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The Rock v The Diamonds 7/8/21


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1 hour ago, Tory Boy said:

I'm sure the Dumbarton fans are enjoying the seeth from the Airdrie support. But I was livid. 

Rolling about in front of the support only to stop have a wink and laugh at the Airdrie support then return to rolling about. Quite frankly I think if that's caught on camera he should get banned. 

If someone cheats like that against you, you're raging. If it's one of your players you can can sit back and enjoy the rage of the opposition. 

It doesn't change anything really though? Just because he allegedly done this doesn't mean the yellow card wasn't the correct decision. 

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That was a very enjoyable game. After the last 18 months it was great to have some real needle in a match; fans at both ends seething, managers seething, brawls. All absolutely lovely stuff. The Airdrie fan getting held back by stewards as his head detached from his shoulders anytime Ross Maclean was near being my personal highlight.

As other have said I thought we started well enough, but as soon as we lost the goal Airdrie bossed the game. They defended from the front, and I thought that Callum Smith, Calum Gallagher and Gabby McGill all put in very solid shifts. 

The first goal was a shocker to lose from our respect. We gave Callum Fordyce far too much time to turf a ball into the area, Sam Muir was caught out badly and Callum Erskine got his positioning all wrong to see the ball just loop over him. It was a terrific leap and nice header from McGill, but we really can't be giving him the opportunity to score from there.

From that point onwards it looked only a matter of time before Airdrie scored again. It wasn't that they were forcing Erskine into a lot of saves (which was a relief as he looked very uncomfortable), but they were well on top. Rhys McCabe was spraying balls around from a deep midfield position and we couldn't lay a glove on anyone in a Diamonds top.

Half-time came at a good time for Dumbarton. No doubt about that. And we actually started the second-half on the front foot.

Then we go an concede a daft penalty. I was in the middle of the stand, so won't have had as good a view as those in the home end. But by all accounts it was a fortunate decision from a Diamonds perspective. I've watched the replay back and there looks like being very limited contact. Erskine actually stands up very straight with his hands above his head, and Gabby McGill goes down perhaps anticipating the contact.

I couldn't be angry at the decision though, because we played ourselves into trouble. That was a routine ball to deal with and a total breakdown in communication between Muir and Erskine caused the situation. Nobody could argue that Airdrie weren't good value for their lead either.

Then came the two moments that changed the game; the introduction of Andy Geggan and the red card.

I had said on the stream that we were crying out for Geggan or Paton. Frizzell, Easton and McCabe are all lovely players on the ball. But we needed someone to rough them up; and neither Carsy nor Carlo were doing that.

Low and behold four minutes after Geggan arrived all hell breaks lose.

Wardrop was walking a tightrope with the challenge given he was on a booking. Maclean had got the better of him quite a few times throughout the game, and exploiting Sam looked our best chance of getting back into things. Imo if Wardrop wasn't already booked then he would've been for the challenge that saw him sent off. Given he was then I fully expected him to get a firm final warning from Barry Cook, with Muzz then likely to hook him ASAP. 

Sam's a smart lad though. When you're 2-0 up away from home, bossing the game and on a booking there's no point taking the risk. He'll be kicking himself tonight because he took an unnecessary risk.

After the big scrap (10/10 for that by the way. Proper fury all over the shop) had cooled down Airdrie looked to lose their heads a bit. Their game management was woeful. They should've stayed compact and kept the ball. But they were far too open, conceded a raft of cheap fouls and just didn't strangle the life out of the game as they should've done.

From our part Faz made some drastic changes. He brought off both full-backs, Carlo became a #10, Maclean had a lot of freedom down the left and wee Callum Wilson made a notable difference when he came on.

As soon as we got the goal back from McGeever (lovely delivery from Pignatiello) an equaliser felt inevitable. Airdrie made a total mess of clearing their box and Geggan's sharp finish seemed to catch Max Currie by surprise.

I was pleased with a point at the end, but Faz and Geggan were both gutted we didn't take all three. And I like that.

