Listen Laddie, ye can spend big bucks at Chelsea or ye can win great things with Arbroath - Choose!

[Brian of Nazareth]

Of course nothing is as straightforward as it seems and Scott like Gregor was asking for £400 per week which was never going to happen. Sensini was the highest paid player here easily and he was on £275. Scott though at least acted with decorum and he was much more willing to accept lower demands. On the pitch McGlashan and Feroz were back from their niggling injuries in time for our midweek second round game with Berwick in the Challenge Cup second round.

More changes were made for the Berwick game with Feroz a starter along with Grant, Gardner, Forrest McMillan and Andy Dow at left back. The first half was a tight affair again as we battled hard and made steady work of the Berwick front line. On half time we scored through Craig Feroz , his first goal for Arbroath, as he tucked home Swankie’s knock back from Gardner’s long throw. In the second half we were on top and Feroz almost scored again but missed the goal by 2 feet when put through by Gardner. That was Jim’s last touch though as he soon went down under a fierce challenge to be replaced by Robbie Campbell on the left. Cusick and Pirie also came on to rest Connaghan and Swankie. Those fresh legs simply ensured we were able to continue to dominate but we couldn’t fashion any further late chances and we were through to the third round after a solitary goal was enough.

It’s typical I thought, as I lay my feet on desk that evening, that our best cup run so far comes when we’re relegated. As I continued to ponder about our ability this season a ring from the fax machine awoke me. Christison was telling me Dundee United had faxed an offer of 14k for Ross Currie and would I be interested in thinking about it. It was a tough one. Currie has been a great lad when he’s played for me and I like him in my squad for that extra option but on the other hand the money will open up an opportunity for me to maybe bring someone in, in an area that we struggle more. Paul Dirno has played well in defence so far too. With that in mind I faxed a negotiated fee back to Christison. 24k and a 10% sell on would be enough. Andy Scott mind was proving more problematic. He was refusing our offers whilst Henslee had agreed his side of the bargain. I’m hoping he’ll now agree to our highest offer possible. Then when he signs and we pick up 6k for Henslee I’ll slap him straight on the transfer list. Well that’s my plan anyway. In the Challenge Cup we’ve been handed another home tie although we’ll be facing a much sterner test with St. Mirren coming to visit.

***

Finally Scott agrees to join us and the Henslee deal goes ahead at last and with that I’m offering the striker to a host of clubs agreed between me and Steve Kirk. We’re only asking for £1,000 for him anyway. I’m not having that lump wasting any of our money. Later that afternoon Christison gets back to me on the Currie bid. Dundee have acceded to my requests and Currie will discuss terms. I wish the boy well if he decides to move, although currently he is still undergoing a Physiotherapy course which is going to run for a further 6 weeks. That evening though I unhappily received a phone call from the hospital in Edinburgh. Robbie Campbell had been involved in a car accident and will miss 2 months of action for us which is a real shame for the lad and the club. I’ll have to have a chat with the boy when I have a spare moment. However, Jim Gardner and Gary Bowman are perfectly capable alternatives.

As the side took to the field on the 16th to face Queens Park Ross Currie told me in person he’d agreed his move to Dundee United. I wish the lad well. However I had to pick a side for a Queens Park side that lost 4-1 to Brechin but beat Dumbarton 4-0 so it’s tough to tell what they’ll be like. Cusick, Sensini, Connaghan and Florence are protecting Hinchcliffe whilst in our 5 man midfield we have Swankie, McAulay McMillan Feroz and Gardner. Heenan is the forward. Andy Scott has a place on the bench.

As per usual this season our defence is solid as we dominate at that end easily enough but we have to work on our finishing. Gavin Swankie had a prime chance to score early on but his shot missed narrowly. The way we play chances do not come our way often so it’s imperative we take what we can. After a goalless first half we pushed up in the second. Then after dominating the entire second half it was infuriating to see David Menelaws 88th minute break away goal win it. That’s 11 shots to their 1, and we screwed up. The attack was an absolute joke today and I’ll be looking to use what spare change I have to improve it.

Soon after that we have a midweek clash again in the Challenge Cup with another home game against St. Mirren. We’ve enjoyed the Cup so far, and aside from the shocking game just gone against Queens Park, our home record so far is stable. With the Gayfield faithful cheering us on we have every chance. The defence was unchanged whilst Gary Bowman and John McGlashan replaced McMillan and Gardner. Kevin Heenan took up his strikers role again.

Another solid first half of football saw us go into the break all square. St. Mirren had lost Paul McHale to injury but we were more than matching them, whilst Sensini was sensational at the back. Then after half time, sub John McAulay latched on to a poor goal kick from Ludovic Roy to fire us into the lead and the 4769 crowd were mostly delighted. After bringing on Pirie and Gardner for Swankie and Bowman we managed to hold the lead as it was until the 91st minute. Where we scored again. Kevin Heenan was set up a treat by Jim Gardner from the left and it was a simple finish. 2-0 winners and we were into the next round! If we can transfer our cup form to the league we’ll be doing excellently.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Of course to do well in the league you need to score goals, sort of one of the whole aims of the sport. We need strengthening in this department fast. I’m currently skimming through the bulletins on the SFA website where clubs put players either up for sale or loan. A few inquiries were made on Wednesday night, the same night that Rangers confirmed their Champions League place from the qualifiers and also too that when Iceland kept up the pressure on Scotland and Germany with a 3-0 win over the Faroes. Another letter from the SFA gave notice of our latest opponents in the Challenge Cup. Inverness Caledonian Thistle are visiting Gayfield next Tuesday. Another home draw for us then! August is looking like an exceptionally busy month.

On Friday 22nd the agents for Fabrizio Ravanelli and Andrei Kanchelskis told me where I could shove it whilst St. Mirren accepted my bid for Mark Roberts. I doubt he will come in all honesty and I only bid due to St. Mirrens financial difficulties. However if Mark does decide to join he will be taking an enormous £800 cut in his pay. A few potential loanees are currently deciding whether to join. Motherwell though have sold Stephen Pearson to Spurs for a shade less than £1 million.

Saturday came and it was a trip to newly promoted Albion Rovers. Eddie Forrest came in for a tired Sensini in an otherwise unchanged defence. Gardner and Swankie flanked Heenan with Spink McAulay and McGlashan in the central spots. The first half was a tough encounter with Albion putting us under the cosh for a fair while. However we held out for a 0-0 half time score.

