Visit to the Hedge

[Yngwie]

We lost 2-1 to a late strike, very much against the run of play, but we simply weren't very good.

Highlights:

- a cleared ball landed on top of the hedge and got stuck there. Man with ladder appeared half an hour later and eventually managed to retrieve it

- Foran was excellent in central defence

- nice sunset on the way home

Lowlights:

- we failed miserably to create chances

- ymip's 3 year old girl got her bottle of water confiscated by a steward. Utterly pathetic.

[ymip]

Just back from the game. I was trying to update from match but was having problems logging on.

What can I say........pretty dire stuff from start to finish. Brechin opened brightly and created a good few chances. The first half was heading for stalemate when the ball broke to G. Shinnie in the box and he lashed it home. We went in one up but I would say that was very fortunate.

Second half was equally unmemorable. Brechin pulled one back and then got the winner late on. I'm struggling to think of anything else worthy of comment - it was that bad.

I went along quite enthusiastic after reports of our Coventry performance but saw very little to suggest we are ready for a long hard SPL season. I would suggest Terry was far from impressed with our performance either.

Worryingly Cooper limped off just before half-time which is a worry giving the dearth of fit defenders at our disposal.

Starting line-up; Esson, Cooper, Meekings, Foran, G. Shinnie, Sutherland, Draper, Jones, Dorran, A. Shinnie, McKay

Subs used: Laing, Pepper, Polworth, Oswell, Morrison, Ross

Many thanks to the Steward who confiscated a bottle of water from my 3 year old daughter. He'd obviously clocked her as a potential troublemaker. Mind boggling jobs worth who'd previously mucked us about in the car park. I trust he'll be as brave with he NewCo hordes on Sunday.

[Alex MacLeod]

Starting line-up was

Esson

Cooper Meekings Foran G. Shinnie

Sutherland, Draper, OTJ, Doran

A. Shinnie, Mckay

Lost track of all the subs though. We played some good football again but, as I said on saturday, we just didn't seem to have a plan in the final third. We started very well and controlled the game for the most part. G. Shinnie scored and we continued to play a very good passing game though at times some of the passes went to Brechin feet. Brechin got a penalty for a well timed dive and scored. In the last ten minutes Brechin went all out for the win and got it. They are actually a very good side and I can see them doing well this season. They are all fired up for the game on Sunday and that showed in their desire to go all out for the winner tonight.

As for us there is a lot of promise but like many others have said Shane is not a winger. Cooper had a decent game before he was replaced just before half time by Martin Laing. Martin is a promising looking lad. Fights for everything and has a lot of pace. Also has good vision. OTJ also had a decent game. A. Shinnie is the standout though. Others that caught my eye and who will be big players in time are Connor Pepper and the lad Oswell.

Though we got beat tonight I wouldn't let my head go down. It was a friendly with something like seven substitutions but it had a lot of positives. We need to work on our final third game though.

At the moment I'm not disheartened by the defeat.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Alex MacLeod

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Well that was certainly how to come down to earth with a feckin bump but let's hope it is also a wake up call - but there are some worrying weaknesses. And nobody should come up with the excuse that it was only a friendly etc. TB was clearly up fer this given the amount of shouting that he did and when they equalised we practically went to a full feckin press. There was no doubt whatsoever that we really wanted to win this, Sure it didn't look the best of playing surfaces, it is a tight pitch and they were a stuffy wee team who played 7-8defensively most of the time and they did surprisingly last the pace well.

Ii is all very well plaing nice football but our final ball was mostly woefully misfit or misplaced and we looked like a selection of Ray feckin Wilkins. We either tried to lob the defence to use McKay's pace or cut the ball back to the 18yard line which became obvious and blocked. The lack of a forward line and a holding centre forward was clear as day. We tried to pass the feckin ball in to the net !! i will give you my answer after a detailed breakdown individually.

ESSON ### Didnt really have that much to do and couldn't be faulted fer either goal but his kicking was poor tonite.

COOPER ## Went off injured early doors but looked like a wee knock. Having said that he wasn't having the best of games and lost his man on 2-3 occasions - being saved by Foran.

FORAN #####. A feckin master class in the art of sweeping. He was inspirational

MEEKINGS ###. OK but he doesn't do it for me as a centrall defender.He was solid enuff but again he had Forana running the show beside him.

G.SHINNIE ### Superb first 45 capped by the goal (was it his rite foot ?). He was solid at the back and was a real danger going forward, especially when inter passing with his bruvver. Seemed to be affected by Doran practically playing as a left winger in the second half and rarely attacked.

TUDOR-JONES. ###. Nice to see him back but he was gingerish in the tackle which is understandable. Clearly needs more games under his belt and those are running out.