Overall I thought Ross Maclean was, again, excellent and posed a threat all game. Geggan did exactly what I had hoped he would when he came on; and his experience when Airdrie were going to pot a bit was a huge reason why we took something from the match. We looked like we had a decent range of creative options, and Carlo and Carsy came onto a game when they were moved position.

Four points and five goals in two games is a very respectable return - especially given we were without two important players today. We have weaknesses but it's very easy to forget how little time this squad have had together. I was pleased with the style of football we played, pleased with the mentality and spirit about the players and pleased with the changes Faz made. We need to tighten up at the back, but hopefully Boyle and Ramsbottom returning will help with that.

As for Airdrie? Well I have no idea. They will score goals. They will ship goals. But one thing is clear, they need cooler heads in a situation like today. I can see them battering a few teams on their day. But I can also seem them taking some hefty defeats. Which is a classic Ian Murray hallmark I suppose.

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I had some concerns prior to this game and the first hour or so fully bore them out; once they settled Airdrie were crisper on and off the ball and they were much more composed than ourselves.  At least two Sons posters above have roasted Frizzell - I thought that he was very good indeed during that spell in a deeper-lying role than Duffy employed him.  

Much as we missed him today, we need to learn to live without Joe McKee on occasion and I was disappointed with Duthie's contribution, he just didn't get going.  That together with the enforced goalkeeping change which seemed to affect the back four, particularly young Muir, didn't help.  The penalty incident was a perfect example.

Much will be made of Wardrop's red card in the context of the result.  IMO opinion the substitutions were more of a factor, and I felt that Faz got more from his than Ian Murray managed.  Airdrie were containing well at 2-0 but once the first Sons goal went in we finally had some belief.  If the Diamonds had won then I don't think I would have complained too much, but apart from clawing back a point I was delighted to piss off the idiot that was Max Currie.

Two teams which are currently works in progress but both tried throughout to play football and I've had many less entertaining afternoons than this.

 

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Hats off to the commentary team again. They really do their homework and remain relatively neutral too. Better than alot of the fitba commentators on TV. 

I hope they keep it going. Does anyone know how many viewers it pulled in? 

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Great end to the game and hopefully this is a sign of what we can expect from Geggan in the future.

Didn't think it was a penalty at the time and I'm still not sure, not sure what the rules are but I'm used to a last man foul being a red card.

Big giruys to Barry Cook and the Airdrie goalie.Screenshot_20210807-161151_Samsung%20Internet.jpeg

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12 minutes ago, sonsanorak said:

Great end to the game and hopefully this is a sign of what we can expect from Geggan in the future.

Didn't think it was a penalty at the time and I'm still not sure, not sure what the rules are but I'm used to a last man foul being a red card.

Big giruys to Barry Cook and the Airdrie goalie.Screenshot_20210807-161151_Samsung%20Internet.jpeg

They got rid of double jeopardy for keepers.

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1 hour ago, Jan Vojáček said:

That was a very enjoyable game. After the last 18 months it was great to have some real needle in a match; fans at both ends seething, managers seething, brawls. All absolutely lovely stuff. The Airdrie fan getting held back by stewards as his head detached from his shoulders anytime Ross Maclean was near being my personal highlight.

As other have said I thought we started well enough, but as soon as we lost the goal Airdrie bossed the game. They defended from the front, and I thought that Callum Smith, Calum Gallagher and Gabby McGill all put in very solid shifts. 

The first goal was a shocker to lose from our respect. We gave Callum Fordyce far too much time to turf a ball into the area, Sam Muir was caught out badly and Callum Erskine got his positioning all wrong to see the ball just loop over him. It was a terrific leap and nice header from McGill, but we really can't be giving him the opportunity to score from there.

From that point onwards it looked only a matter of time before Airdrie scored again. It wasn't that they were forcing Erskine into a lot of saves (which was a relief as he looked very uncomfortable), but they were well on top. Rhys McCabe was spraying balls around from a deep midfield position and we couldn't lay a glove on anyone in a Diamonds top.

Half-time came at a good time for Dumbarton. No doubt about that. And we actually started the second-half on the front foot.

