The Great Playoff/2nd place Hunt

[Stellaboz]

34 minutes ago, San Starko Rover said:

 

Bad reading if you’re a Pars fan though and that’s with a credible draw against the league leaders.

 

We've known this for ages though, no surprise sadly.

[San Starko Rover]

We've known this for ages though, no surprise sadly.

The way this division is going anyone’s form can change so quickly. I wouldn’t bet on any Championship game at the moment.

[Raith Against The Machine]

FFS

[RossBFaeDundee]

An absolutely unremarkable game for the first hour, but the Dark Blues turn it on when they needed to and comfortably put their Ayr hoodoo to bed this season with a big away win. That's 3 straight league wins for Dundee for the 2nd time this season and just the 3rd time in McPake's tenure. 4 wins in 5, 5 wins in 7, and the added benefit of both another high-scoring night and a clean sheet (the latter of which is starting to become less of the rarity it was prior) will have the side confident and pumped up for the final run-in. It was a much needed victory as well, given how things shaped up in Greenock.

Neil McCann's revolution with ICT continues, as they win their sixth consecutive game in all competitions, and confidently stride into 4th place above the struggling Pars with an absolute battering of Gus MacPherson's Morton side, who like Ayr are firmly just trying to avoid the relegation play-offs (not a bad night for Arbroath, tbh). Caley seem to be in inspired form, and if it continues who is to say they couldn't jump and nick that 2nd spot if they so wished to?... Well, Raith and Dundee, I suppose. Their one issue is that every other team involved has a game in hand over them, so they'll need to keep this immaculate form up if they want to do that.

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by RossBFaeDundee

[TxRover]

The stumbles by Raith, QoS and the Pars in recent weeks come back to haunt them. The Pars are simply flailing around and have to immediately right the ship or risk falling out of the conversation, QoS at least booked a win and Raith looked pretty solid the last couple of league games and the first half versus Livi. If ICT weren’t sitting there with an extra game already played, I’d anoint them the favorites, but given the game in hand, it certainly looks like Raith and Dundee’s places to lose.

Dundee has the specter of McPake and his tactics haunting their dreams, while Raith has the tradition of almost, but not quite. So we have the two groups of fans in second and third both trying to out moan each other with doom and gloom, while ICT fans chuckle with glee, Pars fans craft their Crawford voodoo dolls and QoS fans ponder another cup run for Dobbie, and perhaps another year?

[rainbowrising]

The Dees have a huge run of games coming up against the Pars, ICT (both away) and RR. The permutations of W/L/D in there apply to all the teams.

RR and ICT also play Hearts but for RR it's the last game at which point Hearts you suspect will be running squad and youth players.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

10 hours ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

An absolutely unremarkable game for the first hour, but the Dark Blues turn it on when they needed to and comfortably put their Ayr hoodoo to bed this season with a big away win. That's 3 straight league wins for Dundee for the 2nd time this season and just the 3rd time in McPake's tenure. 4 wins in 5, 5 wins in 7, and the added benefit of both another high-scoring night and a clean sheet (the latter of which is starting to become less of the rarity it was prior) will have the side confident and pumped up for the final run-in. It was a much needed victory as well, given how things shaped up in Greenock.

Neil McCann's revolution with ICT continues, as they win their sixth consecutive game in all competitions, and confidently stride into 4th place above the struggling Pars with an absolute battering of Gus MacPherson's Morton side, who like Ayr are firmly just trying to avoid the relegation play-offs (not a bad night for Arbroath, tbh). Caley seem to be in inspired form, and if it continues who is to say they couldn't jump and nick that 2nd spot if they so wished to?... Well, Raith and Dundee, I suppose. Their one issue is that every other team involved has a game in hand over them, so they'll need to keep this immaculate form up if they want to do that.

 

Last night certainly dented us here.

Our remaining games include matches against each of the teams shown in the above chunk of the table.

That gives scope both for encouragement in terms of making up ground, and fear, because it's conceivable we'll not get much from the sides above us, and still have a concern with what's happening beneath.

[die hard doonhamer]

9 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Last night certainly dented us here.

Our remaining games include matches against each of the teams shown in the above chunk of the table.

That gives scope both for encouragement in terms of making up ground, and fear, because it's conceivable we'll not get much from the sides above us, and still have a concern with what's happening beneath.

We could conceivably be safe come full time on Saturday. Alloa can only get level with us as it stands, so anything for us or them dropping points means mathematical safety from bottom.

