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Post by CC on Nov 25, 2019 12:32:28 GMT
23/11/19 Stranraer v Dunfermline Athletic Dunfermline were universally expected to win this Cup tie, especially after Stranraer were outplayed in defeat by Airdrieonians at Stair Park a week previously, but those expectations were confounded. The Blues made more chances in the first 15 minutes than in the entire match last week, but there is evidently something rotten in the State of Fife, because Dunfermline were shocking. Not only did they play badly, but the goalkeeper was badly injured in the first half and spent 10 minutes on the floor. Not a single team mate went to see if he was OK. Even the appearance of oxygen on the field didn't persuade the other players to abandon their kick about and check on the stricken 'keeper till eventually a stretcher appeared on the scene and he was carried away to the hospital. Stranraer were the better side for the first hour and went ahead from a stupidly-conceded penalty given for handball at a corner kick. Only then did the Pars wake up, but a combination of diehard defending, incompetence on the part of Dunfermline's full time pros and, it must be admitted, some shameless time-wasting, helped the Blues to pull off a stunning win. The final whistle was a great moment for the loyal few home fans but must have been agonising for the 100 or so visitors who had made a long, long journey to the South West in the expectation of seeing their side put up a much better show than this, and now faced a tough and miserable trip home in the dark. Hats off to Stranraer skipper Jamie Hamill, who had a fine match. He is sometimes the object of mockery from other teams' fans because he is a veteran, is baldy and his style can seem a bit rustic, but as well as leading the team and playing some cleverly disguised passes he also went to check on goalie Ryan Scully when the lad's own team mates couldnae be bothered, and when an elderly spectator was struck in the face by a clearance the Blues captain put a consoling hand on the poor old guy's shoulder rather than just taking a swift throw-in. The wee lassie behind the goal kens that Pars' substitute goalie Cammie Gill isnae going to save this penalty by James Hilton, which put his home town team through to Round 4.
This win led to some of Stranraer's citizens taking more interest than anticipated in the 4th round draw on Sunday evening, and when there were only 2 teams left to be pulled out of the bag we knew it was going to be a Big One. Even better, Rangers came out first so it's a trip to Ibrox in January for the Blues, who will undoubtedly be leaving the competition but will also be bringing home a nice big cheque which should keep the club going for the next couple of years.
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Post by CC on Dec 1, 2019 10:12:13 GMT
The week started well for the Wee Toon but doesn't look so good now. 4 points for Forfar and 0 for Stranraer leaves the Blues firmly at the bottom of the table. With money soon to be available to spend on some new players the Stranraer Observer is looking pointedly in the direction of Annan, where Tommy Muir notched three goals in the Galabankies' 6-1 destruction of Cove Rangers.
It's ironic that the reward for the team's splendid win last week, and the subsequent pairing with Rangers at Ibrox in the next round of the Cup, is for some of them to be replaced in the side by new signings. But it's a hard game, and the current squad, hard-working and likeable as it is, is not looking good enough to maintain the Blues' status in the third tier. Particularly, we have no-one who looks like the kind of goalscorer to put fear into the opposition. I don't think Rangers fans will be scanning the Stranraer squad and quaking in their boots just at the moment.
Falkirk have been nervous at their home ground recently so a visit from the Blues yesterday was the ideal opportunity for them to put things right, and they did. Declan McManus looks like Adrian Dunbar and shares a name with Elvis Costello; he is also renowned as a dangerous goalscorer, so allowing him a free header from 5 yards to score the first goal was shoddy work by the Stranraer defence. We never looked like getting into the game after going behind, and Falkirk could easily have scored more than the additional two which both, like the first, resulted from balls delivered into the box which were converted into goals far too simply.
Next week's fixture up at Peterhead is now looking like a big match for both sides; that first away win of the season is long overdue and better it should come at Peterhead than Falkirk. We need to take points off our relegation rivals if we are to stand a chance of avoiding relegation.
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Post by CC on Dec 8, 2019 9:29:01 GMT
Looking for the ideal Christmas gift for someone you love? Stranraer could do with a few gift-wrapped new players if the last couple of weeks are a guide to what's in store for the rest of the season. Successive 3-0 defeats are the very stuff of relegation and now that the Blues are 5 points behind Forfar and trail Clyde by 8 and Peterhead by 9 things are looking pretty bad.