After the break it was nice to see us more attack minded and after Kevin Heenan missed an absolute sitter it was nice to see us score a minute later. Gardner picked up a poor goal kick and he threaded it through for Kevin Heenan to finish. From then on it was one way traffic. Hinchcliffe and Spink soon provided Kevin with two further chances to score before he finally did again. Winning the ball in his own half John McGlashan sent the ball long for Heenan to chase. He duly did, shook off a defender and fired home a brilliant effort to effectively seal the contest. Dirno, McMillan and Andy Scott all came on late to save legs, I still can’t get rid of Scott but the game was over without any further action. An excellent away win which hopefully can be the boost to go on a decent winning run.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Not long after that match there was little time to prepare before a return to the Challenge Cup. Paul Brownlie gave Kevin Heenan a rest, whilst Sensini, Dirno, Cargill and Feroz all made returns to the side. A solid first half display again saw us dominate and after Wyness missed an open goal for ICT we hit on the break to score following fine work by Andy Cargill that allowed Jim Gardner the time and space to shoot into the roof of the net. The crowd were ecstatic – we seem to love this Cup! The second half continued in this vein as Sensini repelled any ICT threat and helped set up chances for Paul and Craig. Eventually we did score a decisive second after a few subs had been made, when Andy Cargill’s through ball allowed substitute Kevin Heenan, for Brownlie, a run on goal and a chance he didn’t miss. In the final minute it was dream land as another sub, Gavin Swankie, used his freshness to beat the despondent Caley’s to send a ball in for Spink. The midfielder hit the cross bar but Heenan was there again to seal a fantastic victory! Confidence is certainly high at Gayfield.

After that fine victory I soon learned that our finalists in October would be Hearts, who comfortably won 3-0 over Queens Park thanks to Mark de Vries. I am amazed that we have managed to reach the final here, and utterly delighted as well. I’d even been able to rest a few legs and win. Sensini was MoM despite being subbed for McMillan late on, as he blocked all ICT’s route to goal. I suspect the Herald may start kicking up a fuss about our form of late, especially in the cup.

In transfer news, Mark Roberts called off negotiations but we’ve placed another bid for him. Further loan bids have been faxed through to the two Dundee clubs as they have a few players who might be worth looking at. The Herald also reported Chelsea’ £400,000 purchase of Heart’s key figure Kevin McKenna. Kevin had been in inspiring form as Walter Smith seeks to take Hearts straight back up to the SPL.

As August nears it’s conclusion we have one more game to go and it’s a home tie with Ross County also relegated with us last season. The only change to the starting line up is Kevin Heenan starting in place of Craig Feroz, the slot behind Paul Brownlie. Well this season so far we have been known to keep a clean sheet by half time in every game until half time but although we conceded one in this half the fact we scored 3 made up for it! The fans had their money’s worth this afternoon for sure.

Andy Cargill was once again heavily involved in all 3 of our goals. First off though Paul Brownlie finished a superb move off after 18 minutes when he slid in to meet Cargill’s corner. 3 minutes level and it was 1-1 as David Hannah capitalised on a slip from Connaghan to fire past Hinchcliffe. 5 minutes later and our lead was restored as Kevin Heenan beat the offside trap to collect an excellent pass from Jim Gardner to shoot low beyond Tony Bullock. The crowd were cheering again and they were 5 minutes later as Jim Gardner got in on the act following superb one touch passing that involved Brownlie, Heenan and Cargill. It was a beautiful goal that I’m sure even Ross County boss Dave Mosson appreciated.

The second half was even better as we managed to surpass Gardner’s goal with an even better one on the hour. It was samba time at Gayfield. Hinchcliffe rolled the ball out to Paul Dirno at right back, who passed across to Sensini and then Connaghan whose sharp vision picked out Gardner on the left. Gardner checked inside to McAulay who played across to the impressive Cargill. Hounded down by County players, he then chipped forward a delicately weighted pass that Paul Brownlie ran on to and finished into the top corner. It was a magical stuff. With 15 minutes to go, and after I’d made my usual leg saving subs, Jim Gardner hit County on the counter attack and picked out Paul Brownlie again. The forwards first effort was blocked by the advancing Bullock but calmly he collected the rebound and slotted into an empty net. An excellent hat-trick and the fans were in full voice. Ross County were supposed to be one of the big contenders for the title and here we were utterly thrashing them. That’s how it stayed and as MoM Brownlie led the side off the pitch they were greeted by a standing ovation. It was a fantastic effort and was a great way to round the month off.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Results

Sat 02/08 Arbroath 0 Airdrie United 0

Tues 05/08 CC Arbroath 3 Cowdenbeath 1. Brown 8, Swankie pen 92 Heenan s/o 115 McAulay 118

Sat 09/08 Stranraer 0 Arbroath 0

Tues 12/08 CC Arbroath 1 Berwick 0 Feroz

Sat 16/08 Arbroath 0 Queens Park 1 Menelaws 88.

Tues 19/08 CC Arbroath 2 St. Mirren 0 McAulay 54 Heenan 90

Sat 23/08 Albion Rovers 0 Arbroath 2 Heenan 48 ,74

Tues 26/08 CC Arbroath 3 ICT 0 Gardner 39 Heenan 83, 89

Sat 30/08 Arbroath 5 Ross County 1 Brownlie 18, Hannah 22, 60, 74 Heenan 27 Gardner 33 [/i]

Transfers In

Andy Scott – 22y/o forward – make weight in departure of Greg Henslee – moody.

Transfers Out

Ross Currie- Dundee Utd 24k 22 y/o D/DMRC 16 Starts plus 3 subs.

Greg Henslee – Stranraer 6k +p/exch 2 games, 4 subs, 1 assist

Table after 5 games

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Team W D L F A GD Pts

1. Queens Park 4 0 1 11 6 +5 12

2. Stranraer 3 1 1 11 5 +6 10

3. Ross County 3 1 1 9 7 +2 10

4. Brechin 3 0 2 12 10 +2 9

5. Arbroath 2 2 1 7 2 +5 8

6. Aidrie United 2 1 2 7 5 +2 7

7. Albion Rovers 2 0 3 6 12 -6 6

8. Berwick 1 2 2 6 8 -2 5

9. Stenhousemuir 1 0 4 5 9 -4 3

10. Dumbarton 0 1 4 4 14 -10 1

</pre>

[Jambo_4eva]

Still a really consistent and great story Roddy - and am still blushing about being including in the 'declaration of Arbroath'

Ross Currie - I signed him in my game

[Brian of Nazareth]

thanks Currie's a good player, just needed to raise funds

September Review

Fixtures:

Wed 10/9 H v Stenhousemuir LC, Sat 13/9 A v Berwick, Sat 20/9 H v Stenhousemuir, Sat 29/9 A v Brechin

August was an excellent month for us, although also quite a tiring one as we managed to fit in 10 games in all! We lie well placed in the table with my only disappointment, and many other fans I suspect being the defeat by Queens Park. Since then, the threat of new forwards to the club has worked wonders with Paul Brownlie and Kevin Heenan in superb form ably supported by Andy Cargill and Jim Gardner. Robbie Campbell could find life difficult once he regains full fitness!

Elsewhere I’m back haggling over the phone with ICT about a possible bid for their striker Steven Hislop but it sadly fell through after ICT asked for a tad too much money, and they disliked the idea of having to pay for whoremonger Andy Scotts ridiculous wages. Duncan McLean is coming on loan though as added strength up front from Dundee. He is a powerful forward who will certainly play a role with us this year. Last season he was with Peterhead on a season loan, scoring 10 goals from 40 appearances. I’m sure he’ll better that record whilst with us – even if he is only with us until February where we will assess the situation further. If all goes well he might come on a permanent basis. His arrival was well timed too as sadly Gavin Swankie has twisted his ankle badly and it will take 3 months to heal properly. I feel for the lad who has been giving his all for us recently. However there’s always a silver lining – and ours is Duncan who arrived in time beating the deadline which sadly put paid to my plans to get rid of Scott. Ah well he can pester Roddy and Jake in the reserves.