For the playoff spot looking down the way, Arbroath and Morton both currently sit 5 behind with 4 to play. If they both lose this weekend and we win, that gap will be 8. However, they play each other on the final day, so either one can get 9 and the other 6 from the last 3, or they can both get 7.

Ultimately, I think it'll be Raith, Dundee and Inverness in the playoffs, us 5th and Dunfermline 6th.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, die hard doonhamer said:

We could conceivably be safe come full time on Saturday. Alloa can only get level with us as it stands, so anything for us or them dropping points means mathematical safety from bottom.

For the playoff spot looking down the way, Arbroath and Morton both currently sit 5 behind with 4 to play. If they both lose this weekend and we win, that gap will be 8. However, they play each other on the final day, so either one can get 9 and the other 6 from the last 3, or they can both get 7.

Ultimately, I think it'll be Raith, Dundee and Inverness in the playoffs, us 5th and Dunfermline 6th.

Yes, I've no real concerns about us finishing bottom.  

Total safety could indeed be secured for us fairly soon, but if it's not, we've got difficult closing games against sides with plenty of incentive.  I wouldn't like the relegation play-off to still be a possibility when we visit Ayr for our penultimate game.

[Monkey Tennis]

I've just noticed that our final game, at home against Dundee, is listed as happening at 7.05pm on Friday 30th April, presumably for TV.

It looks quite likely that the game might have significance in terms of final placings for either or both sides in terms of play-off places. It would be a bit irregular if it means other sides finish a day later.  Is that the case?  I should probably have been paying more attention.

[Rob1885]

I've just noticed that our final game, at home against Dundee, is listed as happening at 7.05pm on Friday 30th April, presumably for TV.
It looks quite likely that the game might have significance in terms of final placings for either or both sides in terms of play-off places. It would be a bit irregular if it means other sides finish a day later.  Is that the case?  I should probably have been paying more attention.

All games on the last day of the season are on the Friday.

[Monkey Tennis]

Just now, Rob1885 said:

28 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

I've just noticed that our final game, at home against Dundee, is listed as happening at 7.05pm on Friday 30th April, presumably for TV.
It looks quite likely that the game might have significance in terms of final placings for either or both sides in terms of play-off places. It would be a bit irregular if it means other sides finish a day later.  Is that the case?  I should probably have been paying more attention.

All games on the last day of the season are on the Friday.

Ah, as I said, I should probably pay more attention.

That makes sense.  There's no particular benefit to having them on the Saturday with no crowds.

[R.R.FC]

Am I right in thinking the TV deal is for 2 matches to be shown at every ground? In which case, our game against Hearts on the last day of the season will be the one chosen as we have only had one home game on the BBC so far and the Hearts game is the only opportunity left.

I think every other team has had two home TV games either played or confirmed for selection.

[TxRover]

4 hours ago, R.R.FC said:

Am I right in thinking the TV deal is for 2 matches to be shown at every ground? In which case, our game against Hearts on the last day of the season will be the one chosen as we have only had one home game on the BBC so far and the Hearts game is the only opportunity left.

I think every other team has had two home TV games either played or confirmed for selection.

The TV deal allows 2 broadcasts from each park, so you seem likely to be correct.

[Rob1885]

You'd have thought more than 2 games would have came from Tynecastle but can only think of the season opener and the game against Alloa this friday.

[die hard doonhamer]

1 hour ago, Rob1885 said:

You'd have thought more than 2 games would have came from Tynecastle but can only think of the season opener and the game against Alloa this friday.

The contract capped it at no more than 2 from any ground (so as not to unfairly do any team out of more PPV revenue than another).

[TxRover]

2 hours ago, Rob1885 said:

You'd have thought more than 2 games would have came from Tynecastle but can only think of the season opener and the game against Alloa this friday.

Disappointingly (cause it cost me a charity bet), only about 10 of the games featured Hearts.

[RossBFaeDundee]

Dunfermline have been able to coast on their mediocre-to-pish form for the middle part of the season due to every other team having the same level of form, but now that we're in the business end of the season they've sank like a stone and find themselves outside the play-offs. Stevie Crawford's men need to snap this 4-game winless run that has yielded just one point from 12. They'll take on an Ayr side similarly desperate to pick up points after a couple of very disappointing results in the last week. The Pars have been atrocious away from home this season, and that needs to change if they want to finish in the top 4 come the end of the season.