It's hard when you have the lowest budget in your division, and the Wee Toon are certainly up against it at the minute. A combination of letting in too many goals while rarely looking likely to score any ourselves sees us pretty well bolted to bottom place. Not even a penalty kick could get Stranraer on the scoresheet yesterday. James Hilton hammered one in against Dunfermline in such style that it was hard to imagine any goalkeeper could stop one of his spot kicks, but Peterhead's Greg Fleming did so when the score was 2-0, at a stage in the game where a Stranraer goal would have given the team a realistic chance of making a comeback.
A few injuries have certainly exposed the thinness of the playing squad. Yesterday Jamie Hamill had to go off at 0-0 and Jordan Allen wasn't fit to make the trip at all. I fear a low attendance next Saturday as local citizens head for the Coffee Bean café rather than Stair Park, where East Fife will be arriving amidst a disappointing run of their own. It might be a good time for a waterlogged pitch to give everyone a break so that the match can be replayed when some of that lovely lolly from Ibrox has been spent on improving the side's form and prospects.
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Post by CC on Dec 9, 2019 16:31:53 GMT
Last seen at Stair Park converting an injury time penalty against Clyde, Mark Stewart won't be back in a blue and white shirt unless they should be the colours of his new uniform. At the age of 31 Mark has retired from football because he has been promoted at work and no longer has the time, or possibly inclination either, to run around in the cold on behalf of Stranraer FC. His final appearance came in the defeat against Airdrie on 16 November, work commitments having kept him away since then.
Mark has been the epitome of the much-travelled centre forward, having also turned out for Falkirk, Bradford City, Hamilton Accies, Dundee, Kilmarnock, Derry City, Raith Rovers, Dumbarton and Stirling Albion. He shares a birthday (22 June) with my mother, having been born on her 60th birthday, which she spent in hospital after breaking her leg the previous evening. Her favourite player is, still, George Best.
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Post by CC on Dec 14, 2019 17:59:57 GMT
An afternoon on which football fans ask themselves the question Why? It was bitterly cold, Stranraer's chronically ineffective attack seldom looked like scoring and the raw wind made good football very difficult. On top of all that, East Fife scored two second half goals to condemn the Wee Toon to a 5th successive League defeat and a 4th without scoring a goal. Penalties seem to be the side's best hope, although having said that they couldn't even manage to score from the spot last week at Peterhead. Today's match had been quite even till Ross Davidson's daisy cutter opened the scoring for East Fife. Max Currie is a good goalkeeper and it looked as if he was going to save the shot; he got a hand to it and looked to have tipped it round the post, but no, it was in the corner of the net and after that there was little hope of an equaliser. A farcical, and inevitable, late second simply added to the misery, as did the official attendance of 274 which actually seems a bit generous to me.
Carlo Pigniatello had a good game for the Blues, and Andy Stirling was as tricky as ever, especially in the first half, but all the skill on the wings is wasted when there's no-one there to convert the chances that are created. Sadly, too many of Stranraer's small squad (we only had 4 substitutes today compared with East fife's seven) are out of their depth at this level. They try hard enough; there's no hiding and everyone makes an effort, but too often passes don't reach their intended target or long balls are simply swallowed up by opposing defenders.
It's not yet Winter Solstice but this already smells like a relegation season. Boy, that money from the match at Ibrox on Friday 17 January will be very welcome, although Rangers may as well give their goalkeeper the night off. Stranraer scoring is unlikely. Stranraer even having a shot would be a surprise too, but Rangers scoring lots & lots of goals seems very likely indeed. After due consideration I don't think the Stranraer Observer will be making the trip; I can't be doing with the sectarianism in the stands and I don't want to see our lads get slaughtered on the field either.
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Post by CC on Dec 19, 2019 20:39:24 GMT
Football is just for fun but having said that it also provides some people with a livelihood, and there are times when that livelihood depends on doing a good job. Bus drivers rarely have to put up with their passengers telling them they are rubbish and posties are not usually barracked if they deliver a letter you would rather not have received, but it's a different world for footballers whose every kick can make a difference to the outcome of the match, to their popularity or otherwise on the sidelines and their career prospects. For managers, it's even worse. Stranraer are punching above their weight by playing in the Scotland's third tier but that fact is unlikely to save manager Faz Farrell if the team remains at the bottom of the table over the next few months. His tenure has been brought into question on the Pie & Bovril forum and that's not a good omen. It's the sort of thing that Thompson and Stewart on Sportscene like to call "mounting pressure."
