Scottish Reprise- Return to East Stirling

[Faramir]

25.4.09

East Stirling (2) Partick (0)

A season's worth of battling and working for every goal came down to an error filled match played in gale force winds at Firs Park. The early portion of the first half yielded only frustration for both sides as the wind reeked havoc on any passing in the air. In a wild sequence that saw alert play from several of our players, it wound up with Andrew Reilly sending a pass toward the net. James Frayne circled into the play late and as the defenders' attention was on Tomasz Swierzynski- Frayne picked off Reilly's pass and took it around Kenny Arthur to score and give us the lead. We played defense with abandon with the lead and I was really pleased and proud of our effort as we frustrated many of Partick's attacks with good, helping coverage from both our midfield and backline. The second half stretched on with both the players and the crowd tense with effort and worry. Steve Lewis, on for an exhausted Frayne, burst through the middle and tried to collect a through ball from Adam Tiran. Lewis couldn't quite control the ball and it went to Arthur. Arthur slightly mishandled the ball also and that was all the opportunity that Swierzynski needed as he took the ball away and slotted it into the net to gain us a 2-0 margin. We were grimly trying to protect that lead and I breathed a sigh of relief as the match moved into extra time that way. That relief quickly became a grimace as Jukka Santala- who had been a rock on our defense all day- earned a redcard and a penalty kick for tripping Taijo Teniste in the area. I could see all manner of bad things occurring to rob us of the win, but Steven van der Deyl had other ideas and earned his MOM honour with a brilliant diving parry of Lasha Chelidze's penalty kick to preserve not only a clean sheet, but the 2-0 win that won us the Division 1 Title! St.Johnstone also won today over Falkirk, but we carried an 8 goal advantage on differential that will send our unlikely side to the BSP next season.

Division 1- Final

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

1- East Stirling 65 pts (+24)

2- St.Johnstone 65 pts (+16)

3- St.Mirren 58 pts (+21)

4- Falkirk 57 pts (+1)

</pre>

[Faramir]

26.4.09

A day of celebration later and I can finally have a few moments to myself to consider our accomplishment. I have to admit a certain element of luck in our capturing the title, because of St.Johnstone had beaten Partick at home in their next to last match- that would have made it nigh impossible for us to win it. Viewing the season in whole, it was our strong backline play and the superior work of Steven van der Deyl in net that was the bedrock our club built on. Jukka Santala and Danny Black- the two top rated players in average rating in Division 1, with Kevin Gaughan chipping in, made certain that our center defense was manned well and all three rarely had a poor match. Our offense for much of the season was Miklos Kollat and sometimes little else. Despite missing the last several matches, Kollat captured the scoring title in Division 1 with 22 goals as he barely edged Bryan Prunty's 21. I thought this was the season that Steve Lewis would really ignite, but he only improved and never really showed much more than occasional flashes of brilliance. Our offense was spotty, but it was a rare match that we gave away much- the loss to St.Mirren in the next to last match was one of our worst efforts- and that along with Kollat's ability to score off corners and free kicks was enough to give us the goal differential to carry us to the BSP.

2008-9 East Stirling Stats

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

GK

Steven van der Deyl 29 apps 29 conceded 10 clean sht 2 MOM 7.21 avg rt

Scott Gallacher 12 apps 14 conceded 7 clean sht 0 MOM 6.88

Russell Omand 3 apps 3 conceded 1 clean sht 1 MOM 7.33

DR

Daniel Simpson 26 apps 0 gls 2 asts 0 MOM 6.81

Carl Laurie 22 apps 0 gls 0 asts 1 MOM 6.55

Stephen McKenna 8 apps 0 gls 0 asts 0 MOM 7.13

DL

Ryan Carr 32 apps 1 gl 5 asts 1 MOM 7.22

Mark Gourlay 11 apps 0 gls 0 asts 0 MOM 6.45

DC

Jukka Santala 30 apps 0 gls 1 ast 5 MOM 7.43

Danny Black 34 apps 3 gls 6 asts 3 MOM 7.53

Kevin Gaughan 16 apps 0 gls 0 asts 1 MOM 7.06

Stuart Skinner 5 apps 0 gls 0 asts 0 MOM 7.00

MR

Kenny McLean 31 apps 3 gls 6 asts 1 MOM 7.16

Lee Sichi 24 apps 2 gls 4 asts 2 MOM 6.79

ML

Andrew Reilly 27 apps 0 gls 9 asts 3 MOM 7.30

Paul MacLaren 7 apps 0 gls 0 asts 0 MOM 6.57

MC

Adam Tiran 33 apps 2 gls 7 asts 0 MOM 7.21

Steven McManus 26 apps 3 gls 1 ast 0 MOM 6.77

Chris Hamilton 24 apps 1 gl 1 ast 0 MOM 7.04

Paul Weaver 18 apps 1 gl 6 asts 0 MOM 7.00

Stephen Hindmarch 13 apps 1 gl 0 asts 0 MOM 6.46

SC

Miklos Kollat 28 apps 22 gls 4 asts 5 MOM 7.46

Steve Lewis 21 apps 7 gls 3 asts 2 MOM 7.00

James Frayne 24 apps 7 gls 3 asts 1 MOM 6.88

James Flood 16 apps 5 gls 1 ast 1 MOM 6.75

Derek Anderson 11 apps 2 gls 2 asts 0 MOM 6.64

Curtis Allen (L) 9 apps 2 gls 2 asts 1 MOM 6.56

Tomasz Swierzynski 5 apps 4 gls 0 asts 0 MOM 7.20

</pre>

[Faramir]

1.5.09

Looking at next season honestly, we will have a very difficult time avoiding relegation in BSP. The Rangers crushing rout of us in Cup play weighs heavily on me as we will have a difficult time matching up with any club. Still, this club never quit and though our task is daunting I don't see us giving up without a fight.

