Kingsmills

Whilst we will be making our own way to Gayfield, what a delight to see the supporters bus running again. A very welcome stride on the road back to normality. Thank you to those who have made it happen

A report from 'a member of the public' sounds a bit iffy to me. Have any other clubs in the league made a formal complaint? If not, it seems to me that the sanction is cruelly harsh particularly bearing in mind the circumstances we are currently live in.

I was more thinking along the lines of 5-2 to us 😁

Happy to settle for the same scoreline as our very first league game all those years ago.

McKay Doran 1st Macgregor

Only greed and self interest stops there being 2 national divisions of either 16 or 18 with North and South regional divisions beneath.

I agree. We were perhaps spoiled by a decade of (almost) unbroken participation in the top tier, numerous semi finals and a couple of national cup finals and an unforgettable foray into Europe. Personally, given time, I believe these sort of times may come again but oscillating between the top and second top tier may be our more natural position given our location, resources and fan base and we have not fared as badly in recent years as similar sized clubs such as Partick, Raith Rovers and Falkirk. For those of us raised on a diet of watching our neigbours, milkmen, PE teachers and firefighters playing part time in the Highland League often for beer money and when beating the likes of Clyde, Albion Rovers or Stirling Albion in the Cup counted as giant killing having a team playing in a half decent stadium, on a full time basis at a reasonable level is still a source of some contentment.

Took me until October. I wish the club had even have been that quick.

A disappointing League Cup group stage is hardly a novelty for us although admittedly this one was more disappointing than most. That said, the league season has not begun, our pre season preparation was severely disrupted and our most experienced forward has yet to kick a ball yet. How about giving the new manager and the players he has recruited a chance before condemning them out of hand.

Thanks. I had, until today, succeeded in wiping that defeat from my memory.

Not surprising since we were drawn in the 'group of death' with footballing giants such as Stirling Albion and Cove Rangers.

Far from convinced that he has any more potential than our own young forwards and I would still like to see another defender.

Remind me, what's a clean sheet ?

I would surprised if we don't sign another defender. Surprised and, more than a little, worried.

I am pretty sure that I must have something important to do in the early evening on Sunday very far away from the nearest TV screen!

Whilst I remain firmly in the give him a chance camp, if we have been neglecting the defence to concentrate on the midfield and attack, it's even more of a concern that it took until injury time to get a goal from only our second shot on target against part time Cove.

Which is a reason, despite these two terrible performances, we should cut the players and head coach some slack for now at least. If, by this time next month, things are looking no better that might be a different matter.

We are notoriously slow starters and I am beginning to forget when we last emerged from the League Cup group stage or were rapidly out of the blocks in the league. I am increasingly convinced that a pre season consisting almost exclusively of kick abouts against Highland league teams is a large part of the problem. I accept that, these days, a trip to Italy or Spain is financially beyond us but surely 10 days or so in the North of England with two or three friendlies against Championship or League One clubs is not out of the question. It would get us far better prepared to start the season and would give a fair few long suffering fans an opportunity to plan a wee Summer break into the bargain.

I agree.I am as unhappy as anyone else and I agree that there is a great deal to be concerned about. However, we are talking about two poor performances, albeit abysmal poor, It is far to early to be calling for a newly appointed head coach to be dismissed or to be condemning two experienced professionals who have signed for the club before the, all important, league campaign begins. There needs to be vast improvement and it needs to be very soon but, especially with fans back in the ground, there needs to be support for the team too. Dodds has indeed much to prove after those two shocking displays but give him a little bit of space and a little bit of time to do so.

.and we have our, now traditional, end of group stage drubbing at Tynecastle to come.

Let me know which match you are talking about and I'll risk a fiver.

Shocking and an embarrassment. Outplayed and outcontested in every department. Our League Cup campaign is over for yet another season before it has properly began. That is immensely disappointing and hugely worrying but not a disaster. What would be a disaster would be to take anything like this form and this attitude into the league season The Championship is going to be highly competitive this season and this form, or anything like it is relegation form and not the form of a side competing at the right end of the league table. We can't afford a slow start to the league season. Billy Dodds, the board and the majority of fans put their faith in you only a matter of weeks ago. Get it sorted and get it sorted without delay.

For the second game in succession, we find ourselves two goals down to a part time team from a lower division. I was prepared to look on the Stirling game as an aberration. Unless we turn it round in the second half, it is beginning to look far more serious and concerning than that.

The referee was not brilliant but the loss was absolutely not down to any failings on the part of the officials. We played poorly, we took penalties poorly and got what we deserved.

Obviously disappointing and unacceptably slack and complacent in the first half hour. No doubt a bad day at the office with the defence being exposed for more than just the two goals that went in. However, it was only our second competitive match after a disrupted pre season so I am not inclined to read too much into it regards our prospects for the season. Much better expected next time out though.