So, for fans, players and staff, Saturday's game is a big one. Win and we are only 2 points behind Forfar and there are grounds for optimism. A draw would not be catastrophic but would certainly be seen as a missed opportunity to close the gap on 9th place. Defeat will sour the taste of mulled wine for all connected with the club over the festive period.
Forfar have not been on great form lately, although they did pick up a 0-0 draw at Raith on a night when, by all accounts, the Rovers played particularly badly in front of fewer than 1000 spectators. Manager Jim Weir resigned on 3 November but officially this was not a case of him having to pay the price for a bad run; he had been injured in a car crash a few weeks previously and was no longer well enough to continue. East Kilbride boss Stuart Malcolm was chosen to fill the vacancy and has steadied the ship a little but last weekend the Loons lost at home to Dumbarton after being 3-2 ahead at half time. Sitting in the Stair Park stand and hearing the announcer at half time say "Forfar 3" sounded unpromising for Stranraer and we can think ourselves lucky that Dumbarton did us a favour with those two second half goals.
The Loons wear shirts numbered 1 to 11 which gladdens my heart, but those shirts are a feeble looking pastel shade of blue these days rather than the grand sky and navy hoops that they sported just a few seasons ago. They will at least have an excuse for wearing their change strip on Saturday, unlike the last 5 visitors to Stair Park who have all worn alternative strips even though they didn't need to do so. This is a sad thing for a football blogger to admit to but the only Forfar player whose name I recognise is Gary Irvine and that's only because he and Dundee's manager James McPake were recently in the news for being arrested over an incident during a night out.
A home win would also be likely to reduce the gap to Clyde in 8th position. The Bully Wee were doing OK till they lost 3-0 at Stair Park in November, since when their form has slumped. Last Saturday Montrose gave them a 4-0 thumping and this weekend they face Airdrieonians, whose recent form has been as good as Clyde's has been miserable. The Stranraer Observer does not usually wish to learn of an Airdrie win but things are getting serious now so take those 3 points back home from Cumbernauld with you, please, Diamonds.
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Post by CC on Dec 21, 2019 18:39:14 GMT
21/12/2019 Stranraer v Forfar Athletic We're doomed. Doomed, I tell ye. That line-up above, painful as it is to say it, contains no more than 3 players who are of the required standard to play in the Scottish third tier. Halfway through the season Stranraer now need to hit promotion form just to have a chance of staying up, and even if the boss does get those 3 players he is hoping to sign up before Hogmanay it's no goany happen, folks. It's not even time to say "Blythe Yule" and we already know that we are looking at League 2 football next season. Today was a vital game. I'm sure Faz Farrell's last words before the teams took the field were along the lines of "Give 100% concentration" yet by half time Forfar were 2-0 ahead and both goals had resulted from downright dozy defending. Ross Forbes had already squandered a golden opportunity presented to him by the Greys (see below) defence by the time his team mate Doherty headed in a free kick after a quarter of an hour whilst the Stranraer players stood around apparently wondering what Santa was going to bring them for Xmas. Chasing a game yet again, Stranraer went to pieces for the next 10 minutes and were just settling down to playing some decent short passes again, instead of the Hoof & Hope that was getting them nowhere, when they fell asleep at a short corner 10 minutes before the break and what looked very much like an own goal had the Loons two goals ahead. Aye, that's definitely a colour clash. Forfar arrived, sensibly given Stranraer play in blue, in their change strip of gold shirts and dark blue shorts. Naebody kens hoo but the home side wore grey and black to make them look more like their opponents than they would have done had they worn their normal shirts. Perhaps they thought the luminous patches on the shoulders would help them to pass to each other. If so, the plan didnae work. Bless the Boys in Grey. They went for it in the second half and Forfar's manager flew into a rage at his side's apparent (to him anyhow) complacency. His mood would not have improved when Robert Jones actually went and scored for Stranraer following a goalmouth scramble and what looked to me suspiciously like a foul on the goalkeeper. He had no need to worry. 2 minutes later Forfar broke down the left and the wee Forbes, who had earlier missed another sitter but is a decent player and seems to be at the heart of most of his team's good work, poached his side's third, killer goal. It was actually the only one that of the 4 they scored that Forfar had to work for; the 4th and final one came when the ball was gormlessly passed back to goalie Max Currie, who, unlike his team mates waiting for a pass in the opposing half, didn't want it. He shanked it into the air and Forfar's Burns collected it, kept his cool, and slotted it into the net to reduce the number of spectators (212 at kick-off) even further. Jones almost immediately headed another but it was too late to make a difference and Forfar are now on their way home with a handy 8 point cushion over Stranraer. The home players also have to take the bus home because most of them live in the Glasgow area; they must be fed up with going back to Gleska in the dark week after week following yet another defeat. At least the home fans get home in time for our tea. As I walked to the car park I saw a woman taking her ferret for a walk on a lead; it has nothing to do with the match but it's not the sort of thing you see every day so is worth a mention. 6 goals and a ferret! If only those goals had been shared in Stranraer's favour it would have made for quite a decent afternoon.