Then we go an concede a daft penalty. I was in the middle of the stand, so won't have had as good a view as those in the home end. But by all accounts it was a fortunate decision from a Diamonds perspective. I've watched the replay back and there looks like being very limited contact. Erskine actually stands up very straight with his hands above his head, and Gabby McGill goes down perhaps anticipating the contact.

I couldn't be angry at the decision though, because we played ourselves into trouble. That was a routine ball to deal with and a total breakdown in communication between Muir and Erskine caused the situation. Nobody could argue that Airdrie weren't good value for their lead either.

Then came the two moments that changed the game; the introduction of Andy Geggan and the red card.

I had said on the stream that we were crying out for Geggan or Paton. Frizzell, Easton and McCabe are all lovely players on the ball. But we needed someone to rough them up; and neither Carsy nor Carlo were doing that.

Low and behold four minutes after Geggan arrived all hell breaks lose.

Wardrop was walking a tightrope with the challenge given he was on a booking. Maclean had got the better of him quite a few times throughout the game, and exploiting Sam looked our best chance of getting back into things. Imo if Wardrop wasn't already booked then he would've been for the challenge that saw him sent off. Given he was then I fully expected him to get a firm final warning from Barry Cook, with Muzz then likely to hook him ASAP. 

Sam's a smart lad though. When you're 2-0 up away from home, bossing the game and on a booking there's no point taking the risk. He'll be kicking himself tonight because he took an unnecessary risk.

After the big scrap (10/10 for that by the way. Proper fury all over the shop) had cooled down Airdrie looked to lose their heads a bit. Their game management was woeful. They should've stayed compact and kept the ball. But they were far too open, conceded a raft of cheap fouls and just didn't strangle the life out of the game as they should've done.

From our part Faz made some drastic changes. He brought off both full-backs, Carlo became a #10, Maclean had a lot of freedom down the left and wee Callum Wilson made a notable difference when he came on.

As soon as we got the goal back from McGeever (lovely delivery from Pignatiello) an equaliser felt inevitable. Airdrie made a total mess of clearing their box and Geggan's sharp finish seemed to catch Max Currie by surprise.

I was pleased with a point at the end, but Faz and Geggan were both gutted we didn't take all three. And I like that.

Overall I thought Ross Maclean was, again, excellent and posed a threat all game. Geggan did exactly what I had hoped he would when he came on; and his experience when Airdrie were going to pot a bit was a huge reason why we took something from the match. We looked like we had a decent range of creative options, and Carlo and Carsy came onto a game when they were moved position.

Four points and five goals in two games is a very respectable return - especially given we were without two important players today. We have weaknesses but it's very easy to forget how little time this squad have had together. I was pleased with the style of football we played, pleased with the mentality and spirit about the players and pleased with the changes Faz made. We need to tighten up at the back, but hopefully Boyle and Ramsbottom returning will help with that.

As for Airdrie? Well I have no idea. They will score goals. They will ship goals. But one thing is clear, they need cooler heads in a situation like today. I can see them battering a few teams on their day. But I can also seem them taking some hefty defeats. Which is a classic Ian Murray hallmark I suppose.

I still have the seethe, typing this, half nine on a pissing wet Saturday night,,,  lower league Football you have to love it,   last season this game would have fizzled out to a 2 or 3 goal Airdrie win,  even although it was only 600 circa, that is what supporters bring to the game, , they create atmosphere which in turn leads to frustration, heads gone situations....and middle aged men losing their shit on a Saturday night....

 

 

Good match assessment ......   Onwards and upwards

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3 hours ago, Tory Boy said:

I'm sure the Dumbarton fans are enjoying the seeth from the Airdrie support. But I was livid. 

Rolling about in front of the support only to stop have a wink and laugh at the Airdrie support then return to rolling about. Quite frankly I think if that's caught on camera he should get banned. 

If someone cheats like that against you, you're raging. If it's one of your players you can can sit back and enjoy the rage of the opposition. 