In the awards I was delighted to finally receive a hand written – not another automated message – from the SFA who awarded me with the Manager of the Month Award for August – another addition to adorn my desk. I must say it is a very gratifying feeling when hard work is appreciated. I do have to dedicate it to my players though as it is they really who won the games, and qualified for a Cup final in October. Berwick Rangers Martin Neil and John Fallon of Stranraer picked up the Player and Young Player awards respectively.

As the International weekend dawned, with me sneaking down south to watch England play at Macedonia before returning in time for our League Cup clash with Stenhousemuir whilst my friends get England at Old Trafford. I’d expect the Scots to enjoy the weekend with a home tie with the Faroes to contend with first, at least guaranteeing them 3 points. David McInally returned from injury after a lengthy lay off but he could be back into action soon than I expected following injuries to Dirno, Cargill and Ritchie. The local sanatorium reckons no longer than 1 month out for the reckless trio.

It was a triumphant round of Internationals on Saturday as Scotland slaughtered the Faroes 6-0 with goals from Barry Nicholson, Barry Ferguson, Gary Caldwell and Steven Hughes. England, courtesy of Michael Owen and Darius Vassell kept me happy with a 4-1 win. Germany’s victory over Iceland meant they were in the play offs, but also giving the Scots a bit of breathing space over the Icelanders. Turkey’s win over Liechtenstein means England and Turkey are level on points – with England playing the Liechtenstein’s as their game in hand.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Returning on Wednesday we had a League Cup tie with opponents we would also be facing in the league at Gayfield soon after. McInally though came down with a chest bug moments before the game, but it’s quite a serious one though and on doctor’s orders he’s on medication for the next 3 weeks! He has been sent home to recover quietly, lest the bug be contagious. New loanee Duncan started from the bench as the side pretty much selected itself as our injury curse begins to haunt us once more, although the side is pretty much full strength.

The first half saw a return to normality as it ended all square, paling in excitement compared to the last game here! However for me the important factor was not to lose players to injury again. We were already in one Cup Final – that’s excitement enough for one season. Sensini, Gardner and Brownlie all made way in the second half for McMillan Bowman and McLean as we sought to end the tie standing up. However as the tie wore on I was getting very concerned about the prospect of extra time and the effects it could have on the side. However in a late attack by us Cusick sent a ball forward for Bowman to chase. He duly did and laid the ball back for superb central midfielder Darren Spink to lash home from 25 yards. It was an excellent strike and it almost brought the house down such was the level of cheering emanating from our loyal followers.

Germany’s 3-0 victory over Scotland dampened celebrations somewhat but they still held a strong position in the qualifiers, 3 points ahead of Iceland with 1 remaining. Michael Ballack was the difference between the sides, bagging two very well taken goals according to reports. England as expected defeated Liechtenstein so only a high scoring Turkey win in Istanbul would send England into the play offs. Before I had a chance to set off home for some R n’ R , A phone call from John Christison let me know we’d be facing Airdrie United in the second round but sadly for the first time this year we would be away from home in the cup, playing at New Broomfield.

On Saturday for our trip to Berwick it was an unchanged side, save for Brownlie and Heenan switching roles. That paid off after 12 minutes as Paul Brownlie nodded home a McGlashan centre. That goal was only an equaliser though as David Robertson had given Berwick a 2nd minute lead, taking advantage of confusion in our penalty area. However our good form continued as Paul Brownlie struck again to the delight of the tiny away following, and our bench. Darren Spink’s free kick finding Brownlie in space to volley home past a hapless Neil Inglis. Before the half was out we had made it 3 as our evident superiority showed. A break away down the right led to a quick passing movement involving Heenan and McGlashan, the ball was then swiftly moved to the left of the field where an unmarked Jim Gardner struck another astonishingly powerful shot from 25 yards into the roof of the net.

Unfortunately that game also saw another injury. John McGlashan pulled his groin and will take 4 weeks of rest and maybe another week on top to recover fully and regain fitness. In midweek whilst Ayr were disposing of Gretna in the League Cup I was comforting a distraught Steve Florence who was lying prone on a hospital bed with some morphine at hand whilst doctors were working on his fractured collarbone that happened after falling off a ladder at home. The poor man would miss 3 months of football and my selections sadly became even easier with absolutely no competition. However we are certainly strong enough for this league as our recent victory proved.

Lee Walker added to my injury worries again as the young right back managed to injure himself whilst training all on his own. It’s taking the smegging wee this. As we prepare to take on Stenhousemuir for the second time in 10 days I have to put Innes Ritchie as an emergency left back despite the giant having absolutely no left foot whatsoever. I pray that our visitors don’t find that out too early. McLean gets a start up front with Brownlie moving to the right wing.

The first half almost saw Duncan open his account early on but then Kevin Heenan was forced off injured. I’m losing my mind at the moment. Craig Feroz took his place. Darren Spink cheered up the crowd and Steve and myself by grabbing the opening goal from a Jim Gardner cross before Duncan’s incessant pressure forced Brian Crawford into an embarrassing mistake, heading past his own keeper from another Gardner corner. 2-0 at the break and I’d be looking to make subs at some point to prevent further injuries. Eddie Forrest soon replaced Sensini and Gary Bowman saved Jim Gardner from doing any damage to himself with 25 minutes remaining. Duncan had a late one v one shot saved late on but our lead was never under threat as I ordered all the lads to just take it easy for the final few minutes to secure another solid home win.

[Brian of Nazareth]

The board are happy with the way things are going at the moment but I still find their mid table ambition slightly bizarre. If we get further injuries we could have to settle for that but I hope not. Heenan had picked up a knee injury in the game, meaning a 3 week lay off for one of my star men. Fortunately Andy Dow was back available to play there.

In midweek we had the second round of the League to contend with. Gary Gow, Andy Dow ( for Heenan ), Craig Feroz ( Paul Brownlie ), Kenny McMillan (Spink) Eddie Forrest (Sensini) and Paul Farquharson ( Gardner ) came in as I tried to rest who I could. No need to pick up avoidable injuries.

In a tight first half no goals were scored as we looked to ease into the game gently. No-one was to overdo themselves tonight that was an order. In the second half I subbed Connaghan ( McAulay ) and McMillan (Bowman) to save legs. McLean could have won it for us with 10 minutes to go but instead Jerome Vareille stole it for Airdrie in the last minute. On play it was unjust but I’m not unduly upset. It’s one less competition to get injured in and we’re already in the final of one.

Papers will say players out there had a poor game but for me they did what I wanted. Take it easy, don’t risk anything and see what happens. The fact we came close to winning is good enough for me.