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Post by CC on Dec 22, 2019 19:50:11 GMT
What Stranraer are up against is illustrated by average League attendances now that every team has played at home once against everyone else. It's very painful reading:
League One averages
Falkirk 3,734 Raith Rovers 1,767 Clyde 948 Airdrieonians 931 East Fife 800 Peterhead 734 Dumbarton 710 Montrose 671 Forfar Athletic 630 STRANRAER 349
Stranraer's highest attendance of the season at Stair Park is 549. We are miles behind everyone else and it's only going to get worse if the last two matches are any guide. 274 and 212 would look bad in the Lowland League, which is where the club might as well be as far as most folk in the town are, apparently, concerned.
It looks even worse when we include League 2 as well:
Cove Rangers 736 Elgin City 625 Stirling Albion 578 Queen's Park 532 Stenhousemuir 475 Brechin City 391 Cowdenbeath 373 Annan Athletic 361 Edinburgh City 325 Albion Rovers 283
Only Edinburgh City and Albion Rovers have fewer fans than Stranraer. Annan (population below 9,000) get more. Brechin, bottom of the League after 2 calamitous seasons and from a smaller town still, pull in bigger gates too.
Hello! People of Stranraer. Save your SPFL club and get your miserable arses doon to Stair Park before it's too late!
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Post by CC on Dec 27, 2019 19:32:22 GMT
Some St Mirren supporters have raised cash for charity this month by donating money for every point gained by the Buddies in December. Just as well Stranraer fans aren't doing the same because they would have raised bugger all. The last chance to mark up a point before Hogmanay comes tomorrow afternoon at the Dumbarton Stadium; after 6 League defeats in a row a draw would make a pleasant change but we've reached a stage where draws are no longer enough to keep the Blues in with a chance of escaping the drop. The two sides fought out an entertaining 0-0 draw at Stair Park in October, in which the Sons probably had the better opportunities to score. That's likely to be the case again tomorrow at the uninspiring one-sided stadium by the water. Dumbarton pulled off a fine away win at Raith last week while Stranraer were losing at home to Forfar, and there's no doubt which team will be higher on confidence. Above: Dumbarton's ground might not be anything to write home about, but its position right beneath the Rock certainly is. Below: A packed Kop End watches a corner come to nought during the match between the 2 sides in October. Yes indeed. Dumbarton have changed their kit to one that looks more like their opponents than their regular yellow and black stripes would have done. Expect something equally daft from Stranraer tomorrow. This is the last game before the new transfer window opens and Stevie Farrell has a chance to bring in some new players, and probably say goodbye to some old ones as well. One man who deserves another chance is Robert Jones. The lanky striker is not blessed with bags of pace or skill but he is 6 ft 5 ins tall and last week, in his second game for the club, he managed what no other Stranraer player has done in weeks, when he scored in open play. Just in case we thought it was a fluke he then did it again. Good lad. Get into the penalty box and propel the ball goalwards; that's what we all want our strikers to do. Find a nippy partner for him and just maybe we might begin to notch up a point or two. The best player in the side for weeks now has been Andy Stirling. I don't know why he wears 77 on his back and I wish he wouldn't, but he is a box of tricks and whenever he gets the ball in the opposing half he looks likely to create a chance. The problem has been that his crosses have simply been eaten up by defenders time and time again but if the boy Jones can get on the end of one tomorrow the Dumbarton goalie might have to earn his keep. 'Mon Cleyhole!