20210731_204201.jpg.5ed8eaeb00c31cbfadf65e19e08af268.jpg

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47 minutes ago, sonsanorak said:

Didn't think it was a penalty at the time and I'm still not sure, not sure what the rules are but I'm used to a last man foul being a red card.

Big giruys to Barry Cook and the Airdrie goalie.Screenshot_20210807-161151_Samsung%20Internet.jpeg

If the referee thinks the defender has made a genuine attempt to play the ball but commits a foul then it's yellow and a penalty, if he fouls the attacker with no attempt to play the ball it's red and a penalty.

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1 hour ago, sonsanorak said:

Great end to the game and hopefully this is a sign of what we can expect from Geggan in the future.

Didn't think it was a penalty at the time and I'm still not sure, not sure what the rules are but I'm used to a last man foul being a red card.

Big giruys to Barry Cook and the Airdrie goalie.Screenshot_20210807-161151_Samsung%20Internet.jpeg

Looks outside the box anyway.

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12 hours ago, Tory Boy said:

I'm sure the Dumbarton fans are enjoying the seeth from the Airdrie support. But I was livid. 

Rolling about in front of the support only to stop have a wink and laugh at the Airdrie support then return to rolling about. Quite frankly I think if that's caught on camera he should get banned. 

If someone cheats like that against you, you're raging. If it's one of your players you can can sit back and enjoy the rage of the opposition. 

 

230374312_4352201541507109_4485045716695476810_n.jpg

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I'll be honest, I thought Muzz had Airdrie far too fired up and there was a red card waiting to happen all day. He was fired up himself and you could see that in the warm up. I don't know why there's any complaint about the red, Wardrop kicked through the back of McLean when he was on a yellow, it was daft stuff regardless of McLean milking it. 

Left back worries me though, Muir was fine laat week when Clyde were stinking the place out but it showed today he'll get roasted against better sides. Erskine looks every bit the player that Francesc Fabregas told us he was and if Ramsbottom is out for another week I expect we'll get a proper keeper in. 

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IMG_6038.thumb.jpg.2864a548f44f96ddd00006ed654acdaa.jpg
If there was indeed contact there (and the photo suggests so) then it should have been a red card for Erskine rather than yellow. I had the absolute fear until Barry Cook produced the yellow because the trialist goalkeeper did not look capable at all based on the warm up and halftime practice shots. No harm to the guy as he was doing us a huge favour but it could have resulted in a cricket score if we'd gone down to ten men. It'll be interesting to watch it back.
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Aah well it's good to be back at actual games, getting worked up over minor incidents instead of watching crappy online feeds in the house.  😁

From an Airdrie point of view I thought there was a lot of encouraging signs. I felt until the sending off we looked quite comfortable. Controlling large parts of the game and Currie not having much to do. Need to get a win soon though if we have any hope of challenging. 

Edited by Tory Boy
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It’s really hard to tell from a Pixellot stream but I thought it looked a pretty clear penalty. God knows what Erskine was trying to do and young Muir didn’t exactly cover himself in glory either. If I was Faz I’d be looking at signing another keeper and sending Erskine out on loan for some minutes, he looked a nervous wreck. It maybe wouldn’t be a bad idea to do something similar with young Muir.

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39 minutes ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

It’s really hard to tell from a Pixellot stream but I thought it looked a pretty clear penalty. God knows what Erskine was trying to do and young Muir didn’t exactly cover himself in glory either. If I was Faz I’d be looking at signing another keeper and sending Erskine out on loan for some minutes, he looked a nervous wreck. It maybe wouldn’t be a bad idea to do something similar with young Muir.

My rule is generally does someone 'look' like a keeper and to be honest young Erskine failed on that very early on yesterday.  It seemed to affect the guys in front of him too, with Sam Muir particularly spooked.  It felt like we were back in the days of Grant Adam and Connor Brennan.

As regards the penalty I'd be screaming if it was at the other end, but I hope Faz concentrates less on the award and more on one of many unforced errors which allowed Frizzell to dink a lovely pass into space.

Edited by O'Kelly Isley III
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