The players rested were in all in superb shape for the trip to Brechin. Sensini replaced Connaghan, Hinchcliffe came back as did Paul Brownlie Jim Gardner and Darren Spink. The first half did not go well for us. Brechin took a deserved lead through Graham Gibson before McLean left the field injured – WHY! To be replaced by John McAulay. Brownlie returned up front. Sadly we didn’t get into the game after that and even after a roasting at half time the players were always second best to the home side and I could not complain when Graeme Holmes scored in the second half. For once our defence was having a shocker. The game ended 2-0 to Brechin and we deserved it. A poor game through out the field but nevertheless we are still well placed in the league. When our players return to fitness I’ll be happy though.

Results

Wed 10/09 LC Arbroath 1 Stenhousemuir 0 Spink 90

Sat 13/09 Brechin 1 Arbroath 3 Robertson 2, Brownlie 13,16 Gardner 36

Sat 20/09 Arbroath 2 Stenhousemuir Spink 33 Crawford O.G

Tues 23/09 Airdrie 1 Arbroath 0 Vareille 90.

Sat 27/09 Brechin 2 Arbroath Gibson 24, Holmes 64

Transfers in

Duncan McLean 20 y/o Striker

Table after 8 games

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

[

Team W D L F A GD Pts

1. Ross County 6 1 1 20 7 +13 19

2. Arbroath 4 2 2 12 5 +7 14

3. Aidrie United 4 2 2 11 6 +5 14

4. Stranraer 4 1 3 15 13 +2 13

5. Queens Park 4 1 3 13 13 0 13

6. Brechin 4 0 4 13 14 -1 12

7. Albion Rovers 3 1 4 10 18 -8 10

8. Stenhousemuir 3 0 5 13 13 0 9

9. Berwick 1 3 4 8 14 -6 6

10. Dumbarton 1 1 6 8 20 -12 4

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

October Review

Fixtures:

4/10 H v Stranraer, 8/10 H v Dumbarton, 19/10 N v Hearts 25/10 A v Airdrie United

Well September was an injury ridden month but still one I’m satisfied with. We are well placed in the league and are without several key players. Another one of them Darren Spink dropped out of training clutching a muscle – and he’s on his way to the hospital to find out the damage. Steve will be with him there to report back to me. Robbie Campbell at least cheered my up by declaring himself fit – a phrase I have not heard enough of so far, but will hopefully be sick to death of eventually!

With 3 straight wins I am not surprised Dave Mosson picked up the Manager of the Month award for Ross County – they haven’t even conceded since their visit to Gayfield. In the monthly board meeting. John told all staff members how pleased he was with the progress the club was making. The finances are holding up and add that to a healthy position in the league, it was worth splashing out on both Chocolate AND plain digestive biscuits. Hopefully I’ll be savouring some more sweet Tea and chocs in future months.

In Europe, Dundee went out of the UEFA Cup at the first round stage, with their rivals Dundee united winning through. On Saturday it was back to league action again, at Gayfield to host Stranraer, currently 4th in the table. David McInally was back from injury at last, taking over from Ritchie at left back whilst 16 year old Paul Pirie replaced Spink in the centre. The game also saw Greg Henslee return to Gayfield with his new side. Andy Dow also came into midfield, with Brownlie taking the strikers role as Feroz went wide right.

A poor first half for us saw us go into the break a goal down after David Wilson, aided by former Lichtie Greg Henslee, scored a classic poachers goal in the 28th minute. Our defending was too erratic and almost cost us and further and without the solid and confident base we usually have our attacks were few and far between, a combination of hopeful punts up field and wild striking. Sadly the second half didn’t pick up either as Pirie and Gardner were subbed, for both poor games and picking up yellow cards, but neither McAulay or Bowman could add much. We had one good opportunity late on but Craig Feroz shot high and wide with the goal at his mercy. A disappointing game for us then, but hopefully only a mild set back.

There was little time to recover from that set back though with a home game against Dumbarton in midweek. I’m hoping for a positive response from the players as we cannot afford to keep dropping silly points. Perhaps they are so unused to being one of the better sides in a league they’ve forgotten how to be ruthless. McAulay came in for Pirie and McLean went up front with Brownie supporting.

A much better first half against struggling Dumbarton saw us take an early lead to go in 1-0 at the haft time whistle. Capitalising on poor Barton defending, Duncan McLean swept home from 40 yards with John Wight all over the place. It was some finish for you’re first goal. Soon after the half time whistle and he had a second. Paul Brownlie’s run and shot was parried by Wight but McLean picked up the pieces to ram home. Sub Jim Gardner ( for Campbell ) then missed an open goal before we sealed it with 10 minutes to go. A John McAulay corner found the head of Duncan McLean and the striker completed a deserved hat –trick! After not scoring in is first 5 appearances, the Herald were being slightly over critical of the lad but it’s a great way to shut them up. A Gary McCutcheon effort in the final minute was no more than a consolation for Dumbarton. For us though we had a confidence boosting win which will hopefully set us up for another good run.

That win put us temporarily in second although we had played a game more. The other teams will be playing next week whilst we travel to Hampden on Sunday 19th to face Hearts in the Challenge cup final. Missing for that game would be Roberto Sensini. A 3 month lay off for our big man in defence. I was almost in tears – of anger. Banging my head on the office desk didn’t help one bit as I had to lie down soon after with a damp tea towel round the forehead. From this semi-recumbent posture I watched Scotland secure their play off spot with a 3-0 victory over Lithuania thanks to a Tom McManus hat-trick. Andy Cargill’s return from injury cheered me up a little and then when a good friend told me England had beaten Turkey 2-0 in Istanbul I was very happy although not at all surprised that a petulant pillock called David Beckham had got himself sent off.

Later in the week it was great news to see the return of Paul Dirno and Kevin Heenan to training and Wednesday’s session started off very positively. Then Kenny McMillan tripped over his bootlaces and Dennis couldn’t walk through a door properly and we would have to wait another 2 weeks before those two were back with us. Call me greedy but is it so bad to want all my players fit?

That was all we had to contend with before the weekend cup tie with Hearts. The whole turn was turning out to support the club in their “big day out†adventure to Hampden Park. That ground was going to be filled with emotion and vibrant Lichties. We were easily the underdogs, and Hearts are way ahead of the rest of the pack in Division One, so I’m simply hoping the players do the club proud as really that is all I can ask of them.

[glamdring]

Excellent stuff - keep it up

Only just came across the story so I haven't really got the time to read through all so far, but the regular tables and results gave me a good idea together with skimming the text and I'll be keeping up to date from now on!

Great to see a story so enthusiastically written about a season-long relegation "battle" rather than the more obvious promotions

[Brian of Nazareth]

cheers glamdring , thought I'd give you some time to catch up

Lining up in 4-4-2 formation this time, Cusick Forrest Ritchie and McInally protected Hinchcliffe, whilst McGlashan McAulay Gardner and Heenan supported McLean and Brownlie. Our tough resolve lasted 20 minutes before Gary Wales beat Ritchie to a cross and nod in for the first goal. An enticing through ball from Paul McCullan brought Hinchcliffe out of his 6 yard area but Wales got to the ball first and poked sideways where Alan Maybury shot into the unguarded net as Hearts took a commanding lead into half time. It was a difficult situation to consider.