What concerns me most about our club is that we still lack pace. We can play dogged defense and that is our trademark, but we don't have the skill level- or depth- to match up with most BSP clubs that are faster than us. All of which is a bad combination and will require time this summer to examine alternatives.

***

6.5.09

Roma easily bested Red Star by a 3-0 score to capture the Euro Cup.

***

9.5.09

Celtic, who won the BSP on the last day of the season, made it a double as they rolled over Livingston 3-1 to capture the Scottish Cup.

***

10.5.09

Morton defeated Raith Rovers on penalties to avoid relegation in the Playoff Final and ensure they will spend another season in Division 1.

***

11.5.09

The 220K we were rewarded for our 1st place finish in Division 1 has left us with a current balance on the positive side of the books of 2.85 Million. This season we turned a profit of 2.258 Million, much of that due to the sale of Steve McDonald and Adrian Nevins before the season began. The Board has promised that they will make a significant upgrade to our training facilities and I await their decision on whether to improve our status to a full-time club, as we currently remain the 'unexpected' part-timers that somehow managed to gain a place in the BSP.

***

13.5.09

Honours abounded today as the Players Team of the Year was announced and we dominated the side with Seven! players selected- all as starters. The players were Steven van der Deyl, Jukka Santala, Danny Black, Ryan Carr, Andrew Reilly, Adam Tiran and Miklos Kollat. It was humbling to receive Manager of the Year honours. Bryan Prunty was selected Player of the Year.

***

13.5.09

Schalke 04 defeated Liverpool 3-2 to capture the Champions Cup.

[Faramir]

16.5.09

The first difficult decisions of the summer were addition by subtraction. Both Paul MacLaren and Stephen McKenna had thought they were gaining greater roles than they actually wound up earning with us. Both were unhappy and looking at our roster, I still preferred the players we have on the depth chart above each of them. MacLaren's large salary makes it desirable to move him if he isn't going to play much. Both of them drew sevaral offers and MacLaren's agent just informed me that he elected to accept the contract from Queens Park. I am waiting to see who will provide McKenna's new home.

***

17.5.09

Both Stephen McKenna and Derek Anderson will be changing to other clubs this summer. Though the transfer prices were modest, it will help to have their salaries off the books.

***

1.6.09

With the transfer sales of Derek Anderson, Paul MacLaren and Stephen McKenna completed it was time to address the problem of my Assistant Manager. I had decided to let Brendan O'Connell go sooner than later, because I wanted to hire someone now. I found 40 year old Scott Simmons was available and he is well suited for the position- so I signed him as a replacement for O'Connell.

[Faramir]

2.6.09

Our first actual addition of the summer is Ibrahim Arslan. Arslan is a 22 year old French keeper that was on the Kilmarnock Reserves. They were willing to let him move for a pittance of 5K. Arslan is more travelled- having come up through the Sochaux youth program- and in some ways more skilled than Steven van der Deyl. I believe he is a good addition, despite the pricey weekly wage, because he gives me a very solid alternate to van der Deyl. Russell Omand, who has taken over as the Scottish Under-19 starter in goal, and Scott Gallacher are two talented youngsters- but I had concerns about not having another veteran starter- someone who has already played at the BSP level- available and Arslan resolves that concern.

We also signed just-released 17 year old Paul Henderson. Henderson is a right winger who started seeing time on the Dundee United Senior side last season, but didn't warrant a new contract with them. He won't crack our lineup to start with- but he has a solid level of skill for his age and was worth a hot prospect level contract.

The rumours are swirling that the Board will soon announce our conversion to a fully professional club basis. That would certainly help me in attracting talent to the club as we have already lost out on three players that I was trying to add this summer due to our status as a part-time club. The other side of that sword is we would need to convert everyone to full-time contracts, no doubt with a lot of wage increases. Still the blessings outweigh the problems and I hope they make their decision soon.

[Spav]

Yet again I am on hand to congratulate you on another promotion for your East Stirling team. The challenge of playing in the Scottish Premier League should really test your managerial abilities this season. KUTGW Faramir.

[Faramir]

Thanks Spav- glad to still have you along for the ride

***

20.6.09

The Board followed through on their decision to make us a fully professional club. I was prepared and immediately began negotiating with every staff member and every player who I wanted to keep for the upcoming season. The Board told me they have no illusions and would just like us to battle bravely to avoid relegation. The TV money was 1.5 Million, which meant we were over 4 Million in the black with a 1.6 Million transfer fund.

The transfer money and the space we have between our current wages and the Board's budget quickly became news among the agents and suddenly I was talking to many of them that wouldn't give me the time of day in the past. Our scouts are going to be working overtime as we try to ferret out additional players who can help us. I immediately spoke to several agents and players that I knew might be available from past circumstances (and knowledge of several Scot clubs that aren't in the greatest financial shape), in the hopes we might get several players that I think could really help us for less than market rates.

Another difficult decision reared its head though, as ICT came forward with a 1.5 Million offer for Jukka Santala. I had turned them down when they had offered 650K earlier in the summer. It took a great deal of thought, but I feel the offer is more than Santala is worth- at least in BSP play. He was excellent last season, but his lack of acceleration and pace was already in my mind before this. It was a difficult decision, but I accepted their offer and will be very surprised if Jukka doesn't leap at the chance to get a great big boost in wages. I am already looking hard to see if there might be a replacement out there. The funny thing is that the grapevine had spoken that Adrian Nevins could be had for a modest amount, so I will have to think if that would be the best solution.

[Faramir]

22.6.09

Santala made the decision less painful when he made it clear he wouldn't have signed a new contract (the full-time one) that I was negotiating. It wasn't difficult to approve the sale after that, since we only had Santala under contract until the end of this season. The 1.5 Million helps both the bottom line and the transfer fund, but a replacement is certainly needed.