Dundee find themselves very much in form, having won their last 3 leagues games, and 5 of their last 7. Now behind Raith only via GD, every point is vital for the Dark Blues, and with key ties up against fellow play-off (& 2nd place) chasers Raith, ICT, Dunfermline and QoS, their game this Saturday against Morton is a game they'll really want to take 3 more from this game in the lead-up to those massive 6-pointers. Morton, like Ayr, are similarly struggling to find form and free themselves from the fears of a 9th place finish. The Ton have lost their last 3 away league games, and will be clawing for any point to steer them towards safety, so James McPake and his side better not be complacent going into this one.

Who would've thought 2 or 3 months ago that this would be one of the key play-off battles near the end of the season? Inverness CT make the long trip south to Dumfries as arguably THE form team in a play-off battle suddenly full of in-form teams. Neil McCann's coaching chops are looking better than ever just now, with Caley having won each of their last 6 games in all comps and now sat inside the play-offs. The fact that they've played a game more than their rivals however will make this game even more important, as a Queens win will bring the Doonhamers level with them and could see them slip behind Dunfermline again if the Pars can get it together at Somerset Park. Queens' form stuttered a wee bit with a couple of losses, but a cracking win at Tynecastle will have Allan Johnston's lads believing again that there is a place for them in May. As the first of many big games between play-off contenders as we come to the end of the season, looking forward to see how this pans out, and as always hoping for a draw.

As the team with the inside track on that 2nd spot, Raith continue to need to consolidate that position and their form of late suggests that they will be able to do that, but the uptick in form of Dundee and Inverness will have the Rovers a wee bit more under pressure to continue their good play. They haven't faced a loss at Stark's Park in 2 and a half months, but they come up against an Arbroath side in decent form themselves, and who took all 3 points when Raith travelled to Gayfield in February. Dick Campbell's boys are fighting to avoid the relegation play-offs, and will be a hard team to beat for anyone. Should be interesting.

[TxRover]

24 minutes ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

Dunfermline have been able to coast on their mediocre-to-pish form for the middle part of the season due to every other team having the same level of form, but now that we're in the business end of the season they've sank like a stone and find themselves outside the play-offs. Stevie Crawford's men need to snap this 4-game winless run that has yielded just one point from 12. They'll take on an Ayr side similarly desperate to pick up points after a couple of very disappointing results in the last week. The Pars have been atrocious away from home this season, and that needs to change if they want to finish in the top 4 come the end of the season.

Dundee find themselves very much in form, having won their last 3 leagues games, and 5 of their last 7. Now behind Raith only via GD, every point is vital for the Dark Blues, and with key ties up against fellow play-off (& 2nd place) chasers Raith, ICT, Dunfermline and QoS, their game this Saturday against Morton is a game they'll really want to take 3 more from this game in the lead-up to those massive 6-pointers. Morton, like Ayr, are similarly struggling to find form and free themselves from the fears of a 9th place finish. The Ton have lost their last 3 away league games, and will be clawing for any point to steer them towards safety, so James McPake and his side better not be complacent going into this one.

Who would've thought 2 or 3 months ago that this would be one of the key play-off battles near the end of the season? Inverness CT make the long trip south to Dumfries as arguably THE form team in a play-off battle suddenly full of in-form teams. Neil McCann's coaching chops are looking better than ever just now, with Caley having won each of their last 6 games in all comps and now sat inside the play-offs. The fact that they've played a game more than their rivals however will make this game even more important, as a Queens win will bring the Doonhamers level with them and could see them slip behind Dunfermline again if the Pars can get it together at Somerset Park. Queens' form stuttered a wee bit with a couple of losses, but a cracking win at Tynecastle will have Allan Johnston's lads believing again that there is a place for them in May. As the first of many big games between play-off contenders as we come to the end of the season, looking forward to see how this pans out, and as always hoping for a draw.

As the team with the inside track on that 2nd spot, Raith continue to need to consolidate that position and their form of late suggests that they will be able to do that, but the uptick in form of Dundee and Inverness will have the Rovers a wee bit more under pressure to continue their good play. They haven't faced a loss at Stark's Park in 2 and a half months, but they come up against an Arbroath side in decent form themselves, and who took all 3 points when Raith travelled to Gayfield in February. Dick Campbell's boys are fighting to avoid the relegation play-offs, and will be a hard team to beat for anyone. Should be interesting.

With a bit of luck, after Friday night, you might have to add a team to this mix...

[topcat(The most tip top)]

With a bit of luck, after Friday night, you might have to add a team to this mix...

Or alternatively....

Raith’s final game against Hearts at home now looks unlikely to carry any importance for the visitors. If Raith need something from that they’ll probably get it