DRAPER. ####. I thought that he had improved from Saturday. He is going to be a really good holding player and did pick out a pass or two tonite.

SUTHERLAND ##. Sorry but I thought that the Hedge had a more movement. I can see what TB is thinking now - he ain't the new Hayes he is the new Foran as that was the role he was given tonite -except he ain't Richie Foran either. Wide left and Ryan aiming 70-80% kicks at his head fer the flick on. Shane got a touch to one of them. And most his passes when backwards and not even feckin sideways. The poor lad is in the Proctor confidence trap. He actually played better later on when he came off the wing.

Doran ## Well he reminded me of Jonny Hayes tonite - Flattering to deceive although he did have some nice touches. AsIsaid before Idont know why he played all his time in the second hand on the left as that appeared to affect GS

SHINNIE,A. ###. He put in a great feckin shift with some lovely touches but where was he playing. he was almost the playmaker and 15-20 yards further back than he needed to be and left McKay isolated most of the time.

McKay. ###. Again put in a great shift but he was caught offside too often although the through balls were also delayed as well. He simply does not have the physique or the strength to take on the lone striker role.

Lots of substitutes - I will stick to comments on those that I felt made an impact :

Nick Ross went wide right and that is where and when we looked the most dangerous and were looking to hit the feckin bye line. I realy like the boy Oswell and he is going to be a good one but he ain't built up enuff for the SPL yet and he isn't that good in the air - but he does have skill and pace and an eye for goal. Connor Pepperpot is a wee feckin dynamo a who will be a good sub. At least he tried a feckin shot on goal when he had an opportunity and he was praised by TB for doing so.

So what to do ?? To begin with where the feck are Warren, Raven and King. Are they going to be ready as that looked like TB's team fer Midden. Foran will be fine at the back if needed but fire him back up on the left. Worried that we are going to go fer Jones and Draper as we only need one of them. Either put Shinnie in central mi and gamble on Oswell or what about McKay rite and Foran and Shinnie up front ?

[Yngwie]

We must have had 65% possession but couldn't do anything with it in the final third. Our only clearcut chance was a Doran cutback to Mackay, inspace on the 6 yard line, who side footed straight at the keeper when it looked easier to score.

A few times in the 2nd half there was a scream from the bench of "KEEP THE BALL!" when anyone did anything that resulted in us losing possession, so it's hardly surprising that the players were being so patient and cautious. Only Pepper had a direct approach.

Really disappointed with the attacking performance, and on this showing it's hard to see where the goals are going to come from. The moves just weren't coming off for A Shinnie, but I recall that's how he started last season and then it all came together for him.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

That cut back was from either Ross or Laird as Doran was glued to the left or does he suffer from Hedgophobia ?

[Yngwie]

ESSON :lol: Didn't do anything wrong.

COOPER :lol: Started hobbling at 40 mins and got taken off a few minutes later.

FORAN :lol: :lol: Man of the Match by miles. Class.

MEEKINGS :lol: Pretty solid defending

G.SHINNIE :lol: Up and down the park all evening.

TUDOR-JONES. :lol: Obviously not fully recovered but tidy enough.

DRAPER. :lol: We need a bigger contribution from that position but its early days.

SUTHERLAND :lol: Not a winger!

DORAN :lol: Couple of neat crosses. But didn't run at anyone til the 2nd half.

SHINNIE,A. :lol: A few touches of class but still failed to get the better of part time defenders

MACKAY :lol: Missed a sitter, and that's about it.

Sub LAING: :lol: Our weakest player but out of position at right back.

[Yngwie]

That cut back was from either Ross or Laird as Doran was glued to the left or does he suffer from Hedgophobia ?

Ah, maybe it was Shane? It was long before all the substitutions anyway.

[Guest Mahonio]

I hope you daughter is ok ymip, that is just crazy from the Steward, how the hell can a 3yr old look like a "troublemaker".

[gordieict]

Didn't get overly excited by the win over Coventry and not going to get disheartened by this loss, pre season friendlies are all about fitness and bonding. I do feel that some people got a bit carried away by the Coventry win and we will know how we are looking 5-6 games into the season.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Report (sort of) from the Scotsman....

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-two/brechin-city-2-1-inverness-ct-brechin-take-spl-scalp-ahead-of-rangers-tie-1-2430473

Both Brechin goals from McKenna - running at about 50 from 200 appearances - that is the type of strike rate we could do with from somebody at the moment

[Yngwie]

There was a TV crew there but I don't know which broadcaster it was. They interviewed Terry pre-match.

[Alex MacLeod]

There was a TV crew there but I don't know which broadcaster it was. They interviewed Terry pre-match.

I take it it was Sky. They showed highlights of the goals on Skysports News last night.