The Mantis

Peterhead @2.05 please…

Since Michael Ruth went off injured we can only hope his chances of recovery are about the same as the pitch…

What’s the source though? I mean it could just as easily be somebody in The Mallard

Ed City @2.2 please

It’ll be a real shock if they do. Arbroath will have their tails up after losing yesterday. Can’t imagine how crushed Annan must feel after putting so much into yesterday’s rollercoaster and getting nothing. It was certainly entertaining for us on the terracing following it on our phones A different story at 4.55 or thereabouts compared to half time. We were very poor first half although as Kell says we had the best two chances. Defensively, Devine and Savage were in total control and Kelty, minus Cunningham, never really looked like breaking us down. Will be interesting to see Kelty’s penalty claim on the highlights. Second half we started at a decent tempo with Bray and Longstaff causing a lot of problems down the right, and you could feel the pressure building. We spurned a few chances before finally scoring. We might have tied the game up as we then had to endure a nervy few minutes at the end, during which Devine and Savage were both booked. Meanwhile the Annan game, which was a few minutes ahead of us, ticked on past the 97 minute mark. Thought Billy was more effective in his deeper role than in recent weeks and very happy that nobody snapped up Charlie in the transfer window. He even avoided a booking this week…

Stenny v Arbroath DRAW @3.3 please

I think the story with the Championship on a Friday night is 2 home games each making 20 games. As CaleyD says there doesn’t seem to be any such arrangement for Lge 1. Pretty obvious the no. of appearances correlates strongly with the league table.

Stirling @2.1 please

Oh dear. Game off. Lucky I never bought any train tickets today…

92nd minute equaliser for Cove made it an acceptable result for us.

This is what happens when you spend too much time amongst the gudgies.

I missed the Cove game at home but that’s the first time this season I’ve seen us comprehensively hammered. Arbroath are the best side I’ve seen, quite physical in defence and midfield and quick on the break. They’ve added the boy Penman on loan from St. Mirren and Sam Stanton from Raith. Mind you, we were the better side for the first 25 till they scored from a set piece. Very few pass marks for us. Remi Savage had possibly his worst game. Keith Bray played like Wallace Duffy, I.e. turned and passed back to Danny every time, whether through lack of confidence or tactics, who knows. Charlie got his usual booking. The Arbroath highlights are good but don’t show all the chances Alfie Bavidge had, except the one late on, nor Billy hitting the post at 2-0. Músa had at least 2 amazing stops in the first half though. With Annan winning we’re back to where we were a few weeks ago with only 12 games left. Montrose have dropped to 8th but with a game in hand so it’s anybody’s guess which one we can catch first. On to Stenny and a much needed 3 home points. Baffling that they’re top considering they were about as poor as Annan last time we played them.

Cammy Harper bit is great. I’ll save Bav for the way home

Lovely day here in Aberbrothick. That’s a great interview with Cammy Harper on the TWS podcast, great way to pass a train journey. Kudos @RedCard

This is a much needed dose of reality. Even by the less than scientific method of "my gut feeling" I would predict us reeling in Annan and probably Montrose, in the (only) 13 games that are left. Anything else is a bonus. We're inclined to get carried away after a couple of good results anyway, then get brought down to earth. Arbroath have made some quality signings and Saturday will be a stiff test that'll show how far we've come. (Against that, Stenny are top and yet we murdered them the other week. We also have 10 wins which only the top 3 have matched)

That’s fair enough if you’re aiming at 8th place. If you’re aiming higher, Montrose lost on to Gayfield next week…

Yes I saw that article yesterday. I was just saying at the game yesterday that he’ll be 30 next month…

Saw them on Thursday in Glasgow so at least my missus has ticked them off the bucket list. A sellout at the Emirates and it was a real buzz. A bit of a one trick pony at times but I think Boydie is a fine guitarist. Edit- forgot to mention. The support act was The Seeger Sessions Revival. 13 piece would you believe, and excellent.

Never a dirty game but Alloa led us on bookings 4-1 before we came back to 4-4 but they snatched it with a last minute card Should have been out of sight at ht. Bavidge was probably poorer than usual but was unlucky when his drive came off the inside of the post. Paid for it within a minute of the restart and Alloa had a good spell for 15 minutes when we could have conceded. Any worries about tiredness after all the long away trips soon evaporated as we took control and forced corner after corner. Billy had a good chance but his legs gave up on him, then Stewart grabbed the winner, in a game where he started to show a bit of overdue class. What a player Keith Bray is. What a support we have right now.

Stirling v Bonnyrigg DRAW @23/10 pls.

Yes indeedy. Suits him too. Can we keep Devine, Savage, Longstaff, Gilmour in the transfer window. If so it looks bright. Annan is a hoor o a trek even from the "Parochial Kailyard", never mind the Sneck. Any word on whether Longstaff will be fit for Tuesday?

Yeah, lucky for us that Annan are also out. No midweek trek, just changed the train tickets at the cost of an extra tenner.

You’ll probably finish above Annan though.

Covered spaces doesn’t mean seats even up to Silver. They’ve still got that covered end, yes? That must take 500 although 346 would be enough. https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/9978/sfa-club-licensing-manual-2023.pdf (page 34) Anyway, as @Scotty pointed out, it’s the admin event that has downgraded us, not the stadium, so it’s all academic (Edit- We’re possibly at cross-purposes here. I’m talking about the administration period. Apologies if you mean a permanent move away from Caley Stadium).