Nigel Blackwell

Bonnyrigg Rose 1-1 Clyde East Fife 2-0 Stranraer Elgin City 0-1 Forfar Athletic Stenhousemuir 1-1 Peterhead The Spartans 1-2 Dumbarton

Yes. Does anyone actually know why the SPFL didn’t reschedule for this Saturday? It is maddening that those in charge not only didn’t think it was a good idea, but as far I can tell, they haven’t explained why playing it on a Tuesday night is a better idea.

But why would the SPFL decline it? I've no beef with Elgin not wanting to play on Saturday but surely the SPFL are supposed to be impartial in this and a Saturday afternoon game must be the better option.

Going by the statement when we signed the lad from Motherwell I suspect it’s the former, which is what I feared

There is one player I don’t recognise in the team photo with Gregor Buchanan and his player of the month trophy. Anyone know who it is?

Bonnyrigg 1 East Fife. 0 Clyde 1 Dumbarton 1 Elgin. 0 Stenhousemuir. 2 Forfar. 1 Peterhead. 1. Stranraer. 1. Spartans. 1

At 2-0 you just couldn’t see how Clyde were going to get back into it, but in the end they could have sneaked a win. Did our team, and management, think the points were won? After going 2 up we didn’t create anything else. We just stopped playing. I thought we were excellent the first 60 minutes or so, then Clyde replaced their ropey right back with the left back who made quite a difference. Not too sure how Lynch lasted 90 minutes as he was struggling. Maybe Bilham wasn’t 100% fit. I think the squad depth will kill us this season. I’d like to know why we find ourselves in this position. Is it just because Naysmith couldn’t identify two more players to add to the squad?

I think the window for loan signings closes at the end of the month - Saturday evening? As things stand, we will have two fit outfield subs on Saturday. Tonight is training night so hoping we get some news. I do expect there to be signings, but I am a little worried that we won't end up making the panic signings that Naysmith said he didn't want to make. We always knew the squad was far too small and that he had to make a couple of signings, at least, I just find it quite odd that we find ourselves in this position.

Dumbarton 2 -0 Stranraer East Fife 1-1 Forfar Peterhead 2-0 Elgin Stenhousemuir 1-0 Clyde The Spartans 1-2 Bonnyrigg

Thought it was odd that Naysmith mentioned the corner decision. Stood six feet away behind the goal, there was no doubt it came off the Bonnyrigg defenders head. The Bonnyrigg assistant manager took to Twitter late on Saturday night to have a go at the referee and in particular the “corner kick” decision. I couldn’t find any tweets mentioning the inadequacies of his own team, and his strike force in particular.

Was a typical game of puntball at Bonnyrigg, but a cracking header from Edin Lynch was the difference. Despite the tight score line It was a relatively anxious free afternoon. The keeper and back line dealt with everything that was thrown at them. It was no nonsense defending. Michael Anderson was outstanding this afternoon. As usual, the squad depth is the only negative. Taylor went down clutching his shoulder. It didn’t look good. We can’t really continue with such a small squad. As for Bonnyrigg it is apparent why they have such a large squad. They will need it for all the suspensions that will follow. Stranraer couldn’t handle Ross Taylor last week, but Bonnyrigg knew how to do it.

Bonnyrigg 1- 1 Stenhousemuir Clyde 1-1 Elgin Dumbarton 1-2 Peterhead Stranraer 2-1 Forfar Spartans 0-1 East Fife

Not much to add to that. Adam Brown is a cracking footballer, and when he plays with confidence like he did today, he is a player too good for league 2. He has started the season really well. Matty Aitken was excellent. He doesn’t carry much of a goal threat but when he is creating as many chances as he did today, then I don’t think it matters. Jamieson in goals had little to do, but he did have one amazing save in the 2nd half. What a difference a confident, composed keeper makes. And for once, I was able to enjoy, rather than endure, a Tam Orr performance. The lack of numbers in the squad was apparent with only three outfield subs, and we do need a couple of decent players in to augment the squad, but we can worry about that tomorrow. Today was fantastic.