***

23.6.09

With almost all our current players and staff on improved contracts, it was time to see about adding to the mix. Our fans had a distinctly mixed reaction about my first purchase, as they felt it could upset the harmony of the team. I believe part of this is rooted in the fact that Niels Ringoot will likely take away the starting role of popular Kenny McLean. As much as I like Kenny and as much as he has meant to our success, his ability has always been mostly based on his pace. As we play against BSP clubs with fullbacks that can easily match him, he will have to show more on the skills side. That is why I was pleased to pay 75K, which I consider a bargain, for what the 19 year old Ringoot brings. Ringoot can be a headstrong youngster, but he could also easily develop into an impact winger and that is the reason I brought him to us from Morton.

***

25.6.09

In what may turn out to be our most significant summer addition, I was able to complete the transfer purchase of 21 year old Slovenian Gregor Balazic from Raith for 100K. Balazic was a player that gave us fits as a 19 year old and remained a player I was interested in for a good long time. Now that we are a professional club- and in the BSP- Balazic was very interested in joining us. Our group of central midfielders is a steady competent bunch- Chris Hamilton, Adam Tiran, Steven McManus and Paul Weaver- but none of them hold a candle to the abilities that Balazic brings to the pitch. It took some extensive negotiating, but the contract is fair to him and favorable to us, as it avoids a minimum fee release.

[Faramir]

26.6.09

It took some negotiating, but Jukka Santala's replacement is now joining us. 18 year old center defender Anthony Hallam was a player I tried very hard to get two seasons ago, but he chose Darlington and their training facilities over the dump we had then when Gretna was ready to sell him. Times change and Hallam was pleased to see our improvements. He also was very happy to return to Scotland and guarantees of playing time- something he didn't achieve at Darlington. Hallam has the pace and acceleration I had been seeking for at least one of our centerbacks and it is packaged with solid defensive abilities. I am very happy to have him finally joining us and he will move directly into Santala's role.

***

27.6.09

It was disappointing to see the possible sale of Andrew Reilly to Livingston for 725K fall through due to lack of funds on their part. I had only discussed this with my staff recently, but what I had decided to do this season was to play Miklos Kollat on leftwing. Despite his natural affinity for striker, Kollat is not particularly well suited to play there- he lacks the physical presence and also some of the off the ball ablities that would make him more dangerous there. He is absolutely deadly in set piece situations, so my thoughts were that I could keep him on the pitch at leftwing and hopefully leverage his excellent crossing ability into greater chances up front. Livingston's offer on Reilly really set my plan into motion, but now I have to see if I can garner any interest in Reilly- as he told me he wouldn't sign for anything but a top rate contract and he did not earn that- in my estimation- last season. Reilly had a terrific first half last season, but dropped off appreciably in the crucible of the title chase.

[Faramir]

29.6.09

Another addition that I had been chasing since about the middle of last season finally made his first appearance at Firs Park today. Joining us after a 75K transfer purchase from Livingston is 22 year old Polish leftback Adam Andrzej. Ryan Carr played extremely well for us at leftback last season and he will continue to see playing time, but adding a player the caliber of Andrzej is always desirable. Andrzej instantly becomes the best corner taker and free kick taker on the club, besides his balanced set of skills. His arrival guarantees that Mark Gourlay, who had a poor last season, will be moving to the Reserves.

***

1.7.09

I was pleased that Livingstone was able to rework their offer for Reilly. Once again I accepted- the contract with Reilly was signed- and we pocketed the 725K they were able to actually give us this time.

It is worth a quick review of the club status at the moment with our first friendly- hosting the 'Gers on the 5th- days away. I remain in pursuit of several players, most notably some forwards, to improve our chances- so there will likely be more changeover as the preseason moves on. Financially, we are in very good straits. Due to the several large transfer sales, the TV money and improved season ticket sales we currently are 6.27 Million in the black. Our current transfer fund- originally at 1.6 Million- has now swelled to 3.49 Million. The Board's current weekly wage budget is set at 47,000/week and our current weekly payroll is at 20,150/week- which means we have significant room to add still. The top wage the Board is allowing me right now- 4400/week is a bit of a problem and has caused several players to turn down opportunities to play here. Still, that is a problem that can be addressed by continuing to pay attention to players who will come here for the chance to play. A local group blocked the planned Firs Park expansion at the end of last season, so we haven't improved there- but our training facilities are now not dismal anymore and that has gotten some positive comments from the players.

[Faramir]

2.7.09

The first move to address our shortcomings at forward was a surprise as Steve McDonald agreed to rejoin us. Kilmarnock, struggling with finances, accepted my offer of 60K for McDonald and it didn't take me long to work out a contract with his agent. I don't really consider McDonald to be prime BSP forward- but he has proven he can score and that is something we need up front. It will be good to have him taking penalties again, after many debacles with them last season. It was this move that reinforced Kollat going to the wing, something the press is just starting to catch up with.

***

3.7.09

We signed a pair of youngsters immediately after their release from youth programs. Ross Hepburn is a 19 year old midfielder/forward that we have had our eyes on for awhile. As soon as we knew Celtic released him, we were there with a contract offer. Hepburn has the ability to create plays and for one so young, he has a solid set of skills. A little further from playing time is 19 year old forward Paul Blake who was released from the Everton youth effort. Blake will get playing time on the Reserves, but if he develops he could be a valuable player in the future.

[Faramir]

4.7.09

On the eve of our friendly with Rangers, we were finally able to complete the transfer purchase of one of the several forwards I was chasing. Markus Paatelainen is just what we needed to add up front. The lanky Finn is a proven scorer, but had fallen out of favor at Dunfermline last season and that allowed us to purchase him for the reduced price of 14K. We welcomed him to the club and he will pair with McDonald up front to start against the 'Gers.

