Francesc Fabregas Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 It's Saturday, it's Scottish League 2, it's East Fife versus Stenhousemuir in Methil and the anticipation is red hot! We had some pretty good games against East Fife last season and I'm hoping for more of the same this time around. Neither team has started the season particularly well - between them, they've scored one goal across four matches - and the Fifers looked dire in their opener against Peterhead, but this could be the match where things turn around for one of the sides. I've no idea what nick Stenhousemuir will be in tomorrow. Nicky Jamieson is likely to miss out through injury, meaning we'll have to wheel out Edin Lynch at centre-back, while there are doubts over Kinlay Bilham and Euan O'Reilly. I'm not sure if Michael Anderson will be available after his two bookings at Peterhead last weekend. We really are stretched and need reinforcements as soon as possible; we'll probably have two or three outfield players on the bench here. On top of that, our attacking play looks stilted and we're not creating many chances. At the defence is solid enough! We might line up with: - Matty Aitken - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Ross Taylor - - Nat Wedderburn - James Berry - - Kinlay Bilham - Gregor Buchanan - Edin Lynch - Ross Meechan - - Darren Jamieson - As always, I am confident Stenhousemuir FC can do the business and bring us back the three points! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachcomber Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 After a poor first home game of the league season East Fife will have plenty of motivation to bounce back against the Warriors. I would drop Alan Trouten to the bench and start with a Walls/McManus midfield duo, but i don't think the manager agrees with this ! I can see it being a tight affair and as always the first goal will be important. East Fife should continue with the 442: -Fleming- -Murdoch-Page-Easton-Newton -Nicol-McManus-Walls-Healy- -Shepherd-Austin- 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Kebab Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 Pagey and Newton both in the bench??? I hope Toro isn’t taking this squad rotation thing he was talking about too far!!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachcomber Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 Losing any faith I had in the manager. That starting line-up was baffling, effectively 3 centre backs to mark Matty Aitken and Healy at left wing back. Brutal for 60 mins, aimless punts in the wind. McDonald eventually changed it and we should have equalised but if you don't take your chances... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Fashioned Stramash Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 Good win for Stenny, another clean sheet and a much needed 3 points. Bring on the Sons. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenNuggets_YeeHaa Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 31 minutes ago, Beachcomber said: Losing any faith I had in the manager. That starting line-up was baffling, effectively 3 centre backs to mark Matty Aitken and Healy at left wing back. Brutal for 60 mins, aimless punts in the wind. McDonald eventually changed it and we should have equalised but if you don't take your chances... It was the same against Dundee B. He's picked a rare time to start mixing and matching. Very poor today. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenNuggets_YeeHaa Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 I've said it before people. We have not replaced Alex Ferguson. His numbers singlehandedly kept us competitive last season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted August 19, 2023 Author Share Posted August 19, 2023 On the whole, that was a pretty insipid game of football lit, but a game I am delighted Stenhousemuir have won. It's got the season up and running - we scored two well-taken goals, kept a third consecutive clean sheet, and largely got the better of a side we struggled against last time around. After eventually settling into the game, I thought Stenny were the better side overall, but East Fife put us under some real pressure towards the end and forced Darren Jamieson into two great saves. When Adam Brown added the second, definitive goal at the death, the feeling was incredible. Once again, I have to compliment our goalkeeper and centre-backs. Darren Jamieson has been an excellent capture, the best we've had since Graeme Smith joined us from Brechin City, and he makes late onslaughts like we saw today that little less anxious simply by his very presence. He made a good stop in the first half, tipping a low shot past the post, and his interventions towards the end essentially won us the game. Gregor Buchanan was my man of the match - I don't think he lost a single header all afternoon - and he's linked up very well with Nicky Jamieson. Two very meat-and-potatoes defenders, and the kind you need at this level. Having those three players in our defence has been a huge boon. Elsewhere, Kinlay Bilham had his best match since joining the club from Ayr United and capped his performance by assisting Brown's late strike. Euan O'Relly and Ross Taylor looked impressive in spells on the flanks (although Taylor should have scored midway through the first half) and Matty Yates was far better playing off the forward line and was able to pick up the ball in space and pop it off to team-mates. I've been quite critical of Brown lately but he did well coming off the bench, and his goal was finished with aplomb. Too often, there wasn't a lot of football played. Nat Wedderburn didn't really get into the game until the second half, while James Berry still looks a little off the pace (although I'm sure he'll be up to speed in time). I've decided I'm not too keen on Matty Aitken and for everyone one good thing he does, there are five things which don't come off. It'd be great if he could try jumping for headers from time to time, or if he stopped trying to wrestle with his opponents. These are mild quibbles, however, as I think it was a showing that merits praise. East Fife didn't really impress me. The full-backs struggled with O'Reilly and Taylor, the midfield didn't get on the ball enough, and Nathan Austin and Scott Shepherd barely got a kick. Austin was especially disappointing and could have had a couple if he'd shown a bit more composure. I liked the look of Jack Healy, right enough - there's a wee superstar in the making there (and it was good to get it up him at the full-time whistle). Having seen their recent highlights package and today's match, they have work to do to challenge for the top four. I'm not convinced by them. A final word for the referee, Mr Dan McFarlane - hopeless! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifer67 Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 Another very dissapointing afternoon for the home fans and that’s 2 home league games that are instantly forgettable. First up well played Stennie and a deserved win. We have big problems and the tactics are baffling. First time I’ve ever seen a team play 90 minutes of football and never win a 2nd ball but East Fife managed it. Midfield has no physicality and we are getting bullied in there. Then when we eventually carve srennie open Austin puts it over the bar from a yard out. Must have been harder to do that than hit the target. Both goalkeepers were impressive and both made a few great stops. Tells its own story when your keeper man of the match. Tactics who knows 3 centre backs to mark one striker and kept pumping high balls that were bread and butter to 2 giant centre backs. When we got down the flanks Stennie looked vulnerable but all too often it was route one garbage. A lot of work to do and next week away to Elgin now looks a big game this early in the season. Midfield totally unbalanced and McManus and Trouten are passengers at the moment I’m afraid. The manager will need to try something different in there as Peterhead and Stennie have bossed that area of the park. Have to disagree with the point about the ref I thought he was good and was fair to book the Stennie players for time wasting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Life on Marrs? Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 The bookies' 2 pre-season favourites are currently the league's bottom 2, what do they know! Seem to remember years ago (v Morton, I think?) Gregor Buchanan winning everything in the air we lumped forward & the same today! Is the idea here for Healey to play shit until the transfer window closes, as he's a shadow of the player he was. Murdoch too slow to play LB in a three man defence, have either Miller or McManus, but not sure both on at the same time works. Trouten!? Looks like we find ourselves in a 3-team league with Elgin & Clyde now, 3 points next week are a must, otherwise we have to hope Banks o' Dee arent that good. Terrible today. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachcomber Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 10 minutes ago, Life on Marrs? said: Is the idea here for Healey to play shit until the transfer window closes, as he's a shadow of the player he was. If course he's totally ineffective if you play him as a wing back, he cant tackle or head a ball, he's an out an out winger. The one time he managed to hit the by-line he created our best chance of the match. The interview with McDonald will be interesting how he manages to explain that tactical calamity ! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilly Posted August 19, 2023 Share Posted August 19, 2023 A brilliant three points today and over the piece they were just about deserved. I always felt we were the better team but East Fife were pushing towards the end and if we had a goalkeeper from the Swift era in the pins we would have conceded at the end. Luckily we have Darren Jamieson who could well go on to be one of the best goalkeepers we have had at Ochilview - he's been absolutely flawlesss since his move from Kelty Hearts and has made big saves at big moments in the three league games so far. He was one of a number of positives for us today. The two centre backs were outstanding and never lost a dual all day whilst young Kinlay Billam continues to look like a diamond at left back. Our two wingers were bang at it. Ross Taylor in particular was electric anytime he was involved and I'm excited to see what he can do with more minutes on the park in the coming weeks. Matty Yates was so much better back in the ten - such a clever football player the way he finds space and brings others into the game. His work rate was unbelievable as well and typified a real fight throughout the team to grind out the three points. We can certainly improve going forward but the basic make up is there to have a good season. Sounds like we may be close on a few players to bolster the squad as well and with Mikey Anderson back in the fold as well next week we go in to the Dumbarton game in a good place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californian Fifer Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 You have to wonder what excuses Greig will come up with I f we struggle in our next match , again his tactics and line ups are head scratching 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbrandon111 Posted August 20, 2023 Share Posted August 20, 2023 16 hours ago, Beachcomber said: If course he's totally ineffective if you play him as a wing back, he cant tackle or head a ball, he's an out an out winger. The one time he managed to hit the by-line he created our best chance of the match. The interview with McDonald will be interesting how he manages to explain that tactical calamity ! “Nobody died, we lost a game of football. The guys are angry in there, we go again next week”. Pretty sure that’s how the interview will go. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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