AndyDD

For reasons of petty vengeance I'd relish the chance to go up at the expense of Cove, but it is looking very perilous for you at the moment. Accies no great shakes either, but 10th place must be looming large in your horizon. YUUGE game on Saturday between the two, and for all of us playoff contenders watching on.

Yeah another massive match because as you say, we maybe have the toughest last four fixtures out of the various runners and riders for the playoff spots? Games against top two then two matches against teams we've not managed to beat as yet this season. Win on Saturday and you kill off any lingering hopes Montrose have, but assuming Dunfermline win their match, you also go one point off second.. Much more importantly, a win on Saturday really pushes us that bit closer to securing a playoff berth. It won't seal it, not quite, but it would definitely put us in touching distance. As we've seen to our cost, where you land in 2nd-4th isn't all that definitive for playoff success. Just get there. And if we could get there before the final day visit to Meadowbank, that'd be just swell.

Start of the season I always think we're going to win it haha, but I do always look at top four as good, albeit I completely agree, with the retention we had and the strengthening we did, a title challenge did seem on, especially after that excellent start to the season. Losing Josh for as long as we did didn't help, and that sticky spell (plus you're bang on about losing the Dunfermline lead) put us back aways, but credit to Dunfermline, 1 defeat all season is even better than Cove managed last year. They have been very, very good. It's also interesting comparing the table to last year; Dunfermline look good to secure a similar points return as Cove (they might even better that 79 points mark) but second place will be well off our total of 72 last year, it would seem. Top two last year were miles in front, whereas Dunfermline are the only ones with that kind of comfortable gap this time. QP finished 4th on 51, which Alloa already have with 5 games still to play. It looks like a much more competitive division this season, at least from 8th place up. That we are right in amongst the playoffs, with a good chance of finishing third (second isnae exactly out of reach either...) is testament to the work done to retain the players we retained, recruit the others we recruited and the coaching and development throughout the season as well. Not counting any chickens yet though, probably a discussion we can have more fully come season end, but as things stand, have to be happy with how we are faring.

Hard to argue to be fair; their March didn't include a defeat, whereas ours did. Nothing settled yet of course, but a brilliant first season in management for Rhys thus far, all things considered.

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

Very pleasing result, good to be able to win in a different manner as well, even if we really ought to be have 2 or 3 up at halftime. Alloa seemed incredibly blunt, lacking in creativity or real spark at the top end of the pitch considering their recent form. Josh Rae will have precious few easier days than that. Very routine catches and one safety-first tip over the bar for a header that in truth looked like it was headed for the crossbar. I'll forgive him the poor kickout; Alloa didn't have the guile or ability in their team to turn that into a goal, so no harm done. A strong showing across the back again and, even taking his excellent finish aside, Watson had a great afternoon. A really good period for the team who are looking nice and settled. I'd still have liked a touch more composure in the middle towards the end of the match, so would have subbed Rhys on to see things out (and he'd also have the killer pass in his locker to send someone in for a clincher), but hey ho, he must be enjoying watching on from the sidelines. And no wonder. Really good run, this. With QOS bang in form, Alloa have a fight on their hands to hold on to fourth. That could be a significant result either way next week between the two. Montrose look like they're about to be cut off in the last-chance saloon, with their hopes looking pretty remote at this point, so hopefully we keep the run going and push on with another big win. Apply ourselves properly and I fancy us to be comfortable again. Another clean sheet would be excellent too, but then I am greedy.

Here's hoping!

Nae huff from me, the club handed you the one rogue pie exactly as I planned... Enjoyed listening to the podcast, albeit raised my eyebrows a tad at the suggestion the Alloa squad is the stronger. Not convinced, but I suppose we shall see over the next 6 games. The form our forwards are in, indeed the form we're in across the whole pitch, I strongly fancy us to be a different animal than that which visited the recs the previous two times this season. Alloa have been excellent at home evidently, so this is a great test to start what looks quite a tasty run-in. Airdrie by a cupla goals.

Unless wee see a truly ungodly goal swing to Edinburgh, both teams will still be in the top four come fulltime regardless of result. Even so, a win for either side puts them that bit closer to sealing their playoff place and deal a psychological blow to a potential playoff opponent, too. Presumably going to be a harder task than the last three games, but more than capable of winning this. The team are in a much better place than the last time we visited, that's for sure.