***

4.7.09

Another late addition may considerably change the makeup of our backline. Stewart Greacen is a 27 year old center defender/rightback who I had a world of respect for after seeing him stifle my forwards and wingers over the past few seasons. Clyde accepted a 16K offer and despite my Assistant Manager's doubts- I think he is a great addition. What this may do to the backline is allow me to move Danny Black to rightback and play Greacen and Hallam in the middle. Despite adding promising young rightback Ross Harvey after being released by 'Gers- I wasn't overly happy with our depth there. Daniel Simpson had an indifferent season and Carl Laurie is now happy with a utility role, so Danny himself suggested he could move over there- since that is what he plays on New Zealand National side. With the addition of Greacen, now I can test that.

***

5.7.09

Rangers had an easy time with us, but not so easy as last season. Ibrahim Arslan did well in net, but the goals were all due to defensive mistakes by the backline. We showed little offense, in part because Markus Paatelainen came out in the opening moments of the match after running into Gary Kenneth. 3-0 wasn't a bad result, but it showed how far we have to go.

[Faramir]

11.7.09

Our second friendly, a trip to Brechin, was much better. Steve McDonald showed trademark finishing with a brace and James Flood added a goal as we won 3-1.

***

15.7.09

We defeated East Fife when Paul Weaver scored at the end of the first half and James Flood scored at the end of the second half. It was a solid defensive effort for us.

***

17.7.09

I have to admit I wasn't sure the appeal would do much good, but we came up in clover as we managed to get a conditional work permit for Rincon. With that we really completed our transfer purchase of him from Manchester United for 30K. The 22 year old Brazilian rightback instantly becomes one of the most talented players on East Stirling and his arrival means that Danny Black will move back into the middle.

***

19.7.09

Goals from both of our leftwingers- Miklos Kollat in the first half and Mark Torrance in the second half helped us to a win in a friendly hosting Blackpool at Firs Park. Torrance's development was another factor in the decision to let Andrew Reilly move to another club.

[Faramir]

22.7.09

Two more transfer additions today as we continue to round out our squad. Joining us are 20 year old center defender Robert Cavener and 22 year old Dutch righwinger Sergio Zijler. Cavener came to us from Newcastle and cost 10K in transfer purchase and could turn out to be a good player, though for the moment he will be cover in the center. Zijler cost 22K from Dundee and is a talented and dynamic winger. His arrival may spell an unhappy Kenny McLean, because I will likely trade off Ringoot and Zijler as starters. Kenny should be a gameday sub though along with Lee Sichi as their versatility stands them in good stead in that use.

***

23.7.09

We lost to Hearts 4-3 in our last friendly, but it is hard to feel too disappointed. They jumped ahead 2-0 on our poor defensive coverage before Markus Paatelainen answered with a goal. Gregor Balazic got himself sent off at 32 minutes, but Paatelainen evened the match at 2-2 as we fought back. The second half featured more of the same as they scored midway through to take the lead, but we also answered that when Steve Lewis scored. They got the match winner a few minutes later, but it was a game effort from our side.

[Spav]

Looking forward to your efforts in the Premier League now that the friendlies are over, Faramir.

[Faramir]

Thanks Spav

***

24.7.09

As we are set to make our BSP debut against Hibernian at Easter Road, I have settled on a lineup for the match:

GK- Steven van der Deyl (Arslan played better in the friendlies, but van der Deyl is the one who got us here- so gets first shot)

DR- Rincon

DL- Adam Andrzej

DC- Anthony Hallam

DC- Danny Black

MR- Niels Ringoot

ML- Miklos Kollat

MC- Gregor Balazic

MC- Ross Hepburn (surprise development of the friendlies as he appears a very dynamic offensive player)

SC- Markus Paatelainen

SC- Steve McDonald

Sub- Steve Lewis

Sub- Kenny McLean

Sub- Lee Sichi

Sub- Stewart Greacen

Sub- Carl Laurie

Sub- Adam Tiran

Sub- Ibrahim Arslan

***

24.7.09

One last addition on the eve of the season as we completed a 95K transfer purchase of Marc McCusker from Morton. McCusker is a talented 19 year old forward who will certainly get some playing time in our forward rotation. I will have to seriously consider trying to move one of our other forwards, as I am certain there will not be enough playing time to go around up front.

[Faramir]

25.7.09

Hibernian (1) East Stirling (0)

We fought hard the whole match and deserved the draw, but Rincon got too fancy with a backpass in second half injury time and skittered it past Steven van der Deyl for an own-goal to ruin a good effort as we lost a closely played 1-0 match. A slew of yellow cards in the first half caused us problems and Adam Andrzej went off with his 2nd yellow card at 78 minutes. I was hoping just to survive with a draw, and that looked like the result until Rincon's ill-advised pass. They had more possession and shots in the match, but we had just as good scoring chances as them and it was a credit to Gaetano Romano that he kept us off the board. It was disappointing to lose after such a worthy effort, but sometimes those are the breaks of the game.

***

27.7.09

The book thinks little of our chances in BSP play as we have been made 1000-1 to win the title. As expected, Celtic and Rangers are co-favorites, with Aberdeen, Dunfermline and Dundee all drawing some interest as well

[Faramir]

1.8.09

East Stirling (0) Livingston (2)

This is not the way to start the season as we fell to Livingston 2-0 at Firs Park. We yielded a goal right away as Danny Black was called for a handball in the area and Pablo Maria Martinez Lidia converted the penalty kick past Steven van der Deyl. Rincon continued to have difficulties and his missed interception allowed Yannick Kitumba to waltz in and drill a shot past van der Deyl into the left side of the net. We managed a few chances, but Roddy McKenzie came up with a couple fingertip saves and the crossbar denied Sergio Zijler. We didn't play that poorly, but unless we start executing better we are in for a long season.

