AndyDD

Airdrieonians 2-0 Queen of the South Dunfermline Atheltic 3-0 Clyde Kelty Hearts 0-0 Peterhead Montrose 1-1 Alloa Athletic

Aye seen that. Hopefully it's nothing more serious than that. Wouldn't want to be without him come the playoffs. Rhys replacing him from the start, do we think?

Dunfermline comfortable and deserved champions, as Rhys McCabe acknowledged last weekend after the falkirk game, but as he and everyone else has also pointed out, there hasn't been much between the teams in the three matches so far. All three have been very decent games of football, so hopefully that continues tomorrow. I said at the time that I didn't think anyone else in the league could put them to the sword as effectively as we did in their last visit but also that I didn't think any other side in the division would have that comeback in them. We beat ourselves to a degree, but Dunfermline deserved huge credit for the way they took full advantage. Any doubts about them winning the league were banished for me that day. That's a title winning match, and you could tell they knew it. Dramatic as it and the subsequent late red/penalty save at east end park were, I could do with a more straightforward affair tomorrow. Don't expect Dunfermline to have chucked it, but if we play to our capacity then we've a win in us, whether they are 100% committed or not. Obviously they should be giving fringe players a chance now, and thinking about their well earned off-season holidays, shouldn't they? Only right and proper. Indeed, only fair and sporting to give them early access to the club bar so as to toast their title. ATS will be a miss for us but hopefully he's back for the playoffs. I know we've not clinched it yet, but even so, let's avoid any other injuries to key players. We need our best available and match-fit if we're going to follow the Pars up a league.

Interesting topic with some decent looking picks thus far. Suppose you could just go Dunfermline defence (conceded 19) and Airdrie attack (scored 76), but that's maybe a tad simplistic.

Showing as sold out now on the SFA site Er, well, it was. Not any more.

Some spot, thanking you.

Got mine no problem at all, easy days. Cannae wait. Win this and we can start booking Germany out for the entire tourney

I think @Mr November and @ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds have nailed the clear winners in each category, but honourable mentions to Frizz for player of the year, a guy who looks a level or two above when at his best and adds a real doggedness to his clear ability. Earlier this season I'd have been giving my vote to Euan D for young player, but Gabby has pipped him for me given the last month or so. Still feel Euan has come on greatly this season. You'd not think Josh was as young as he is, either, given he plays like a very experienced goalie. A great what if this year, if he'd been fit for a entire season. Some really good goals didn't even make the final 10, and it feels almost blasphemous not to go with either of the team goals, but that Gal goal versus Kelty is just silly. 20 league goals for the season and hopefully he's far from finished. Whip round for a new contract, anyone?

Definitely didn't get the fast, erratic start to the game I'd predicted, anyway! Much cagier than I think anyone expected in the opening exchanges. First half played at a very surprisingly slow tempo and Falkirk deserved their half-time lead; we just seemed that bit slower to get going than usual and never really did for the whole half. In saying that, a poor breakaway goal to lose even accounting for being off it in the first 45. Looked much more like ourselves second half and really ought to have built on our lead before losing the sloppy equaliser. Good to keep the unbeaten run going, both in the league itself and in our visits to falkirk stadium. Looks like we'll be heading back in the playoffs at some point so, be really nice if we can keep that record intact (providing we do the business at our bit). Delighted for Gal to get to 20 league goals. He was due to score, let's face it.

Airdrieonians 2-1 Dunfermline Athletic Alloa Athletic 1-1 Falkirk FC Edinburgh 0-0 Kelty Hearts Peterhead 0-1 Clyde Queen of the South 0-0 Montrose

19 for me, so even more of a squeeze! My partner's on 15 so, she's going to struggle, but we've had that issue before and managed to get home end ticket so, awk I'm sure it'll be fine. If not, well, that'll be a her problem. Looking forward to it as well, should be some trip.

Not unexpected, but 1350 allocation is going to make it very difficult for anyone under 19 points to get a ticket.

Aye it really underlines just how poorly coached those same players must have been, on top of all the other garbage behind the scenes that you outline. Just not making an absolute hooring c**t of it every time they say or do something makes the new regime look like geniuses compared to the last lot. Leon McCann a decent example; he was a good player for us, but looked like he had regressed massively last season whilst playing for Falkirk. Now, he seems to be more like the player he was. It paints a clear picture of what was wrong. Indeed, for all Holt's recruitment has rightly been slated, clearly falkirk did recruit some decent players in that period; they just got coached so dreadfully that their ability was smothered and as you say, their belief exorcised. See it quite regularly. As @Diamonds02 points out, Frizzell was lambasted by Dumbarton supporters when we signed him, and he has been one of the best midfielders in the league the last two seasons. ATS has been the epitome of composure for Airdrie this season, to the point where it is obvious his issue last year was the same issue afflicting all the falkirk players; horrendous coaching and abysmal man-management.

So it was, haha aye hopefully! 20, 26 and 19. Good ages. If memory serves we had the youngest average squad age in the division last year, not sure how that shakes out this time but there does appear to be a decent enough mix now. Having some more experienced players like Telfer and McCabe on the bench along with the younger guys like Dixon, McGregor, Stanway and Byrd Byrd is a nice place to be in, too, as I know a few have pointed out previously.