We were trying but being outclassed. If we were too negative Hearts would find a way through and we’d never get back in the game – but if we went full pelt for goals we would leave ourselves dangerously open at the back. I decided to go 4-5-1 one again with McLean and Ritchie making way for Cargill and Dow. Unfortunately John Knox scored via a deflected free kick off Gardner to make it 3-0 inside a few minutes of the restart. Pride was what we were playing for now. With 15 minutes remaining, Cargills persistence forced a goal as his run and cross was headed into his own net by Stephane Mahe which at least gave our supporters something to cheer about. Hearts were clearly the better side I and was not going to start criticising my team after this game.

That game over with and the disappointment dealt with quickly by myself and Steve it was time to concentrate on Airdrie United away next week. Our league form has been too patchy recently and we’re in danger of falling off the pace. In midweek the third round of the Scottish League Cup occurred and there were wins for Aberdeen, Dundee, Falkirk, Hibs, Dundee United and Livingston over Clyde, Airdrie United Dunfermline, Forfar, Queens of the South and St. Mirren respectively.

At the weekend we were returning to the league and a trip to Airdrie, who conquered us in the League Cup. A tight first half saw few chances although McGlashan, Heenan and Cargill all picked up yellows. I was acutely aware that McGlashan’s would now mean a 3 match suspension for 48 points. In the second I brought on Dow to solidify our midfield and it was one of the most turgid displays by is in a long while. To say I was furious is an understatement. Lee McVey and Scott Wilson scored for Airdrie as our ability to play football seemed to gone off on a walk down memory lane to the days we performed abjectly in the first division. At the end I had to apologise to the fans who had stayed to the end. Our defence was all over the place and our attack had nothing. Maybe mid table mediocrity doesn’t so unambitous after all. When I told the players that I was hopeful we might be able to stay in this division, many asked why. Responding by pointing out we’ll be relegated if they play like that again there was an ominous silence in the dressing room. They had better improve fast.

As the month drew to a close there was little else of note. Cowdenbeath are our opponents in the Scottish Cup, at Central Park, whilst Rangers and Celtic continue to progress in the Champions League stages. Darren Spink returned to light training during the week and could be available for our trip to Queens Park in November.

Results

Sat 4/10 Arbroath 0 Aidrie United 1 Wilson 28.

Wed 10/10 Arbroath 3 Dumbarton 1 McLean 15, 49, 80 McCutcheon 89.

Sun 19/10 CCF Hearts 3 Arbroath 1 Wales 20, Maybury 27, Knox 55 Mahe O.G. 76

Sat 25/10 Airdrie United 2 Arbroath 0 McVey 52, Wilson 65.

Table after 11 games

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Team W D L F A GD Pts

1. Ross County 8 1 2 25 10 +15 25

2. Stranraer 6 1 4 19 15 +4 19

3. Queens Park 6 1 4 18 15 +3 19

4. Airdrie United 5 3 3 14 8 +6 18

5. Arbroath 5 2 4 15 9 +6 17

6. Brechin 5 0 6 15 19 -4 15

7. Albion Rovers 4 2 5 14 21 -7 14

8. Stenhousemuir 4 0 7 16 19 -3 12

9. Dumbarton 3 1 7 13 24 -11 10

10. Berwick 1 5 5 11 20 -9 8

</pre>

[This message was edited by Brian of Nazareth on 29 February 2004 at 20:28.]

[Brian of Nazareth]

November Review

Fixtures:

Sat 01/11 A v Queens Park, Sat 08/11 H v Albion Rovers, Sat 22/11 A v Ross County, Wed 26 H v Brechin, Sat 29 A v Stenhousemuir

After a poor month of October we have some work to do to maintain our promotion push. The first game of the month sees us away to Queens Park, hardly an easy game but one in which the basic fundamentals have to be put right. Up the flanks and 100% commitment. Spink and Connaghan came in for McGlashan and Forrest whilst Heenan moved to the right, swapping with Andy Cargill.

A tight first half with few chances saw us keep another goalless half time score. McLean, Pirie and Dirno came on in the second half but neither side could fashion a threatening opportunity with Jim Gardner’s 35 yard run and shot the closest the game went to seeing a goal. At the other end our defence marshalled itself well and we came away with a solid point. It is was interesting to note on BBC Radio Scotland that Alan Kernaghan had been sacked as Clyde boss. Gordon Wallace who I assume is now in temporary charge faces a situation similar to that we did last season as Clyde lie bottom with just 3 points.

In midweek Clyde announced a successor and it turned out to be Campbell Money the former Ayr and most recently Stranraer. With Stranraer proving a tough side this season it will be interesting to see if Clyde and Stranraer swap places in May. Elsewhere in the Scottish League Cup Celtic, Falkirk, Hibs and Rangers recorded wins over Livingston, Dundee, Dundee United and Aberdeen .

The following weekend and we were hosting Albion Rovers. Robbie Campbell replaced Gardner and Brownlie and Heenan switched roles. This is a game we should be looking to win. Which is why I was kicking the advertising hoardings in frustration as Graeme McCaul set up Charles McLean in the 11th minute to open the scoring. Clearly the absence of Sensini was hurting us much more than I thought. However some intense pressure and poor finishing from Heenan we levelled on 26 minutes through a well struck Paul Brownlie free kick. It was the least we deserved.

In the second half it appeared the tight at the back talk mentioned by Jake at the break was totally ignored as McLean to my absolute intense anger scored a simple goal on 57 minutes. Robbie Campbell was the scapegoat here as I immediately brought Gardner on. The substitution worked though as the experienced left winger swung in a corner 5 minutes later that Darren Spink managed to get his head to and nod us level. Sadly despite our best efforts we were unable to further find a way through and the game, disappointingly finished goalless. Yes it most certainly seems as though our promotion chances are limited. We won’t go up if we play like this and continue to drop points. John Christison’s expectations all of a sudden don’t seem as unambitous as I thought. We are now 9 points behind Ross County, our next opponents in 5th spot.

[Brian of Nazareth]

In midweek though I received a fax from Stranraer – it was something I certainly wasn’t expecting. Of course I had known that Money had left for Clyde but even so I never even thought my name would be considered! Considered it was though and here was Robert Clanachan offering me the post as manager of his side! Finances were slightly better and they were 3rd in the league… it was a tempting offer certainly but I wanted to build Arbroath into a side worth remembering. I didn’t want my legacy to read – “relegated from division oneâ€. I politely declined citing personal reasons but of course I was flattered nonetheless. I forwarded my rejection onto John Christison before the journalists starting creating silly rumours again.

On the 15th, it was the play offs for the Euro 2004 Championships and there were some intriguing ties. Scotland started off away to Slovenia with Wales away to Sweden, Ireland at home to Ukraine with Turkey hosting the Czech Republic and Croatia welcoming Romania. After the first round of matches Scotland, Croatia and Ireland would seem to be the only sides in favourable positions as Croatia and Ireland took 3 goal leads for the away leg whilst Scotland, to the delight of many a drunk local won in Slovenia thanks to a goal from Scott Dobie in the opening minute. Turkey and Sweden won 1-0 in their home legs making for exciting second leg matches.