[Faramir]

2.8.09

It is obviously time for Plan B on leftwing. Miklos Kollat has not adjusted to it very well and is moping about not being played in his best position. With Mark Torrance inexperienced, I decided we needed another leftwinger and I believe we have a good one in 21 year Argentinean Gonzalo Higuain. Higuain cost 35K from Clyde and has a lot of potential. He has several appearances on the Argentinean Under-21 side and also carries a French passport. The difficult decision may be what to do with Kollat. Kollat does not shed markers well and doesn't have a lot of pace or strength which means he is relatively easy to neutralize in the area. He is getting marked well in set piece situations as well now which reduces his previous effectiveness. All of which may dictate me selling him while he has good value and living with Steve McDonald going from the left side- McDonald is the opposite of Kollat in ability to get free in the area and is strong enough to make his presence felt.

[Faramir]

9.8.09

Aberdeen (0) East Stirling (2)

We managed to stun Aberdeen on TV, as we played much better defense and leaned heavily on a fine performance by Ibrahim Arslan in upsetting them 2-0 at Pittodrie. Gonzalo Higuain delivered a goal with a smashing drive from beyond the area on a corner late in the first half to give us a halftime lead. We continued to soak up their attacks and then earned a penalty kick when Michael Hart tripped Miklos Kollat in the area. Gregor Balazic converted the penalty kick to earn us breathing space. Arslan finished out the match in fine fashion as he parried away two more close calls and we held on to give him a clean sheet in our 2-0 upset win.

[Faramir]

15.8.09

East Stirling (3) Ross County (3)

It's early, but I am disturbed by our effort so far. Excepting the performance against Aberdeen last week, we haven't come close to playing like I think we can and today was a case in point. We jumped ahead 2-0 on Sergio Zijler's header and then Steve McDonald's 50th goal for us in a three minute span in the first half. We started playing more conservatively in the second half, but our backline continues to make dumb mistakes and Adam Andrzej pushed Danny O'Donnell in the area on a free kick. Xavi Robles converted the penalty kick past Ibrahim Arslan and they were right back in the match. Ross Harvey made a superb pass to spring Markus Paatelainen and he scored his 1st goal for us to restore the two goal margin, but just as quickly Gregor Balazic made a poor choice and gave away a pass. That resulted in a good chance that Arslan stopped, but Robles was right there to bury the rebound into the goal. Andrzej, who had an awful match, then gave away a pass in our area that resulted in Preben Vatle Hammersland driving the equalizer home. Paatelainen lost his cool and used his elbow which earned him a redcard and likely more than a one match suspension in the waning moments as we just managed to survive to split the points in the 3-3 draw. It was a match we should have won. Injuries continue to pile up as Gonzalo Higuain dislocated his jaw and will likely miss the next month of action.

[Faramir]

18.8.09

Raith (1) East Stirling (3) League Cup 2nd Round

Raith certainly had intentions of brooming us out of the Cup competition and given our play of late, I couldn't blame them- we looked a bit ripe for the picking. However, they hadn't counted on a fine effort from James Flood and we rode his broad shoulders to a 3-1 win at Stark's Park that will move us on to the 3rd round. Flood proved elusive to the Raith backline and sent us into the lead early in the match after a nicely timed pass from Mark Torrance found him with enough space to snap a shot past David Sugar. Flood made it a brace when Kenny McLean showed exquisite vision to pick him out on the run with a curled pass and Flood fired it past Sugar into the right side of the goal. Flood made it a hattrick just past the midpoint of the first half when Torrance sent a sizzling cross and Flood half-volleyed it past Sugar. We went lax just before halftime and allowed them back into the match as Jamie Munroe drove a shot past Steven van der Deyl. We played a conservative second half and van der Deyl came up with three big saves to keep them from gaining any more ground on us as we managed to close out the 3-1 win.

[Faramir]

19.8.09

I decided it was time to start exploring a sale of Miklos Kollat- with full knowledge that he will be unhappy about it. The main reason is that despite his talent, unless he is able to score off set piece situations- he won't score much. He is getting marked regularly now (as he should be), so the time to sell him is now- while his value is fullest. I also decided to transfer list Tomasz Swierzynski. Swierzynski is already grumbling about a lack of playing time and really is not a 'team' player in any sense of the word. He has talent, but I like several other of our forwards better than him, so he is another one who it is time to see if we can find a new home.

***

20.8.09

Our draw in the 3rd round of the League Cup wasn't too kind, as we will face BSP holder Celtic at Celtic Park.

***

22.8.09

I shouldn't have been too surprised to see the additional 2-match suspension handed to Markus Paatelainen for his elbow/redcard. His loss leaves us without an important player in our next two matches- Dundee United and 'Gers- not what I was hoping for.

[Spav]

You're slowly starting to find your feet in the SPL by the look if it, Faramir.

A pity about Higuain's injury - I've used him on a couple of games and he should be a good player for you.

[Faramir]

Thanks Spav

22.8.09

Dundee United (1) East Stirling (0)

We continue to kill ourselves with mistakes. An Adam Andrzej own-goal is the only goal in the match and it equals another loss in a match we deserved at least a draw in. Dundee U was more efficient offensively, but good work from Ibrahim Arslan and strong support from the backline had allowed us to take the scoreless draw into the late stages of the match. We couldn't overcome the goal though and are left with the bitter taste of another self-inflicted loss.

***

23.8.09

Tomasz Swierzynski was sold to Arbroath for 120K (though much of that will be paid in installments over the next two years). I thought Hibernian had Kollat talked into a contract, but he spurned their offer and will remain with us for the present.