Maybe aye, I think as well, there are I imagine several Falkirk players this year who look miles better than they did last season. Better coaching, a team and club in a better place, I think we maybe underestimate these factors. Ah, no, you're quite right, alas that was just me being an absolute melon.

Happens, I suppose. Adam Frizzell made ATS look a right clown last season in a game between the two sides, but the Antigua and Barbuda hall-of-famer has actually been really solid for us this season when he has played and has turned out to be a very good signing.

Good wee feature, that. Shame it didn't catch the third goal, granted, but even so, I like it. McMaster 20 today; I'm guessing we'll all be more than happy if the rumours of him being signed on permanently next year come to fruition right enough. Really has stepped up in this run, great to see. Long may it continue.

Ahh, Alegria. Thanks for that, brought to mind him decking it under no pressure in the 4-0 skudding earlier in the season. Chuckle. What a diddy.

That comparison of the last five fixtures for Airdrie and Falkirk covered games against 3 of the exact same teams, during which Falkirk managed two goals, conceding one. Airdrie beat the same teams, conceding twice, but scoring... fourteen. It's a pretty reasonable comparison to make, when it's 3 games against the same teams. If we had shat out a 0-0 with Clyde and a 0-0 with Kelty a week after they had been ridden rotten 5-1 and 6-1, I'd be less quick to dismiss that, myself. A narrow win on Tuesday should have Falkirk in a better place going into the match on Saturday, though, and they have a very strong home record this season. Far less fragility. Playoffs secured and miles off a title push, too, so that combined with finally getting back to winning ways will have eased a good bit of pressure.

Didn't realise most websites use 6, that's news to me. I always thought last 5 was pretty commonly used. BBC use it on their site for all league tables, and as @Duncan Freemason points out that also tends to be the way of it on betting sites as well, at least that I've ever used. Anyway; form is, of course, temporary. Everyone now caught up going into the final four fixtures. We're going to start seeing some things decided, and quickly. Dunfermline have strolled the title, but that (and the gap between 9th and 8th) aside, it really is a tasty wee run in.

Aye, that's about the size of it. Alloa likely to win their game at Kelty, but they've lost two back to back so, maybe not. Narrow win last night means Falkirk have confirmed they will be in the playoffs and finally got themselves a win after stumbling about for the last wee while. Presumably they'll have some confidence back. Both sides seem to try and start fast, so could be a bit of an erratic opening to the game. Might feel like a playoff dress rehearsal, but we're not quite there yet, so taking nothing for granted. Playoffs not technically wrapped up for us yet which means it's brilliant if we get three points, but especially brilliant if that coincides with QOS losing. If they and Alloa want to drop points in any event, that'd be fine and dandy. The first of a tough run of fixtures to finish up, but couldn't ask for much better form going into them. The players will rightly fancy themselves to create chances and if we're ruthless with the chances we do create, we'll win. Assuming we'll stick with the same side to start with, so another test for the young midfield but the back five have been solid of late; hopefully that continues. Big Josh missed the other three fixtures, which is an oddity.

When you look at the positive impact our subs made in the game, with Telfer, McGregor and Stanway all contributing to a strong finish to the match, it really does give you confidence for the remaining games. Telfer comes on and nearly scores, before playing the pass of the game for McGregor's third, after a relentless high energy performance from Justin D for the first hour and a bit. McGregor was more effective than we've seen him thus far, even before the goal, and the hope is he keeps getting better and keeps developing the longer he works with the coaches on the training park. It would take a really horrendous drop off to fail to finish in the playoff places now, and whilst winning runs always come to an end, the confidence is clearly sky-high, the whole squad seem to be loving it and the back five and front three in particular seem incredibly well settled. No reason we can't keep our excellent record in Grangemouth going. I don't see Montrose doing anything tonight in their game, mind you, so probably looking at a five point gap again before a ball is kicked on Saturday. If those good old Gable-Endies do get anything, though, it'd be an absolutely excellent opportunity to go 2nd.

Clyde 0-1 FC Edinburgh Dunfermline Athletic 2-0 Queen of the South Falkirk 0-1 Airdrieonians Kelty Hearts 0-1 Alloa Athletic Montrose 1-1 Peterhead

Must win for the visitors, really is their last chance to force a late push for the playoffs you'd think, so reason to be wary. Concentrate on ourselves, play to our capacity and it's there to be won, definitely. Fully expect the mentality to be spot on, they won't take it for granted and will go out to attack the game. 5 wins on the bounce would be outstanding.

Very true, both in the playoff semi during the covid season where we squeezed through, and most of last season, too, when Cove ended up worthy winners. I'm surprised it has been such a difficult transition for Cove when making the step up, but looks like losing Fyvie in particular has been huge, not to mention the summer loss of Milne. Selfishly I was hoping Accies wouldn't overcome Cove at this fairly late stage; I'd rather the team dropping into the playoffs had failed to finish 3rd bottom, rather than succeeded in escaping dead last. I think there's a significant psychological difference there. Must win for you now at the weekend, one imagines. Last chance saloon, d'you reckon? Thanks, hopefully we can get what we need in the remaining fixtures to clinch a playoff, and then you just take your chances from there.