They took place in midweek and, Arbroath, like the rest of Scotland was one happy place to be, with the odd nutter going over the top to the consternation of a few. I wonder if that tramp really did steal that Scone. There were few goals on the night, with Scotland, Ireland and Turkey all enjoying 0-0 draws whilst Wales’ 2-0 victory over Sweden saw the Welshman through into their first major championships in over 40 years.

With the Ross County game upon me sooner than I imagined I was at least satisfied to have David McInally available to me. He would replace Campbell on the bench. John Cusick had also returned to sufficient fitness after picking up a niggling knock against Albion. Duncan McLean took Kevin Heenan’s strikers role after an enthusiastic display in front of Roddy Grant. Kenny McMillan, although short on fitness would replacing the ageing legs of John McGlashan in the midfield who needed a break. It goes without saying that this a must not lose match at Victoria Park.

Of course the lazy fools started appalling, as Stephen McGarry scored inside 5 minutes and Andy Dow was subbed soon after a terrible display at left back, however David McInally who replaced him was not much better. A half time roasting did little to inspire my pathetic charges and it was soon 2-0, thanks to Martin Wood. Andy Cargill and Paul Brownlie came off immediately to boos from our own fans after an absolutely disgraceful effort on the park and Andy will be tasting some reserve action in the coming weeks hopefully. Duncan McLean did pull a goal back later thanks to Paul Pirie, but it was to no avail as the ******* conceded another one soon after via Craig Campbell. After that we elected not to take a bus home as I forced all the idle farts to run back to Arbroath, one or two were let off as they had actually shown a willingness to win the ball. We’re now 6th and way off the pace. **** promotion, I’m concerned about another relegation the way things are going. With Sensini still absent for 6 weeks or so, we have no leadership at the back as Dennis Connaghan has proved to be a disappointment. I rarely hear him on match days, not what I expect from a captain.

[cms186]

Keep going, I though you had given up!, McGlashan is doing well IRL I noticed.

[Brian of Nazareth]

aye I know, it's weird how you get involved with clubs and players IRL that you manage in the game. Cheers for following though there'll be another ( very ) long lull in updates fairly soon

December Review

Well it was unpleasant board meeting to say the least. They were peed off, I could only agree with them and now my job is on the line. My results would control my future at Arbroath and I had no chocolate digestives that day. In the usual SFA monthly round ups I half expected a Worst Award to fling my way after 2 points from 15. Charles McLean, John Calderwood and Dave Mosson all picked up the gongs.

Injuries are the story of the month as Euan Graham and Darren Spink rule themselves out with calf strains for a month and Roddy’s 3 month lay off now means we’re a coach short as well. It’s a testing time for me at the moment. The pile of sick note reports is reaching epidemic proportions yet I feel helpless.

The month started with the cup clash away to Cowdenbeath where I was hoping that our Cup form this season would re-ignite the smouldering ashes of our promotion challenge. Gary Gow, Andy Scott and Craig Feroz were amongst a number of fringe players being given a chance to win a spot as injuries restricted my decision making.

66 seconds in and John McAulay concedes a penalty, converted by Paul Lawson and a terrible feeling stirred in my stomach, I felt the glares of that board meeting returning to haunt me. However Andy Scott and Duncan McLean combined well twice in 10 minutes following that goal to put us back in the lead. I was happier now – I was seeing players show some effort and desire to hold down a regular spot. Or so I thought. Complacency set in and for the last 15 minutes of the half we were run ragged. Heads dropped and the home side fully deserved Vince Sullivans leveller. They should have had more if truth be told.

Graham Brown then poked Cowdenbeath in front seconds after the restart and my fury returned. When he scored a second soon after I was so wishing it was legal to use torture methods on my players. The wankers showed no heart or spirit as we collapsed. Gary Arbuckles 5th goal was no surprise and I did not bother looking up to check Christisons reaction. It was bollocks and I knew it. The vote of confidence announced the following day only made things worse. Maybe the Stranraer job was no bad thing. I decided to fax Robbie Clanachan back and see how his head hunting was going. I could always return to Arbroath at a later time.

I had no reply by the time the crunch clash with Brechin arrived. I can only assume they’re interviewing more willing applicants. For Saturdays game though Hinchcliffe returned in goal for the transfer listed Gary Gow. Cusick, Connaghan Forrest and McInally protected him whilst in a 5 man midfield whilst Campbell, McAulay Dirno McMillan and Brownlie supported Duncan McLean.

A fine response was offered today, with the players deciding I was worth having as a manger after all. David McInally sent a long ball forward to the roaming Duncan McLean who fired home a splendid chip effort. Unfortunately David soon went off injured, to be replaced by Gavin Swankie as Dirno moved to left back but we managed ok, going into the break a goal to the good.

The second half was full of tension and nerves as although we dominated, the one goal advantage meant we had to be careful about committing ourselves forward. Gary Bowman replaced the poor Campbell and finally we secured a confidence boosting win as a Kenny McMillan free kick was knocked down by John McAulay into the path of Duncan McLean who finished low into the corner with 5 minutes remaining to secure the win. About sodding time and all!

[Brian of Nazareth]

The rot had stopped to the relief of everyone around Gayfield stadium and for a while the manager game had been curtailed. Indicative perhaps of the uplifting mood at the coastal town of Arbroath was the return of club captain Steve Florence and the experienced John McGlashan. With Dumbarton away the following week spirits were rising again – although we have to maintain our work ethic.

For that game at Dumbarton there were few changes. Considering the adage “if it aint broke don’t fix it†the only change I made was instilling Steve Florence at left back. He probably wouldn’t last the 90 but hopefully his presence would boost the Gayfield faithful. McGlashan returned to the bench.

A very open 45 minutes had the crowd ooh and aahing for the whole first half as both sides missed heart stopping efforts. Thankfully though it was us who took the half time advantage as Paul Dirno played a through ball that beat a lagging defence for Duncan McLean to run onto and chip over John Wight. That goal arrived on the half time whistle giving us a much needed boost.

The opening moments of the second half though were all Dumbarton and Barry Donald could only watch as his free kick was amazingly held by Chris Hinchcliffe. Once Steve calmed the side down a bit we scored a sucker punch second. Paul Dirno’s fine work up field picked out Kenny McMillan just inside the penalty area and the midfielder fired a stunning shot into the roof of the net as we took control. This was the side I admired early on this season. We then had to withstand some expected pressure from Dumbarton but we coped well and with 15 minutes to go I felt comfortable enough in allowing Steve Florence, Kenny and Duncan to come off. They had done their job as we secured the win.

The second division is clearly a tight league as that win now put us 4th, one decent win from the promotion spot and suddenly the board are happier. It is bizarre – whilst the fans have generally been content this season, through thick and thin it has been a fickle board that has concerned me most. Duncan McLean’s fine form has also helped as the striker looks to impress his employers in the SPL.

Christmas passed far more happily than I thought it would after our last two results. No further injuries and no press incessantly ringing the phone. Indeed spending a quiet meal with my family was something I hadn’t enjoyed in a long time.