[Faramir]

30.8.09

On the eve of the transfer deadline, we welcomed back Adrian Nevins. For 30K, cash poor Kilmarnock was willing to let him return to us. With Anthony Hallam hurting and out with injury and the fact that Hallam hasn't yet played that well, I decided to bring Adrian back to the club, so he could pair with Danny Black in what had been a very solid defensive center for us. I am not ignoring Stewart Greacen, but Greacen's lack of pace and acceleration have both been exploited already in some of the matches he has started.

***

30.8.09

Our other last minute transfer purchase was also from Kilmarnock as we paid them 180K for 21 year old Dutch MC Peter Merkestijn. Merkestijn is an explosive midfielder and appears to be just starting to come into his own, I am very glad we were able to get him before he had drawn more attention from the bigger sides. His addition mean that he and Ross Hepburn will be working the more offensive midfielder role for us. Gregor Balazic and Adam Tiran will fill the more defensive role. Chris Hamilton will stay despite this as he continues to look very promising and will remain gameday sub for both spots.

[Faramir]

5.9.09

East Stirling (1) Rangers (2)

If we could figure a way to mark Martin Kamburov for an entire match, we might beat the 'Gers. Today we couldn't and his brace was enough to give them a close 2-1 win over us at Firs Park. Our backline remains a problem, though today it was partly because Danny Black is away on International duty with New Zealand. Kevin Gaughan made his first start and the lack of communication between him and Adam Andrzej allowed Kamburov to slip in unmarked and direct a pass past Ibrahim Arslan in the opening moments. We answered when Mark Torrance sent a long cross into the area and Marc McCusker flicked it past Jamie Jones. Kamburov got free again in the opening moments of the second half and another well placed shot got past Arslan. It was almost a hat-trick for Kamburov midway through, but he was ruled offside. We never managed another good chance against 'Gers in the second half in losing. I was disappointed as my observations about Kollat continue to be correct- he has talent, but he is never a factor around the net because he can't shed marking (and also because he won't stick his head in there when he needs too).

***

6.9.09

It is a bit frustrating to look on our poor start so far, as we haven't played that badly. All of our losses were one-goal losses and at least two of them should have been draws, had we not made errors that killed ourself. We can do better- I know this.

[Faramir]

13.9.09

East Stirling (1) Dunfermline (1)

We outplayed Dunfermline by a large margin, but were left salvaging a 1-1 draw when Danny Black's scorching free kick from 25 yards sailed just inside the left post at 89 minutes. The Dunfermline keeper, Bruno Costa, was a worthy MOM selection as he made some amazing saves to keep us trailing most of the match. Gregor Balazic's poor marking allowed Mark Burchill to slip in and score past Ibrahim Arslan midway through the first half in pretty much the only offense the visitors demonstrated. We welcomed Markus Paatelainen back from suspension and whole offense seemed much better with him in there. Our backline played better than they had of late and that made a difference. Now we just need to get consistent on our finishing and backline play and then we can start taking a few of these close matches.

[Guest PTFCfan]

Great story, Faramir!!

Are you going to restart with East Stirling in FM07??

[Faramir]

Thanks PTFCfan- I may play East Stirling in FM07, but I will likely start off- as I always do (and am playing in demo)- with my favorite club- Leyton Orient

***

16.9.09

Celtic (2) East Stirling (0) League Cup 3rd round

There were no surprises as we faced Celtic in the 3rd round of the League Cup at Celtic Park. Emrah Ekin, the 19 year old Swiss wunderkid, found Stewart Greacen roaming out of position and slipped in behind him to deflect a cross from Craig Beattie past Ibrahim Arslan in the first minute of the match. Surprisingly, we didn't look out of place after that goal and set up several nice scoring chances- only to see David Marshall parry them all away. We also came close early in the second half, with the same denials from Marshall. Ekin made it a brace when he blasted a ball past Arslan after a nice through ball from Beattie sprung him free. We had no further good shots after that. Despite losing, I was pleased with the effort as we played virtually none of our regulars in this match.

***

18.9.09

A bad gash on his leg will keep Ibrahim Arslan out of action for awhile. It figures that this occurred just on a stretch where I was going to try and make a proper evaluation of his development. Steven van der Deyl will have to carry the load until he gets back to playing fitness.

[Faramir]

19.9.09

East Stirling (3) ICT (2)

We certainly know how to make things hard on ourselves as we turned what should have been an easy win into a close win. Our offense finally clicked today- for the first time this season- and the first fruit came from Peter Merkestijn as he rapped home a rebound past Joe Lewis after Lewis had done a nice job parrying Marc McCusker's blast. Sergio Zijler set up Merkestijn to make it a brace with a searching pass that Merkestijn ran onto. Not content to go to the half leading 2-0, Steven van der Deyl was called for a trip on Florian Muller in the area and Romone Rose converted the penalty kick to draw ICT back. Midway through the second half we moved ahead by two goals again with a terrific pass from Rincon that allowed McCusker to rip a shot inside the left post. That goal turned out to be needed as Adam Andrzej was called for a handball in the area and Vitor Vinha converted the penalty kick. That was as close as they got as we reasserted midfield control to finally win another match.

[Faramir]

26.9.09

Hearts (0) East Stirling (2)

It took most of the match for us to find the chinks in the armor of Hearts' keeper Swen Konig, but we were finally able to do that with a pair of late second half goals to defeat Hearts 2-0 at Tyncastle Stadium. Neither side managed to score in the first half as both clubs were closely covering and good scoring chances were difficult to come by. It appeared the second half would be the same, with the exception that Konig and Steven van der Deyl were playing a more important role as both came up with sensational saves to keep the match scoreless. We finally struck for the lead when Peter Merkestijn really justified why I wanted him so badly. His acceleration and pace allowed him to get to a loose ball just before Laszlo Nagy-gyor and he managed to maintain his half-step advantage until he launched a 25 yard precision shot that went just inside the far left post for a fantastic goal. Less than 5 minutes later it was Steve Lewis, on for Marc McCusker, who used his acceleration and pace to break free down the left side. Lewis picked out Markus Paatelainen breaking free in the six yard box with a swerving cross and Paatelainen's goal cemented both the win and his selection for MOM honours. It was another clean sheet for van der Deyl in the 2-0 win.