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Post by CC on Dec 28, 2019 20:23:16 GMT
At last a point, and a well-earned one after Conor Scullion scores a heartbreaking goal for Dumbarton on 85 minutes. Two minutes later James Hilton, who has normally been substituted by this point of the game, popped up to equalise, and if 1-1 does not do a whole lot for the team's position it does restore some pride. Well done, team!
Today's results in Scots:
Airdrie 1 The Fawkirk 1 Dumbartoun 1 Cleyhole 1 East Fife 3 Raith 5 Farfar 2 Munross 3 Peterheid 2 Clyde 0
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Post by CC on Jan 4, 2020 17:48:41 GMT
After the 3-3 draw against Clyde today, which everyone will know all about already, let's accentuate the positive.
Stranraer are unbeaten so far this year. Indeed, we are on a 2 match unbeaten run. Cameron Elliott has scored 2 goals and there are two new faces in the squad.
That's all, folks.
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Post by CC on Jan 12, 2020 9:32:54 GMT
Since Stranraer were drawn against Rangers in the next round of the Cup fans will have been born, died, had the flu and recovered, become pregnant and grown beards and moustaches. We've had a General Election and Australia has caught fire since James Hilton's penalty kick knocked out Dunfermline way back on 23 November, but now, at last, this week the Cup re-convenes and the Blues get to make that trip to Ibrox, which is going to be an exciting night for all the squad in spite of the inevitability of defeat. Let's hope that, unlike the 1996 Challenge Cup Final triumph, the team remember to bring their socks with them and don't have to borrow a set from the home kit hamper.
Three players have left Stair Park and two signed in since the team's last tie. Sad to say, SFC have not won a single match since the Pars were sent home in disgrace back on that autumn afternoon. Even if Rangers field their reserve side there is no likelihood of them performing as badly as Dunfermline did on that day, but I hope we see some of their best players on show, because otherwise it's all going to be an anti-climax. The switching of the match to Friday night has already spoiled it to some degree. For a start, it removes any chance of me going to the game because the last bus home from Port Rodie leaves at 20 past 5 and I ain't walking home by the side of Loch Ryan in the dark, thanks all the same.
Here's the full fixture list:
Friday
Rangers v Stranraer
Saturday
Aberdeen v Dumbarton Alloa v Inverness CT Arbroath v Falkirk Ayr United v Ross County Bonnyrigg Rose v Clyde Dundee v Motherwell East Kilbride v BSC Glasgow Hamilton v Edinburgh City Hearts v Airdrieonians Kilmarnock v Queen's Park Livingston v Raith Rovers Partick Thistle v Celtic St Johnstone v Greenock Morton St Mirren v Broxburn Athletic
Sunday
Dundee United v Hibernian
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Post by CC on Jan 18, 2020 8:25:11 GMT
Stranraer's ambitions went no further than avoiding an embarrassing thrashing at Ibrox, and the team achieved that limited but pragmatic goal. 2-0 is a respectable scoreline, and it would be remiss not to give special mention to Max Currie for some fine saves, and to Steven Gerrard who sent out an XI that was under strength but still contained a satisfactory smattering of stars.
Rangers' fans must have had a frustrating night, especially in the first half when they missed lots of chances to take the lead and the Wee Blues almost held out till half time. Stranraer left the stadium £250,000 richer, and with pride intact even though they managed not a single shot. Just one would have been a nice memory to take home but it wasnae to be.
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Post by CC on Jan 18, 2020 22:08:59 GMT
It may have happened in Newton Stewart but it counts as a Stair Park Happening even though they never actually tread the hallowed turf. Stranraer Reserves took the South of Scotland League Cup this afternoon, beating runaway League leaders Threave Rovers 3-2 in the Final. Let's hope we see the trophy being shown to the crowd soon. That is, if Stranraer ever play a home match again. It disnae half seem a long time since there was any action in the Park.
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Post by CC on Jan 24, 2020 21:07:59 GMT
There should be another new face in the Stranraer squad, and hopefully in the first team providing an additional attacking threat, as Joao Victoria has signed on loan from Raith. Portuguese Joao was mysteriously released by Airdrieonians last summer and must have been delighted to move to Stark's Park, and to a better club than Airdrie. He will hopefully get an extra buzz tomorrow with a chance to play against the club that didnae want him a year ago. The lad has previously scored a lot of goals for East Kilbride, during the era when Kilby were the best team in the Lowland League and came within a penalty shoot-out of making it into the SPFL. Here's one of them:
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