By the time I returned on Friday for the boxing day fixture it seems players had been saving their woes until today. Paul was in hospital for the next 3 weeks before a further weeks rest after a troublesome knee injury whilst Craig Hinchcliffe would miss a week of football after spraining his wrist. John McGlashan came into midfield with Tim Woodcock eager to make the most of his opportunity between the sticks.

A sluggish first half saw Tony Vareille for Airdrie go closest as the effects of too much roast turkey was taking its toll. Sadly in the second half the match deteriorated into something that can only be described as turgid. No play, no threats no pace no excitement. I’m sure the final whistle awoke many a fan from a lovely sleep as the travel pillows all suddenly were put away. Still a point’s a point and I won’t complain too much.

Results

Sat 6/12 LC Cowdenbeath 5 Arbroath 2 Lawson pen 2. McLean 8, 14 Sullivan 40, Brown 46, 48, Arbuckles 62.

Sat 13/12 Arbroath 2 Brechin 0 McLean 14, 85

Sat 20/12 Dumbarton 0 Arbroath 2 McLean 45, [/i] McMillan 61

Fri 26/12 Arbroath 0 Airdrie United 0

Table after 19 games

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

1. Ross County 12 2 5 35 21 +14 38

2. Brechin 10 1 8 32 24 +8 31

3. Aidrie United 7 7 5 20 16 +4 28

4. Brechin 7 6 6 23 23 0 27

5. Arbroath 7 5 7 22 20 +2 26

6. Stranraer 8 1 10 25 31 -6 25

7. Queens Park 7 4 8 20 27 -7 25

8. Albion Rovers 7 4 8 24 32 -8 25

9. Stenhousemuir 7 1 11 32 30 +2 22

10. Dumbarton 7 1 11 27 36 -9 22

</pre>

[Brian of Nazareth]

January Review

Well after finally ending our miserable run, I’m hopefully that 2004 can be the start of something fresh for the club. Lying in 5th spot 12 and 6 points behind the leaders is not terrible after 19 games and hopefully we can go on a winning run this month to keep in touch with the leaders. That said if we aren’t careful, given the closeness of this league we could easily be sucked in at the wrong end.

In the awards section this month there was some very pleasing news to be found and another fax was hanging on the notice board, this time congratulating Kenny McMillan on his player of the month award for December. Very well deserved and his magnum will be presented to him before our away tie at Stranraer. Steven Boyle and John McVeigh picked up the other gongs.

The first Saturday of the month saw the Scottish Cup third round with wins for Stenhousemuir, Berwick, Brora Rangers, Brechin, Dumbarton, Elgin and Ross County over Stirling, Annan, Coldstream, Hamilton, Stranraer and Queens Park. Montrose and Airdrie then spent the evening overloading our fax machine with offers for Craig Feroz and Euan Graham respectively. It seemed their new secretary’s had got somewhat carried away and didn’t know how to stop. Montrose were offering Shaun Lannen for Craig, which I tried to negotiate to a straight 5k cash deal – and that was rejected only 3 hours later, whilst Airdrie were hoping to secure Euan with a 6k bid and a 20% sell on fee. I tried forcing the price up but there was clearly no room for manoeuvre as I called off the bid. Euan’s young and injury prone – but then who in my side isn’t – so it will have to take a little more to prise him away from us, especially as I already have 50k in the transfer kitty just waiting to be spent.

Before the midweek trip to Stranraer it was great to have Sensini and Spink back with us. Both are key figures in defence and midfield and will be going straight into the line up at the expense of Craig Forrest and Andy Cargill. Craig Hinchcliffe came in for Tim Woodcock and McAulay moved to right back as a replacement for Cusick.

The first half was an even affair as it ended 1 apiece. David Wilson scored first as I began condemning our marking in the box but a superbly struck free kick from Paul Brownlie levelled things up only a few minutes later. After that our defence held up strong against some fierce pressure whilst Paul missed a golden opportunity towards the end of the half. The second half continued in similar vein although there were no further goals. Sensini and Gardner were rested on the hour mark with Forrest and Bowman coming on but it made no difference. A good solid away point keeps us in touch with the leaders.

Elsewhere that night in the Scottish Cup there were 3rd round replays being held and East Stirling, Morton and East Fife overcame Cowdenbeath, Gretna and Peterhead.

At the weekend we hosted Queens Park at Gayfield as we sought to continue our unbeaten run. With Sensini still not match fit, Forrest started whilst Gavin Swankie was given a chance to impress instead of Duncan McLean. The first half went as expected, and as I wanted with a tight defence again restricting our opponent’s opportunities. Queens Park were unable to take advantage of what space they had and thankfully after the break we were able to punish them.

On the hour mark, Gavin Swankie was pushed in the penalty are and the forward picked himself up off the grass and fired, into the net, completely fooling the keeper. A few minutes later and I thought we had grabbed a second but Swankie could not quite reach Darren Spink’s accurate 30 yard cross. However 10 minutes after that and we had secured the 3 points as Gavin Swankie grabbed his second of the game after a run and finish set up by Darren Spink. Gayfield were delighted and it was another well-earned 3 points to take into our next two away ties.

In training the following Monday, Gavin’s agent arrived with Gavin to discuss a contract extension. Subtly timed after his 2 goal escapades at the weekend I’m more than happy to settle down to talk about it after training. The initial chat was quite amicable and I expect matters should be concluded either this evening or tomorrow. I was slightly more concerned though with Eddie Forrest. The cheery smile that was so applicable to the centre half was replaced by a grimace this afternoon, and initial hospital tests did not hold out much hope for the lad as my injury worries threatened to utterly destroy this side.

[Brian of Nazareth]

Before the tough trip to Berwick in midweek, mixed news arrived. Gavin’s agent, Heidi Klum, phoned in to say that the pair were both very satisfied with the outcome of our negotiations and would I want to go out to dinner some time to celebrate. Well I’ll have to think about that. That phone call was sadly soured by a fax displaying Eddie’s results. Internal bleeding suffered in training had cause some serious wounds, which would, need 3 months of absolute rest before he could be considered for action. That effectively had wiped out his season.

For the trip to Berwick, Gary Gow replaced the very ill Craig Hinchcliffe who was recovering from a quite unexpected bout of Malaria. Roberto Sensini returned for the still hospital bound Eddie Forrest whilst Duncan McLean and Gavin Swankie switched roles. A quiet first half saw little goalmouth action, but that is good enough for me. I needed people to not get injured and they did superbly. Sensini and McGlashan came off, with Innes Ritchie and Andy Cargill coming on. Paul Brownlie replaced Duncan after 50 minutes.

After the break some intense home pressure had me worried, and when Alex Burke scored an excellent volley goal from 16 yards on the angle, ala Paulo Di Canio, I thought we would crumble. Fortunately though we did not and with 12 minutes of a decent game remaining we drew level. Paul Brownlie curling home another excellent 25-yard free kick. After that we had to withstand some fierce attacks but thankfully Innes Ritchie demonstrated why he feels he deserved a run in the side with some excellently timed tackles.