[Faramir]

14.10.09

Dundee (1) East Stirling (0)

The match stats don't lie for this match. We outshot Dundee 15-3 for the match, but they scored on their lone shot on net and we missed close many, many times. On those we didn't miss close on, their keeper Mehdi Rahmati managed to get hands, fingers or legs on. The lone goal in the match came from Soren Ulrik Vestergaard when he volleyed a shot past Steven van der Deyl after a nice pass from Sebastien Hermans. We had our chances to get even in the match, but poor finishing did us in today and left with less than a result we deserved.

[Faramir]

17.10.09

East Stirling (1) Celtic (2)

Playing a club that you can't afford to make mistakes against, it is death for you when you make said mistakes and they make you pay. Both of their goals were direct defensive mistakes on our part and it cost us dearly. Miklos Kollat scored his 1st goal of the season to give us the lead when Markus Paatelainen flicked a header to find him free in the area and he rifled his shot past David Marshall. They equalized later in the first half as Emrah Ekin made Robert Cavener look silly in a one-on-one situation and then he whisked a shot past Steven van der Deyl. The second half was shaping up to be a bruising battle- until Cavener dallied on a ball he should have just lofted out of our area. Anthony Le Tallec skinned Cavener and scored the match winner past van der Deyl. It was another frustrating loss for us, but I can still the signs we are getting closer and hopefully we can turn the corner soon- else a battle to avoid relegation will be looming. What I liked about this match, is that we played with many of our 2nd line players and we didn't play scared against the best club in BSP. They executed better and that is why they won, but we played with poise the entire match.

[Faramir]

24.10.09

East Stirling (5) Hibernian (1)

Our fans went away from Firs Park with excitement after we exploded in the second half to tromp on visiting Hibernian. It is hard to believe the match was 1-1 at halftime or that we struggled quite a bit in the first half. Hibernian took the lead midway through the first half when Andy Bagshaw slipped Danny Black's marking and flicked a header past Steven van der Deyl. We managed to get back to even at halftime when Gregor Balazic blistered a 20 yard kick past Gaetano Romano. I didn't have to say much in the dressing room at half, the boys were simmering. Miklos Kollat deserved to have a goal today, even though he didn't get one, but at least he was recognized with MOM honours. His pressure on their backline led to Markus Paatelainen winding up with a brace on rebound goals that he put into open goals. Sergio Zijler added a beautiful diving header on a cross from Kollat. Marc McCusker, on for Paatelainen, capped off the scoring with another goal on a rebound as we completely destroyed the Hibernian backline in the second half with precison passing. This was easily our best half match of the season.

[Faramir]

1.11.09

Livingston (0) East Stirling (1)

There is no doubt we stole this win from Livingston, as the televised match brought out the best in MOM Steven van der Deyl. It was likely the best match I have seen Steven play for us as he made dazzling save after dazzling save. The lone goal in the match came late in the first half when Miklos Kollat blasted a shot off the inside of the left post. As the ball bounced behind Kari Dryden, who had a fine match himself, Markus Paatelainen was right there to put the ball into the net for his 5th goal of the season. The entire second half seemed an exercise in seeing van der Deyl come up with the big save to frustrate Livingston. Our backline didn't play too well, so too often it was up to Steven to save us- and he did every time today in earning a clean sheet. We also had to survive a redcard to Danny Black at 84 minutes in hanging on for the win. As Ibrahim Arslan makes it back to playing fitness, I will soon have a difficult decision. Arslan is clearly more talented than Steven, but Steven has been an absolute *money* keeper- winning many, many big matches for us.

[Faramir]

14.11.09

East Stirling (1) Aberdeen (2)

I knew it would be a difficult match against a surging Aberdeen squad- one that still wanted revenge for the televised loss we handed them early in the season- and that is what we got. The scoreless first half was highlighted by our loss of Steven van der Deyl to a twisted knee. We didn't manage much offense on the day as we were playing a bit shorthanded due to injuries and suspensions. Aberdeen took the lead early in the second half when the leading goal scorer in BSP struck- as Scott McDonald deflected a long pass from Kevin Foley past Ibrahim Arslan. Robert Cavener lost the marking on McDonald for that goal, but made up for it a couple minutes later when he pushed home a loose ball rebound given up by Greg Kelly after Kelly stopped Markus Paatelainen. I thougt we might wind up with a 1-1 draw, but McDonald dealt us a crushing defeat when he made it a brace in second half injury time. On a Kelly goal kick, McDonald split Cavener and Adrian Nevins before firing it past Arslan. The play reminded me why I like van der Deyl- despite his inferior skills- as he seems to consistently come up with the big save, something that Arslan couldn't do today.

