Sons vs Blue Toon

[The Moonster]

Sometimes you go to games and it just feels like you're going to win. I felt that way before the game and when Oyinsan smashed in the opener I felt we were on our way. Yet again slack defending and a lack of cutting edge has done us. I thought there were some excellent performances and we looked like a football team, but ultimately a point isn't enough today. Switching off at a corner and allowing the tallest man on the park (and Peterheads main threat) a free header is inexcusable and sums up our season pretty well - when the basics aren't done well you don't succeed.

The first 20 minutes of the second half was absolutely criminal. We'd just lost a goal before half time and really needed to start on top but Kieran Wrights inability to modify his kicking technique into the wind, and our team/managements lack of urgency to address that issue left us penned in for far longer than we needed to be. Peterhead were happy with a point and at times it looked like we were too. That's simply not good enough. Faz will put a brave face on and say its a point gained but 3 points was a must today. The only saving graces are that East Fife are now doomed and Clyde continue to stink the place out. Faz said we had 8 cup finals left 5 games ago and I'm yet to see us approach one of these games like a cup final. I sincerely hope he throws caution to the wind now because anything less will see us in the play offs, and I fear that means relegation. 

[FifeSons]

1 hour ago, Bring Back Paddy Flannery said:

I don’t really know where to start with that so I’ll start with the gaffer - I’ve found his approach to these relegation deciders absolutely mind boggling. Today we had a fairly anonymous Ross MacLean and a toiling Oyinsen creating very little and and getting on the end of f**k all, meanwhile we have 3 guys sitting on the bench, who completely changed the game last week, and we don’t see them introduced until the last 10 minutes, one of them in the 87th minute. Why!? Why the hell would you not change things sooner? For the 2nd week running any neutral watching that 2nd half would never have known that was a must win game for us until the last 4 or 5 minutes. Why in the 84th minute do we have guys sauntering over to hit a corner without a care in the world!? Completely baffling. I was expecting us to go gung ho for the last 15/20 minutes at least. 

Completely agree. A very strange approach, just like the last few weeks. We looked very happy with a point at Alloa until they scored.

Its not over until it’s (arithmetically) over I suppose, but I’m really struggling to see a way.

[the snudge]

There's noway we're escaping the play offs. Big Norway was so effective last week, he should have played a bigger part in the game today. As Moonster said, I'm struggling to see any evidence of this cup final mentality we were promised.

[FifeSons]

11 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Sometimes you go to games and it just feels like you're going to win. I felt that way before the game and when Oyinsan smashed in the opener I felt we were on our way. Yet again slack defending and a lack of cutting edge has done us. I thought there were some excellent performances and we looked like a football team, but ultimately a point isn't enough today. Switching off at a corner and allowing the tallest man on the park (and Peterheads main threat) a free header is inexcusable and sums up our season pretty well - when the basics aren't done well you don't succeed.

The first 20 minutes of the second half was absolutely criminal. We'd just lost a goal before half time and really needed to start on top but Kieran Wrights inability to modify his kicking technique into the wind, and our team/managements lack of urgency to address that issue left us penned in for far longer than we needed to be. Peterhead were happy with a point and at times it looked like we were too. That's simply not good enough. Faz will put a brave face on and say its a point gained but 3 points was a must today. The only saving graces are that East Fife are now doomed and Clyde continue to stink the place out. Faz said we had 8 cup finals left 5 games ago and I'm yet to see us approach one of these games like a cup final. I sincerely hope he throws caution to the wind now because anything less will see us in the play offs, and I fear that means relegation. 

I was pretty confident we’d win today. I’m not really sure what that was based on, but we looked like that would be the case until they scored.

Farrell has approached them like a cup final, like an underdog hoping to scrape penalties.

[THE CHOSEN SON]

8 minutes ago, the snudge said:

There's noway we're escaping the play offs. Big Norway was so effective last week, he should have played a bigger part in the game today. As Moonster said, I'm struggling to see any evidence of this cup final mentality we were promised.

To be fair to Faz, he never specified which cup final…. Clearly he’s taken a page out Aitkens Irn Bru cup final mentality book.

[BallochSonsFan]

Dominated the first half but terrible defending meant we went in tied. Should have had someone on the back post. Peterhead were garbage in the first half but we didn't get nearly enough shots on goal. We got lucky with the effort cleated off the line in the 2nd. We were unlucky with that 2nd half save. We just lacked the quality to threaten and didn't test Peterhead enough.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

I think disappointment is blinding everyone to some positives today.  For a start, the first half performance was probably the best forty five minutes we've played all season, spoiled only by cheaply conceding the equaliser.  Secondly, we're three games undefeated and whilst that is hardly anything to shout about, it has at least generated a little momentum.  Thirdly, for possibly the first time since Ryan McGeever's injury we look to have a central defensive partnership, with George Stanger turning in another very solid performance today.

Last but not least, we're not actually in the play-offs yet and we still have nine points to play for.  Airdrie and Cove away are the two toughest away games we could have, but we will have decent playing surfaces and hopefully none of the howling wind that put the fear into Wright this afternoon.  We should concentrate in putting a performance; if we do that then there is at least the chance of a result.  

 

[doulikefish]

Missing Si Fetty and Hamish Ritchie today so it meant a change of shape and we were pretty poor in the first half but in saying that the wind spoiled the whole game for both teams.

