Sean Crighton sees as little as the ball as possible, please? You just know when the big man takes a touch and looks up, it's getting punted as far forward as possible, baby! - Matty Yates - Will Sewell - - Callum Yeats - Adam Brown - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Anderson - Mikey Miller - - Daniel Higgins - Nicky Jamieson - Sean Crighton - - Conor Brennan - I won't make the game due to prior commitments, unfortunately. Is there any way to watch the match online, or has that been ceased altogether this season? Either way, I fancy our chances but wouldn't be surprised if we come a cropper here.

We've been drawn at home against East Fife in the second round of the Scottish Cup. By some distance, the dullest fixture in the entire competition. At least we're at Ochilview.

Having watched back the match highlights this morning, I should correct my original post and portion only some, not all, of the blame for Elgin City's third goal to Conor Brennan. I thought he lumped the ball straight at Kane Hester but his clearance was headed into Hester's path, who finished well. Brennan's kicking should have been better and he could have been a little more decisive in how he reacted, but I think a lot of credit has to go to the striker. Easily the best individual performance I've seen from a player so far this year!