That point kept us in touch at the top and was something we could take to Albion Rovers at the weekend. Albion were technically in the relegation zone but they were less than 10 points from the top 4. It would be a tough game and one that Sensini would sit out as he attempted to recover from Wednesday night. He only played 45 minutes but it was still stretching his aging limbs to the limit. Innes deserved a starting role. Andy Cargill also started in place of John McGlashan and Paul Brownlie started ahead of Duncan McLean.

This half began much brighter for us and for 22 minutes it was Arbroath all the way, as we led thanks to Paul Brownlie’s superb solo effort on 17 minutes. However mid way through it Albion picked up the tempo as they threw everything that had at us. Paul Bonar and John Bedford went agonisingly close on 3 occasions as Gary Gow hurled himself left right and centre. Amazingly, and fortunately we were still ahead as the half time whistle blew.

As Steve began working on the defence in the dressing room – I surprised a few fans by taking the offence out onto the pitch. I was going to get them working on a few routines I had in mind, like give-go plays to speed things up. If we sat back in the second half I had no doubts we would be crucified. Here the best form of defence was certainly to attack.

In the second 45 minutes it paid off as we had our own chances. True, Albion relished the added our space our attacking play conceded but we weren’t bogged down in our own half. Then, around the same time as that fine rain began to pitter out we scored and what an outrageous goal it was too. Chris Fahey’s clearance fell straight to Jim Gardner’s feet and the sharp winger immediately played the ball back over Fahey’s head from fully 50 yards – it was an exceptional goal! Steve, Jake and the rest of the sideline crew could not believe it! Anyway we were 2 to the good and the balance of the game had swung dramatically in our favour. When Gavin Swankie scored a penalty in the final quarter of an hour, after coming on for Darren Spink it was game over. Iain Diack banged in a late reply as Albion sought a quick reply but we had enough in the tank to nullify their threat and that victory kept us well in touch with the leaders.

John Christison bought the whole side some proper Smokies when we returned late in the evening as a way of celebrating. The big man harboured ambitions of a solid mid-table finish and clearly we were still on course. From my view though I was still looking at greater things. Being 13 points behind Ross County and 6 behind Brechin I wanted promotion.

On Sunday as clubs began to take advantage of the transfer window, Paul Farquaharson looked to be on his way as I accepted an offer from Airdrie United. The lad had potential but he simply wasn’t good enough for us at the present time. The 6k we picked up and the 20% sell on fee will be more useful to us. Currently nursing a long time injury it was with best wishes that he leaves Gayfield.

With us not having any matches now until Stenhousemuir on the 31st much of the incidents have occurred off the pitch. Gordon Wallace, still believing he had friends here, asked about Andy Dow, and was met with short shrift even if he did alert us to the fact that Andy’s contract was up for grabs in the summer. We’ll begin negotiations with Andy soon. John McAulay fell off his adder and Kenny McMillan the poor sod was involved in a nasty hit and run accident, still he’s sharing a ward with Eddie Forrest for now so he won’t feel too left out. Kenny will probably miss the rest of the season whilst John will need a few weeks to recover. Craig Feroz though has opted to join our rivals Montrose in the summer. Feeling a step down is what he needs to gain some security in his career he leaves with our best wishes – although he never really made much of an impression whilst here – a shame given how much praise I adorned him with when I first saw him in action.

The Saturday off was for the Scottish Cup 3rd round and there were wins for Brora Rangers, Celtic, Clyde, Dumbarton, Elgin City, Falkirk, Queen of the South, Kilmarnock, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Livingston, Motherwell, Dunfermline and Aberdeen over Brechin, Rangers, Ayr United, Dundee United, East Stirling, Stenhousemuir, Morton, Hibernian, East Fife, Alloa Athletic, St. Mirren, Ross County and St. Johnstone. The defeat for Morton also saw the end of John McCormick’s reign in charge of Morton as he was sacked.

The following week was another hive of activity and a mess of telephone messages, agent’s faxes and many arguments. Andy Dow proved to be one of the easier people to persuade to stay as he accepted a 25-pound increase on his contract. Airdrie were told to bugger off fairly sharpish after making inquiries over the availability of Gavin Swankie and Eddie Forrest. Sadly though, I was left cursing Steve’s idiocy for not informing me that Eddie was up for grabs in the summer and even from the confines of Ward 3A he managed to engineer a move to St. Mirren in the summer. There are no hard feelings though, given that as he was on a high salary of 475 pounds per week, I couldn’t really see his agent, Anne Widdicombe, accepting a 200 pound pay cut.

Moments before our home tie with Stenhousemuir and now there were 3 in the beds, as Andy Cargill fell under a steamroller. He’ll take 3 months to get back into shape. Innes Ritchie though gave me a boost by extending his contract. For the Stens game, Hinchcliffe returns, as does McGlashan, Feroz, Campbell, Sensini, Brownlie and McLean. Given that Duncan’s loan contract ends mid February – a fault on my part – we should be looking to take advantage.

The first half was an uninspiring mess, which saw neither side gain any foothold in the game. A midfield tussle was the name of this half, which ended all square 0-0. At half time I focused on encouraging the lads to bypass the crap in the middle and hit the ball long for Duncan or Paul to run onto. We are the home team so clearly the onus is on us to provide the attacking bite. We improved slightly in the second half but playing into a gusty wind made it all the more difficult to release our attacks. As the half wore on I called for a basic all out assault on their net and finally in the 88th minute we had a goal. Paul Brownlie was felled in the area and Darren Spink banged home the penalty to give us a well-earned lead. 2 minutes later and any lingering doubts were eradicated as Darren Spink returned the favour setting Brownlie run after he beat a poor offside trap by ‘Muir to smash home a second.

That was an excellent way to round off the month. With another win we were now right amongst the promotion chasing pack, leaving the bottom half behind to the fans delight. Hopefully it would perk the Herald up a little too, the paper having gone quiet in recent weeks.

Results

Wed 07/01 Stranraer 1 Arbroath 1 Wilson 10, Brownlie 19

Sat 10/01 Arbroath 2 Queens Park 0 Swankie 61, 82

Wed 14/01 Berwick 1 Arbroath 1 Burke 56, Brownlie 79

Sat 17/01 Albion Rovers 1 Arbroath 3 Brownlie 17 , Gardner 66 , Swankie pen 75 Diack 87

Sat 31/01 Arbroath 2 Stenhousemuir 0 Spink pen 88, Brownlie 90 /

Transfers

Out: Farquaharson – 6k – Airdrie United.

OUT: Craig Feroz – bos – Montrose

OUT: Eddie Forrest – bos St. Mirren

Table after 24 games

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Team W D L F A GD Pts

1. Ross 15 2 7 46 25 +21 47

2. Brechin 13 1 16 38 30 +8 40

3. Airdrie 10 9 5 28 20 +8 39

4. Arbroath 10 7 7 31 23 +8 37

5. Queens P 10 4 10 26 33 -7 34

6. Stranraer 9 3 12 29 39 -10 30

7. Albion 8 5 11 28 38 -10 29

8. Stenhouse 9 1 14 37 37 0 28

9. Berwick 7 7 10 28 33 -5 28

10. Dumb 9 1 14 32 45 -13 28

</pre>