Mighty Mo v Cove (take 4)

[CoveRangers1922]

Short trip down the road for us to Links Park but undoubtedly a really tough test awaits. We snatched the points in the last encounter at Balmoral and that was with Fyvie playing. 

Saturday we will be without Fraser, actually not due back until the start of February. Bet365 giving 12/5 for a Mo win which is great value in my opinion especially if the Gable Endies can turn in a performance like the one against Falkirk I witnessed a few weeks back. After numerous clean sheets we've conceded in 4 of our last 5 games.

Kerr returns from his 2 match suspension and McGowan is available after missing last week due to illness.

7 points separates the sides in 3rd and 4th place. A win either way would give momentum and belief before the year ends and the window opens.

I'll predict BTTS and a winner in the match but could go either way.

 

[Watson Nimrod]

Can’t argue with any of that assessment, I feel from our perspective it’s a pivotal game in our season. 

The manager has the opportunity to stick with a younger more positive set up tomorrow and moving forward with perhaps Stewart for Gillingham in defence or go down his favoured route of returning to the ‘established’ returning players, what incentive for development that is I’ve no idea but Hartley hasn’t made a career out of developing younger players as we all know. 

I’m ambivalent about Kerr, so far to my eye he has neither been good or bad in a Cove shirt but like many others I would be pretty disappointed if McGowan returns. He offers us zero (I’m being polite) in fact it’s worse, he barks at the slightest mistake a younger player makes, contributes nothing himself, runs about like a headless chicken and gets involved in petty nonsense we can ill afford. If he never played for us again it would be too soon. 

I also seem not to be the only one who noticed a real team spirit in celebrating goals on Saturday that was reminiscent of when we won the division. Was that a coincidence with McGowan out of the team? I wonder. 

Obviously hoping for the win, but Mo is one of the best days out of the season so I would take a draw, a few pints and hope the trains are running after 1700!

Edited December 29, 2023 by Watson Nimrod

[mo83]

Never made the game today but certainly would have taken a draw.....Could we have won the game?

[MO7S]

52 minutes ago, mo83 said:

Never made the game today but certainly would have taken a draw.....Could we have won the game?

As we missed a penalty the answer has to be yes.  But a draw was a fair result in what was a decent game given the elements above.

[OZMOE]

Weather the winner. Draw fair result. Penalty poor in award and even poorer in execution

 

[The Gable Endie]

Game was the same as the conditions, dire. But that’s a goal and a penalty won by young Hermiston in his last two games so I expect we will see more of him. Speaks volumes he’s getting put on over Batchelor though. We have to find a loan for Batchelor in January in my opinion.

[CoveRangers1922]

37 minutes ago, Midweek-away-to-Lossie said:

Could have, yes. Deserved to, no.

 

Hartley again utterly fucking woeful at utilising his bench. One substitute and even that was a shit decision. You have to question why Williamson was brought on instead of Connell. Williamson is awful, the chance he had would’ve been bursting the net if it fell to any other forward in the squad. You’d expect Connell to have confidence after last week but Hartley tries to see out a point with half an hour to go

Sena is awful, refuse to see how Gallagher would be a worse option than either him or Kerr. Again, McGowan absolutely no miss at all. Got to feel if Fyvie played we’d have strolled that game despite starting both half’s slower than Jason Naismith doing a 100m sprint!

The sooner Luke Strachan is in the reckoning for the left back position the better. Jones is a liability defensively and going forward has zero confidence.

The Naismith comment made me laugh. Shuddered at the memory, more of a nightmare, when he played for us last season. Glad he's down in tier 7 where he belongs.

Mitch wasn't doing much, living on his past, but agree Kyle is the more natural finisher than Scott and that was a golden opportunity for Scotty to secure all 3 points when one on one with Gill. Williamson's pace is a threat in behind and he can stretch defences but he's not ruthless enough. Burrell and Kerr both squandered good chances too. Former with a brilliant run and cool finish for our equaliser.

Sena has battling qualities, gets involved defensively but he's so poor ball at feet and that's too limiting in my opinion. Gallagher is box to box and more forward thinking and I agree can feel very unfortunate to not be getting game time whilst Fyvie is missing. Fyvie is world's part from anything else we have midfield wise clearly.

Jones is in the RDP and Dayshonne Golding bracket for me; never should have been signed. How Killie and Dundee even thought to give him a trial is beyond me. Offers zero going forward, is weak in the tackle and worse in the air. Strachan will be an improvement but he has big shoes to fill from our last competent LWB.

Montrose weren't at their best today but did enough for a point and if Gardyne didn't make a mess of the pen could have taken all 3. Mo should be good for the playoffs again I reckon. I'm a fan of Petrie, his recruitment by large and how he sets up his side. Competent manager who's on course for 5 top 4 finishes in 6 years?

Edited December 30, 2023 by CoveRangers1922

[Watson Nimrod]

It really must be soul destroying for the likes of Gallagher and Connell sitting on the bench after doing reasonably well last week and not getting a sniff today.

Ive seen enough from Williamson to indicate that he isn’t for us. He will need to drop down at least another division and take his chances there (that’s not an intentional pun). 

I thought all in all we played alright today in spells as did Montrose given the conditions and a draw was fair. A few were lucky at the end not to see red. The referee handled that really well after a truly abysmal 90 minutes as there was plenty of injury time still to play but put us out of our misery. 

[Aidan]

5 hours ago, Midweek-away-to-Lossie said:

The ref's performance was almost as turgid as the crap "Bovril" they serve up at Balmoral.  Best bit about an away day, not enduring that joke of a pie stand!

Only good thing about an away day to the industrial estate is the balmoral pie

[PortyMo]

Would have taken the draw pre-match but hacked off that we never took all three. Our penalty success is woeful this season. Having said all that, the draw was probably the correct result and credit to both teams for putting on a match in horrendous conditions.