WattersIsGod

well today's news wasn't expected but having seen his post match interview not totally unexpected. unclear whether he jumped, was pushed or something more mutual. its hard to deny the season was ultimately a failure. I'm open to ideas on a successor...........

An opportunity missed : It’s September 30th 2023 and we’re live on BBC Alba against Cove. 82 minutes gone, leading 2-1. Aaron Dunsmore cracks in a volley looking destined for the far corner but Nick Suman gets down brilliantly to his right to save. The ball pops up to the centre of the six yard box where Lewis Milne is arriving. I’m behind the goal and it looks enormous. A massive void in which to deposit the tiny looking football. All the choice in the world and so much goal to aim at. Milne’s head meets ball and we wait for it to hit the back of the net. From nowhere, Nick Suman springs back up from the ground to save it. I’m stunned for a second, barely able to take in what has just happened. In all my years watching football, that’s one of the best saves I’ve ever seen. When the ball is cleared, I lead a round of applause for the goalie. What happens next is entirely predictable now but I didn’t expect it then. Despite going down to ten men, Cove find an equaliser. One point instead of three. A hard and savage lesson. The moment where for the first time in nearly a year it was us on the wrong end of a late goal. It was us going home, thinking how did we not win this. We would have gone third with a win and continued the good start to the season. Like the final 10 minutes of the Cove game, I spent the season hoping it wouldn’t matter and that the missed opportunities wouldn’t haunt us. We would not win at home again until the 27th January. I keep coming back to this as a turning point and a metaphor for the season. Edinburgh City imploded and were early certainties for the bottom spot. QOS had a woeful season and got 41 points. Annan only 39. We couldn’t ask for a better chance to stay in League One. We had a free header with the goalie on the ground and still found a way not to score. We’re going back down having won 5 home games all season, averaged a goal and a third per game at home. An opportunity missed.

yep, before the season started, both Milne and Hilson seemed like solid signings. i did think we needed more. another defender of better quality and another central midfield option. the defence was exactly what i thought it would be. last season's defence against better players resulting in more struggles. once we lost Davidson to injury, the midfield was getting completely overrun leading to more pressure on the defence. if he gets his fitness back then i think he's a key player for us next year. i still think he's a useful player especially at league 2 level. Hilson's goal return very poor for how much he played but he doesn't look like a player who is ever likely to get into double figures for goals, more a support striker type in the mould of Thommo but without the height. Carrick worked hard all season but did the best of his work outside the box. in midfield, we never seemed to find the right balance. off the park annoys me even more. slow to the point of silence and nothingness. such a quiet off season and the usual silence throughout the season. lack of highlights disappointing too.

I hope it hasn't come to that. I'm more talking about tactical naievity. There's hopefully some balance in between our clearly failed approach and the cynical do anything to get a draw style of football.

Agree with that and both frustrated me. Be a more streetwise team rather than moaning about not getting the breaks. The rock up and play their normal game approach to away games really bugged me. It does nothing for morale to get outplayed and thrashed 5 0 without giving yourself a chance.

Good summary. I'm not ready for the long reflective post yet either.

Cheers. It's going to take a few bottles over a few weeks to get over this one.

All my worst fears came true Didn't upgrade the defence or the midfield and we paid for it. Once plan A ( last seasons squad and tactics) started to fail we never found a suitable plan B. Tactical failures especially away from home. Failure to score enough at home even when we did play OK. I'm gonna renew but I'm sure its going to be quieter. It's infuriating to be going straight back down. I'm not enthused about another season in league two and knowing Darren Young he may well get most of the band back together again.... Just gutting.

Thought the Falkirk fans might have better things to do but nevermind. An ending that pretty much sums up the season. Can't take chances so can't win games. A distinct lack of belief and composure. Not just the missed chances but the crosses shanked out from promising positions. Got what we deserved today and for the season. Absolutely gutted.

At least yours might go away.

Missed more chances 2nd half than we usually create in a whole game . Deserve nothing. Well done Dumbarton

Enjoyed the pie of the week. Meatball marinara.... Went back for a 2nd

I'm not sure what to think. Cmon the binos

Welcome to hopefully not the last day of our season. Seems a nice day to try and extend it by a week.. I'm hopeful but not exactly optimistic. Cmon the binos....prove me wrong.

I've really tried.

It's pretty much the same squad. League one has been a step up in quality and for the most part they haven't handled it. I'm not overly surprised. I thought we needed upgrades in defence and the centre of midfield. We didn't get them and both have been a weakness

couple of cracking strips on show there. otherwise just bringing back some painful memories. not one of my favourite days at Forthbank.

it is a nice wee stadium. it took me a while to love it after Annfield but i do now. wish they'd put covers over the end terraces. both for protection from the elements and for atmosphere. it's certainly still a lot better than most lower league grounds and perfectly suitable for our needs. Having one of the better lower league pitches is a bonus too.

hopefully we see a better game of football than Tuesday night. looks like we should have decent conditions. pitch is still looking good and we have a rare half decent weather forecast for Saturday. endured far too many poor games in the wind at Forthbank this season and it will make a pleasant change to be bathed in sunshine. think i'll probably do the South terrace. might be the last chance for a good while. can't see it opening next year if we go back down.

Yeah that's right.

you can pay at the gate but its cash only in the East Stand

You won't find many Stirling fans who think they have a divine right to anything. We're pretty accustomed to long periods of mediocrity at best.

i think he'll still be here. he's had 2 full seasons, one where he won the league and one where goal difference prevented us staying up automatically. Compared to our last few managers that's blinding........ i'd have had Flynn Duffy back in January. nowhere near as exciting as some of the loan signings we got but would have been competition for left back and also a solid left midfield option which might not have resulted in us being destroyed down that side so often. at the moment we are still in the middle of everything and emotions are high. things will calm down again. it's still not over yet either..............it's not the most promising postiion but there is still a chance.

McPake is a lot better going forward than defensively. i'm not saying Cammy Clark is the world's greatest fullback but he isn't getting a great deal of help. the midfield hasn't been an area of strength this season either. i don't feel we've ever really found the right combination. last season generally seemed to be a simpler 4-4-2 where the wingers knew their jobs. we seem to be playing more of a 4-2-3-1 lately which in theory should help with the extra midfielder but there just seems to be more confusion about who is picking up who, particularly out wide. If Crane moved to left back then i think the only real replacement on the bench was Lewis Milne who can't press or tackle so would just have made the midfield even more porous. the painfully slow back four was always going to be a problem this season. I don't think Carrick is fully fit either. i've never seen so many poor touches from him as in the last 2 games.