Francesc Fabregas Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 So here we go. The third meeting of the season between the clubs and I, for one, can't wait. The first fixture, the opening league game, was pretty tasty - Stenhousemuir scored two early goals and looked pretty assured until Stuart Macolm was sent off, but then they folded and drew 2-2. The second match, a Challenge Cup tie earlier in the month, was sullied by Jamie Barclay's erratic performance and the Blue Toon won 3-0. I wasn't at either match but by all accounts we gave them a decent go on both occasions. I reckon Saturday's match will be similar. Barclay turned in his best performance for us against Ayr United last weekend and I'd be hoping for more of the same. I really hope he's turned a corner and doesn't revert to chucking away goals. A big performance is also expected from Malcolm - he's been pretty dire over the last month or so and hasn't shown any of the grit that made him such a fine player with Forfar Athletic. I'd also be inclined to give Jason Scotland a start. Make sure balls are played into his feet too, because he doesn't really look like he wants to scrap in the air for it. Stenny are in poor form at the moment but I don't see why we can't arrest it on Saturday. Heart says a home win, head says a score draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue-Toon Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Banker draw.....possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Could be an exciting game, probably wont be though. Score draw. Not sure what our line up will be but guarantee it will be different to last week as our revolving door selection continues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Monetoon Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Leighton McIntosh on from the start, as a foil for Rory. Ball on the deck, & the napper'll destroy ye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglum25 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Total lack of interest on our site for the past couple of weeks. Only stayed for the first half last week as I wanted to see the rugby - 11 men back in the box for a corner is pants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Total lack of interest on our site for the past couple of weeks. Only stayed for the first half last week as I wanted to see the rugby - 11 men back in the box for a corner is pants. To be fair, when you like like losing goals at every single corner kick, a safety-first approach is probably for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEMSFC Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Total lack of interest on our site for the past couple of weeks. Only stayed for the first half last week as I wanted to see the rugby - 11 men back in the box for a corner is pants. Cant be blamed. There is a lack of interest from the players as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddly optomistic Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 McAllister hatrick before half time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Monetoon Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Rory Mac tat-trick pre half time, mon e toon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddly optomistic Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 3-3, great attacking play or poor defences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEMSFC Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 4-3 Get in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilly Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Congratulations you've just met Jason Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Jim McInally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blootoon87 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 FFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balmoor Boy Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Disgrace - losing a 3 goal lead, we are going nowhere fast!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Probably telling that I wasn't confident we would win at 3 nil up. Not sure there is much more to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 40 mins all so easy 50 mins of absolute pish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Absolutely astonishing scenes at Ochilview this afternoon. After Rory McAllister completed his hat-trick, I would never in a million years believed Stenhousemuir would go on to win the game. They were stinking, absolutely stinking. McAllister was destroying anything that came into his path and his first-half display was one of the best I've seen from any player at Ochilview in some time. Stuart Malcolm looked absolutely hopeless against him and it was no surprise to see the big defender give away a terrible penalty. Peterhead were better than us in almost ever department - they kept our forwards at bay, controlled the middle of the park and gave our backline a terrible time. That said, all three of McAllister's goals came around through more poor defending. This team's inability to operate as a functional unit is astonishing. For the first, Jamie McCormack was so far out of position upfield that Ross Meechan had to come over to challenge Nicky Riley's run. Meechan got skinned, allowing McAllister to swan into the vacant space at the edge of the area. Riley found him with a simple pass and the striker strode past Malcolm's dire tackle and fired low past Jamie Barclay. The second goal, a direct hit from a free-kick, could probably be blamed on Barclay's positioning - he looked too far over to his left, so when the ball curled around the wall he had too much ground to make up. The aforementioned penalty came after McAllister skinned Malcolm and forced him into a reckless challenge. Colin McMenamin scored a very well-taken goal two minutes before the interval - Graeme Smith hit a poor clearance straight to the striker and McMenamin hit it first time from about 35 yards to send it looping into the net. The goal was certainly welcome - it brought Stenny back into the game and its timing looked fine - but the Warriors had been so poor that a comeback looked unlikely. And then! Bomber Ferguson changed the formation at half-time, binning the silly 3-5-2 system in favour of a traditional 4-4-2, and encouraged his team to push back Peterhead. Jim McInally's team seemed content to do this - they'd met little resistance so far and could afford to sit on their lead - but they just could not get to grips with Jason Scotland. Rather than hooking high, hopeful balls towards the strikers, Stenhousemuir concentrated playing their passes into Scotland's feet. Everything stuck to him - the Peterhead defence couldn't touch him, they couldn't get near him - and suddenly Stenny were able to take play forward, hit Scotland and get it back off him. McMenamin was unlucky to see an acrobatic effort go wide, Scotland forced Smith into a superb reflex save and Alan Cook saw a header glance by the post; a second goal was only a matter of time. It came soon afterwards. Peterhead were pushed so deep into their box that they couldn't contain a flurry of passes and McMenamin teed up Scotland to slam home his side's second. At this point, I was positive we'd get a third. The level of performance before and after the interval was astounding. The equaliser was stunning. Scotland, with his back to goal, turned and waltzed past two defenders before smashing his shot high into the net. You know that expression "good feet for a big man"? That's Scotland. Kieran Millar's winning goal was another cracker. The midfielder burst through the backline and latched onto Scotland's sweet pass before opening up his body and slotting it into the net. Scenes. Goddamn scenes. Peterhead huffed and puffed but couldn't blow the house down. They had some good chances - Meechan cleared McAllister's shot from the line and Barclay made a couple of decent saves - but they looked a diminished force. Where McAllister had been so dominant in the first half, he was more concerned with contesting phantom fouls and trying to start a fight with Malcolm. That capricious side to his game must be very frustrating to watch on a regular basis. Cammy Kerr was perhaps unlucky to be sent off late into the match - his foul looked no worse than Anthony Marenghi's foul minutes earlier. I thought Peterhead were alright but they collapsed badly against a bang-average side. As for Stenhousemuir? Scotland was great throughout, especially after the interval and Millar played well, as he tends to do but it was a real "game of two halves" for most of the team. They were wretched throughout the first period, especially Malcolm, and I've no idea where that performance came from. Play like they did over the first half again and they'll go down, make no mistake. Play like they did over the second and this team might just do something this season. I'm over the moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Where McAllister had been so dominant in the first half, he was more concerned with contesting phantom fouls and trying to start a fight with Malcolm. That capricious side to his game must be very frustrating to watch on a regular basis. This sums us up this season so far, we are a real Jekyll and Hyde team this year with no consistency at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaver1 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 We are such a maddening side. A half decent keeper and centre half means we would have a team challenging for promotion. First half I thought Peterhead were nothing special at all. We gifted the three goals. Barclay might have saved the first, and no doubt he should have stopped the free kick. And as for Malcolm, hugely disappointing from day 1. Right from the start of the 2nd there was a hint that we might get something. Created loads of chances we did actually get the second goal. Scotland takes the plaudits but I thought Jamie McCormack did well and shout out to Ants Marenghi. Barely kicked a ball all season but came on and brought some composure to the midfield replacing a disappointing Stirling. Considering our season looked to be about to implode at 3.30 this afternoon , that was a massive result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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