We've had some cracking days and nights even in my time going to Scotland games (1-1 with Germany in the Vogts era kicked me off) but my word that was right up there amongst the absolute best of them all, in every respect; performance, atmosphere and result. Got back in the house shortly after 11 this morning and have done sweet f**k all else but watched and rewatched highlights, read reaction, scrolled through twitter, hell I even read Tom English's bumf. There was a real sense we could get something from this game but as gallus as I tried to play it, I did not envisage us snuffing them out so effectively. They really had that one spell within the game where they looked like they were going to overwhelm us but it seemed like getting to halftime killed that off. The second goal especially seemed to break what little spirit that incredibly unlikeable spanish side had about them. Rodri and his pals making exhibitions of themselves during and after the game was of course an added wee slice of delight on what was an already sumptuous treat. Dry yer eyes ya gonks. We absolutely merited that win and had we scored a third right at the death following Mcgregor's brilliant wee mazey, it would have been entirely deserved. Porteous would genuinely stick the but on an asteroid if it was making its way into the Scotland box. Guy is a sensation. Everyone was brilliant. Gunn had pretty much nothing to do most of the evening but f**k it, he was brilliant anawl. Tierney, Mcgregor, McTominay, Robertson, Christie, Hanley, Hickey, Dykes, even the subs, every single one of them, just outstanding. What a team we have, what a squad, and Clarke is an out and out genius. Guy behind me at the game, upon seeing just how high into the atmosphere the Spanish heeds had gone, declared him 'a genuine football terrorist'. His team fair terrorised the spanish into their meek white-hankey, piss-water display. Utterly pleasing on every level. Don't get carried away/we could still come a cropper against Georgia/Haaland could be back in June blah blah blah, we're getting out of this group, folks. With games to spare. Mass Ceilidh in Germany when we win the whole shebang. Heel toe here we go.

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

Fair to say I enjoyed myself.

Clyde 0-10 Airdrieonians Edinburgh 1-1 Queen of the South Falkirk 1-1 Kelty Hearts Peterhead 1-1 Alloa Athletic Montrose 0-0 Dunfermline Athletic

Airdrieonians 5-0 Kelty Hearts Clyde 1-2 Queen of the South Edinburgh 1-1 Alloa Athletic Peterhead 0-3 Dunfermline

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

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

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

I'm biased I suppose but I love the guy. Was comfortably one of our best players last season and he's making a really good go at management. Funnily enough when it was announced, we all talked about how he seemed to be coaching his teammates through games at times last season already. Crucially he seems to have real buy-in from the squad; not only did he have the confidence of a lot of guys from last year who will have had options to go elsewhere to get them to resign for this season, but they all still buy-in to what he and Dycey are trying to do now we're into February. I think it's fair to say a lot of us were happy to try something different rather than just plucking some 'experienced', out-of-work dinosaur jobber who would no doubt have needed to start from scratch and would not have been able to retain the likes of Frizzell et al. In the here and now, I don't think any of us would go back on that feeling, either.

Back in August, when we had the 1-1 draw, Dunfermline looked a level above the teams we'd faced up to that point. Having been deeply unimpressed by the sides we'd played up to that point, I thought they looked the team to beat, given we'd smashed falkirk, disposed of Peterhead and Alloa without fuss and played out the 1-1 draw at Palmerston on that ridiculously hot day before then (not to mention looked a lot better than Edinburgh in the league cup, despite the penalties defeat. How little I knew...) We dropped off into a really sticky spell immediately after that draw at EEP (thanks Edinburgh you inexplicably-effective-against-us dicks) and obviously a lot of teams have had ups and down since then, but for the pars to get to this stage in the season with only a solitary defeat speaks volumes about how easy they've found it up to now, the odd baffling draws notwithstanding. Really good going and they'll rightly be looking to keep that up over these two games. Only the aforementioned Edinburgh have managed to win at our place so far and I expect us to make a really good go of it at home; play like we did versus Alloa, or the first 20 minutes in our most recent game versus Edinburgh before it fell away from us, and we'll be incredibly difficult for Dunfermline to live with. Reproduce that and I don't think they'll be able to stop us. Got to imagine it'll be harder to do that to them than it was Alloa, though. The 1-1 was a good game I thought, both teams having spells on top, so we probably all expect the same again. A win not beyond us by any means and who knows what impact that has on them for the away game that follows the week after. Got to actually win the home game first, though, which quite clearly hasn't been easy for anyone else in the division. Was crucial we didn't blow holes in our feet in the two home games the led up to this one, so we've set ourselves up nicely for it, and we've every right to approach it bullishly given our home form and what we're capable of. We've a stronger squad than when the initial tie was due to be played as well, which could be crucial. We're more than capable and you can tell there is huge belief in the squad about what they can achieve. When it clicks, Airdrie do look devastating, so here's hoping. Fancy us to edge it and upset the odds.

Ayunga does appear to be out for some time now with a bad injury, so maybe that will play a part. I think we'd all take Jamieson back for the rest of the season, very good member of the squad for the first half of season and unplayable at times, but that said, if the front three continue to play like they did on Saturday and all stay fit, he'd do well to get in ahead of any of them.

Airdrieonians 6-0 Clyde Alloa Athletic 2-0 Peterhead Dunfermline Athletic 1-1 Montrose Kelty Hearts 1-1 Falkirk Queen of the South 2-0 Edinburgh

Neil Lennon would be sensational for the cream bun reaction alone. They might actually combust.

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

Not at this level he hasnae. I don't think we need another forward, especially not one who isn't good enough to play for this season's Kelty.

You're so right, forgive me!