You don’t think Scottish League 2 is an “obscure niche event”?

Football is back this weekend. Any word on new signings? Any rumours? Anything?

I discovered recently how to block certain posters. I can recommend it to pretty much everyone who has posted on this topic.

East Fife 2-0 Clyde Elgin 0-2 Dumbarton Forfar 1-0 Spartans Peterhead 2-0 Bonnyrigg Stenhousemuir 2-0 Stranraer

The Stranraer player did dive. Quite clearly. The Peterhead decision is one of the worst I have ever seen.

What the feck is going on with the Peterhead “penalty”???? Defender wrestles the striker to the ground and the striker is booked for diving. I can’t even imagine what it is that the referee has seen (or not seen) to come up with that decision.

First half I thought we were miles off it. There just seemed to be a real lack of urgency about us. Luckily for all their possession Spartans never really tested Jamieson in that first half. It was quite forgettable. As was the 2nd half, apart from the obvious. Was Jamieson’s first yellow card justified? The second two minutes later was as clear as day. As Neilly says we looked more of a threat with 10 men and the team seemed to get some sort of lift after the red card. To my untrained eye the effort levels seemed to go up a notch when we were a man down. In the end, it was a fantastic 3 points. We often seem to be on the receiving end of late goals, so it was a great feeling to get such a late winner in those circumstances. While Spartans didn’t look like scoring even when up against 10 men they looked competent enough. Some tidy ball players across the middle, but maybe less of a threat up front. Having said that…I am really hoping we get this new striker in sooner rather than later. Punting high balls to Aitken isn’t going to cut it, so either we get someone in or we work out how best to use him. The two Spartans centre halves won every header, with maybe one exception, without having to actually jump for the ball.

Bonnyrigg 1-0 Elgin Clyde 1-1 Forfar Dumbarton 2-0 East Fife Stranraer 1-1 Peterhead Spartans 1-1 Stenhousemuir

Not sure he "clearly" onside. It is tight though.

He did poke the ball away - suspect it travelled more than 3 yards though. But the point is that (i) he had been booked (ii) the referee had issued three yellow cards earlier for kicking the ball away at Stenhousemuir free kicks and (iii) Dumbo were comfortably winning. It was idiotic. As for the referee, every fan has been on the receiving end of the “dark arts” and it is maddening. How often do you hear complaints that the referee didn’t get control of it? Well today, this referee made it pretty clear that if Dumbo were going to time waste/prevent us taking free kicks he was going to book them. He couldn’t have been any clearer. It started with the keeper messing about at our corner kick and then trying to piss about by trying to nut meg our player who went to get the ball. The referee had warned him.

It was a bonkers game. For me the key difference was that Dumbarton looked a real threat whenever they got near our goal (albeit, abetted by some awful defending) whereas we, despite all our good football (and it was good, we had Dumbarton pressed back for large parts of that first half) never really looked like scoring. Of course 4-0 at half time flattered Dumbarton, and there were some critical decisions that went against us - the “penalty” and Dumbo’s 2nd (I think) may have been offside, and our “goal” might not. Either way, fine margins. But if you defend like that… Last season Dumbarton infuriatingly were allowed to get away with endemic timewasting that referees failed to control. The keeper being the main protagonist. Today he was booked as he fannied about with the ball at our corner. There were then two (maybe three) bookings for kicking the ball away before the player/idiot picked up another yellow for, you guessed it, kicking the ball away. For me Dumbarton only had themselves to blame, and don’t forget they were comfortably winning 4-0 (and then 4-1). The game was never in doubt. Dumbo looked good, and based on that overall performance, are the team to beat. We could do well, and while the defence had a nightmare today, I actually think our problem is up front. We need to be able to capitalise on all the good build up play (Ross Taylor in particular was outstanding today) and have more of a threat in the opposition box. Interesting game coming up next week away at Spartans.

Who is our cover at right back?