2nd half much better but a draw probably the fair result so barring Dumbarton beating Cove/ Airdrie todays draw probably saves us from the relegation play offs 

[FifeSons]

You also have to realise Peterhead have favourable fixtures left. If they only manage one win, we’d have to win all three. Given they have, what will likely be an already relegated, East Fife at home, playoffs are all but certain.

[The Moonster]

1 minute ago, FifeSons said:

You also have to realise Peterhead have favourable fixtures left. If they only manage one win, we’d have to win all three. Given they have, what will likely be an already relegated, East Fife at home, playoffs are all but certain.

Clyde have Montrose, Airdrie and us left. In current form you wouldn't favour them to win any of those. We need to go and do our best to get 2 points or more from Cove and Airdrie then hopefully we'll have a final match to decide it against them at home. 

I should note the pitch was looking much better today, hopefully it's actually a surface playable by the time Clyde come round. 

[FifeSons]

25 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Clyde have Montrose, Airdrie and us left. In current form you wouldn't favour them to win any of those. We need to go and do our best to get 2 points or more from Cove and Airdrie then hopefully we'll have a final match to decide it against them at home. 

I should note the pitch was looking much better today, hopefully it's actually a surface playable by the time Clyde come round. 

Montrose and Airdrie will likely have nothing to play for. I’d agree there’s more chance of us catching Clyde now, though.

Edited April 9, 2022 by FifeSons

[doulikefish]

24 minutes ago, FifeSons said:

You also have to realise Peterhead have favourable fixtures left. If they only manage one win, we’d have to win all three. Given they have, what will likely be an already relegated, East Fife at home, playoffs are all but certain.

I spoke to couple of sons fans on the train back into Glasgow and I said Clyde would be the team you could catch 

[microdave]

Peterhead are out of reach now imo. Airdrie haven't lost the league yet though but they have to beat us next week to keep it going. But that means Cove would have to be trying to beat us the following week. Basically, if we can get at least a point next week then it improves our chances of getting something from Cove who will have won the league before we play them. There's not been a great deal between us and Airdrie in our games this season so I'm hopeful we can get the bit of luck that deserted us on our last visit to the Exelsior. I was a bit down when I left the Rock today but I've perked up a wee bit since then. Still all to play for.

[Frank Quitely]

Is it just me or is anyone else becoming haunted by the injury-time Clyde equaliser in the 1-1 home draw last November ?

Edited April 9, 2022 by Frank Quitely

[The Moonster]

10 minutes ago, Frank Quitely said:

Is it just me or is anyone else becoming haunted by the injury-time Clyde equaliser in the 1-1 home draw last November ?

The Clyde game was a sickener but I'm more haunted by our decision to completely change shape in our away trips to Methil, losing both. It's a poor East Fife side that would've been confirmed dead long before now had we bothered to take care of them in even one of those fixtures. 

[As Easterly as it gets!]

3 hours ago, pleslie99 said:

I think it sums us up today in the 2nd half. Kieran Wright was clearly struggling to kick into the wind, not one of our outfield players came to help him out, drop deep and take the ball. After about 6 kicks straight out the park, he rolls the next couple out and the defenders panic and lose possession anyway. Nobody wanting to take responsibility, all hiding, too much of that all season!

If he (Wright) was your 'keeper at the 5-0 game at Balmoor, then he is a slow learner.

He struggled badly into the wind at that game. Kept on launching it high and it kept coming back at him or going out.

[microdave]

Is it just me or is anyone else becoming haunted by the injury-time Clyde equaliser in the 1-1 home draw last November ?

Tbf you could point to a few games we've dropped points but that one and the East Fife games that Moonster mentioned are the stand outs.

If he (Wright) was your 'keeper at the 5-0 game at Balmoor, then he is a slow learner.
He struggled badly into the wind at that game. Kept on launching it high and it kept coming back at him or going out.

That was Sam Ramsbottom in that game. Wright arrived in January and played in the second game at Balmoor.

[cedrick1]

I thought yesterday as others have said was best 45 this season but we really needed more than the one we got.second half we came back into it but really over the 90 lacked a cutting edge. 
wrights handling all day was excellent but he showed real inexperience in his second half kicking .

probably too big a gap to bridge now but would be good to keep momentum going

thought we waited too long use subs

mention to orsi who I thought was our best player yesterday and I’m usually critical of him

 

[macclyde+]

14 hours ago, FifeSons said:

Montrose and Airdrie will likely have nothing to play for. I’d agree there’s more chance of us catching Clyde now, though.

Way we're playing I don't think it matters whether others have nothing to play for.

If you guys do manage a couple of results next 2 games (not impossible IMO) then I see you finishing 8th.

Hard to see us picking up a point in the next 3 games.

[squeezebox-son]

I appreciate Faz obviously believes we can take points from each of the next 3 but realistically the big one was the match yesterday! We didn't have enough urgency at all. Wright takes too long on things and the fact that everyone in the stand could see him struggling with the kickouts bu5 the defenders were leaving him to it and just telling him to take his time was disappointing. Was an absolute hammer blow losing the goal we did, in the manner we did too. Very disappointed with that.

That being said, performances have been better on the last few weeks and I feel now if we can keep that level of performance then, even if we don't pick up enough points to avoid 9th place, we will have a fighting chance in the play offs. That really wasn't the case a few weeks back.

We need to keep performances up and if we could play for 90 mins like we did in the first half yesterday, I have plenty confidence we could stay up (via the play offs or avoiding them). But inconsistency has really been something that has held us back throughout this season.