Stenhousemuir v Airdrie

[thediamonddude]

I have a horrible, horrible feeling that a combination of a bollocking from Bollan and a desire to get revenge means Airdrie will press high, win the midfield battle and sail into a 2-0 lead by the 70th minute and that a late flurry of pressure from us will only bring a single goal.

When after the match, Airdrie fans are gloating at the pre match confidence from Warrior's Fans, I hope that I can perhaps be excluded from the ridicule. Thank you.

Nice to see a bit of humility & respect from some of the Stenny fans on here. After all, as bad as we may have played last week & as much as we're weaker than we were last season - I really don't think there'll be much between us this season.

I would change the lineup a wee bit today, we really need to focus on what little width we have as that's where we can really hurt teams. It's also a pity Blockley & Watt aren't compatible together in the middle as that'd be my first choice pairing otherwise. Bain was torn to shreds last week by Josh Watt so I'd definitely feel more comfortable with Chris O'Neill at RB as well.

I'd go...

McNeil

O'Neill Proctor Fitzpatrick P.Boyle

Gray Hammil Watt Cadden

Lister Kirwan

I can't see us being anywhere near as bad as last week - the players will get a rocket from Bollan for that performance but I do think it'll be tight.

2-1 to the Diamonds

[Francesc Fabregas]

From various reports from the match, it sounds as though Stenhousemuir were absolutely dreck but managed to nick a winning goal at the death.

A good result (but not performance) to start the season, anyway. Looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say about it.

[Neilly]

Comfortable home win as expected.

[Airdrie76]

Should have won. Didn't. I wonder how many times we'll be saying that this year.

[AirdrieGuy]

Thought we were the better team there so disappointed to not even get a draw. Wasn't really much between the teams in the first half but thought we improved in the second half and looked more likely to score for most of it. I was at the other end but looked like we hit the ball across Stenny's goal 4 or 5 times in the second half but no one got a touch on any of them. The goal came from a good attack down the right from Ryan Millar, who I thought looked really good when he came on for Stenny.

Much better performance than last week though which we can take positives from. Playing 5 in midfield definitely helped us, meant Hamill wasn't as isolated whenever Watt or Stewart pushed forward and generally gave the team more balance.

[SFC1884]

Poor performance, great result.

Airdrie created numerous chances and should have won the game. Neither wide player took a gamble and went to the back post. A good 5 or 6 times the ball went through out defence with ease yet no-one was there to finish, similar to the goal Airdrie did score last week!

Other than creating our goal I thought Ryan Millar was rotten. Three times he had the ball down the left and gave it away too cheaply. When he got it on the right he drove into the box and cut it back for Grehan to score in the empty net.

Pass marks for Hamilton, Summers, Grehan and McMenamin. Lithgow, Greacen and Hodge were average. Meechan, Faulds, Reid and Sludden were all pretty poor.

Airdrie will be pretty gutted by that but a definite improvement on last week, not that me telling you will be of any consolation.

[Johnny Martins Willy]

Another embarrassing result. I feel Bollan hasn't prepared the team well for this season at all after a great end to the last season.

[RAPID BENANO]

Needs two decent center half's would move proctor and Fitzpatrick into midfield like barr and McCormack

[BigDi@mond]

Fitzpatrick yes but don't think Proctor's a midfielder!

[glesgadiamond]

Fitzpatrick was the standout today with chris oneil for me. Hammill is worse than a man down. And lister f**k me. Why doesnt he give someone else a chance up front he hasnt looked at the races since weve been back from pre season. Maybe try boyle.

[Diamonds are Forever]

Should have won comfortably, the team was set up perfectly after last week's shambles and if we had had any quality in the final third we would have scored 3 or 4. Stenny were terrible, I was amazed how easily we got in behind them and they created nothing until the goal. Disappointed with the result but after last week I'm more optimistic about the season.

[diamond_for_life]

Well if I am brutally honest that was absolute garbage. A good team today would have comfortably beaten Stenny no problem. It needed a change up top during the second half Airdrie didn't even need to work hard to create chances but never once was I confident a goal was on the cards. With 15 minutes to go you just knew that Stenny were going to get a goal on the break and it was terrible defending Millar got down the line far too easy. Not impressed at all although it was better than the previous 2 games. Stenny won't play that poorly again the game was for the taking.

[Tulloch Gorum]

Scunner to lose a late goal, but it was a massive improvement. We created more chances than they did, though neither keeper was really tested very much. The defence was much better organised and didn't panic when Stenny attacked - unlike last week. Much more movement in midfield, some decent balls into the box, but just lacking a bit in the final third. Chris O' Neil had some good tackles, Watt was handy up front. The keeper had a dodgy punch-out from a corner in the second half, but was otherwise generally equal to the task when called upon, and seemed to command his box well.

It was good to see the Aces through in such numbers again - well done to the folk who put that together.

[el Gringo]

Thought Fitzpatrick, O'Neil and Watt were excellent today. On another day we'd have won that 3:0, but that's fitba.

[Neilly]

The thing is we will play that poorly again we are garbage let's have it right.

Booth kids on we are some kind of football team when we all know we are not. This season is all about Ciaran Summers and where he will end up. I would go as far to say he is a better than Temps.

[beaver1]

Both these teams will be in play off contention this season

[diamond_for_life]

Both these teams will be in play off contention this season

Relegation play-off if that's the best both teams can do

[Neilly]

I think Stevie Wonder would have noticed that was the inclination.

[garyhay]

A real downer to lose a late goal, but I felt that we created a lot more chances than Stenny with Liam Watt and O'Neil standing out for me.

Much better at the back, but still some way to go. No need to panic, yet.

[Diamond Oracle]

There really are some roasters that post here.

It was good to see a much improved performance yesterday, if not an improved result. Glad that Chris O'Neil got a chance at RB ahead of Bain who just isn't a defender. As stated above I think young Chris was MOTM and should stay our first choice RB this season.

Though our centre halves looked much more assured and playing five in midfield worked well against a Stenny team who didn't really threaten. I do still think we need to bring in a central midfielder (possibly a loan), as both Hammill and Stewart haven't shown enough in the last couple of games to suggest they'll get any better throughout this season.

Whoever above claiming Lister needs to be dropped has obviously been watching different games to myself as he's consistently been our best attacking threat and really one of the only players that looks like creating anything. The amount of times the ball rolled across the box yesterday with nobody on the end of it was ridiculous, I think Bollan should have went two up top a lot earlier than he did.

Overall, a better performance yesterday which gives me a little more optimism for the upcoming season. I reckon we'll finish 5th/6th this season.