[Faramir]

21.11.09

Ross County (0) East Stirling (4)

I was worried after our so-so performance against Aberdeen as I considered this road visit to Ross County to be a key match in avoiding the relegation tussle. I need not have worried too much, as the boys came through with a splendid effort and we rolled over the struggling home side 4-0. Markus Paatelainen sent us into an early lead in the match when he snapped a shot past Daniel Steuble after a deft pass from Peter Merkestijn. Ibrahim Arslan gave me a heart attack moments later when he played a ball up the middle from out on the right sideline. Fortunately, Adrian Peralta missed the wide open net from 45 yards. Paatelainen made it a brace and a 2-0 first half lead when he Steuble dallied with the ball and Markus drilled it past him. We opened up the second half by making it 3-0 in the opening moments. Rincon sent a beautiful curving pass that found Paatelainen in full stride and he laid the ball off as Merkestijn jetted into the play. Merkestijn drilled his shot into the left corner of the net, helping cement his MOM selection for the match. Less than two minutes later, Gregor Balazic put the match away and sent many of the Victoria Park fans home with a dazzling 30 yard strike that just caught the right corner of the net. With a 4-0 lead, our defense concentrated on helping Ibrahim Arslan earn a clean sheet.

[Faramir]

28.11.09

East Stirling (3) Dundee United (1)

Contributions from every part of the squad is what you need over a long season, and it was Lee Sichi's turn to shine again today as he keyed our 3-1 win over Dundee United. Sichi, who came on early for slightly injured Gonzalo Hugain, scored his 1st goal of the season midway through the first half to give us the lead. On a throw in, Adam Tiran flicked it to Sichi. Jan Mercy parried Sichi's initial shot, but Sichi snapped the rebound past him. Late in the first half Jonathan Bottinelli pulled down Steve Lewis, on for slightly injured Markus Paatelainen, in the area. Sichi made it a brace when he converted the penalty kick. Early in the second half it was Gary Duran who handballed in the area. Mercy blocked away Adam Andrzej's penalty kick, but the rebound came right to Andrzej and he didn't miss on the second time. Andrzej cost Ibrahim Arslan a clean sheet with a terrible error in handing the ball away in the corner. The cross from Marc Wilson found Jamal Jouhar unmarked in front of the net and he slipped a shot past Arslan. We closed out the 3-1 win on a stronger defensive effort in the late stages.

***

1.12.09

It was pleasing to see Gregor Balazic win the November BSP Young Player of the Month honour. Peter Merkestijn was runner-up in the balloting. Markus Paatelainen finished 3rd in the Player of the Month voting.

I was a bit stunned to be selected as Manager of the Month- edging 'Gers Glenn Hoddle and Celtic's Gordon Strachan.

[Faramir]

5.12.09

East Stirling (2) Hearts (0)

It was a big test for us as we hosted the club immediately below us in the standings and we passed with a strong effort in our 2-0 win at Firs Park. Clearly, this was a win where we took best advantage of our chances as both of our first half goals came on rebounds yielded by keeper Swen Konig. Marc McCusker, despite playing with a slight leg injury, showed excellent instincts in setting himself up on the right side of the net and he smashed the rebound in after Konig had stopped a hard, low shot from Miklos Kollat. The sequence repeated itself close to halftime as Konig parried away Lee Sichi's shot- only to see Peter Merkestijn in the right place to drive the ball past him. Ibrahim Arslan earned his clean sheet with a series of excellent saves late in the first half as the visitors were desperately trying to draw a goal back. We played strong defensively in the second half to support Arslan's clean sheet. We now face a rough three consecutive road matches, beginning with a trip to Ibrox to face 'Gers.

[Faramir]

12.12.09

Rangers (2) East Stirling (3)

It took everything we had- brilliant efforts from both Markus Paatelainen and Ibrahim Arslan and an early redcard to 'Gers Alan Hutton- but we managed to hang on and upset 2nd place 'Gers at Ibrox 3-2. Paatelainen scored a dazzling hattrick in the first 29 minutes of play. Adam Andrzej keyed the first goal with a long cross that saw Paatelainen scoot pass Res Strebel and fire a shot past Clas Bergwall. Less than five minutes later he made it a brace after a through ball from Peter Merkestijn put him clear. Hutton earned his redcard when he pushed Gonzalo Hugain and knocked him over. Rangers struck to draw a goal back as Lasse Qvist knocked home a loose ball after Robert Cavener failed to clear it away. Paatelainen completed the hattrick when he drilled a shot past Bergwall after a curving pass from Sergio Zijler found him free in the area. Despite only 10 men, I could sense 'Gers beginning to take over the match, so we played more conservatively with the two goal lead. We still held the lead early in the second half when our nemesis- Martin Kamburov escaped the marking of Robert Cavener and deflected a pass from Scott Brown past Arslan. Now with only a one-goal lead, we seemed to be cracking and only the fine play of Arslan kept us in the lead. Arslan really proved himself to me today- though Steven van der Deyl has done great work for us- Arslan should be our number 1 keeper. Brown and Andrea Gasberroni caused us fits- especially after I had to bring on Chris Hamilton for the slightly injured Merkestijn. I finally brought on Kevin Gaughan for Miklos Kollat and we hung on for dear life. The final whistle sounded and we survived with a 3-2 win that hurt the 'Gers dearly as Celtic continued their unbeaten skein to 21 matches with a win over Ross County.

[Faramir]

19.12.09

Dunfermline (1) East Stirling (2)

Another battle royale from start to finish as Dunfermline, desperately seeking a way up the table out of the relegation battle, pushed us hard before we snatched the win with a goal in second half injury time. Simone Villanova had a good day in the Dunfermline net and he stifled our chances early on. Villanova could not stop Steve McDonald's volley of a pass from Gonzalo Hugain to earn us a 1-0 halftime lead. Villanova kept the home side in the match in the second half as our passing attack started yielding results. Steve Lewis, on for McDonald, was stopped twice in point blank situations. He also tipped a shot from Markus Paatelainen over the bar and had help as Lewin Nyatanga cleared a shot from Niels Ringoot off of the line. That seemed to energize Dunfermline and Shaun Maloney raced down the left side before slipping a well-placed shot inside the near left post past Ibrahim Arslan. Villanova still had our number as we piled on the pressure, but all of our work finally paid off in injury time. Lewis got the ball with room to maneuver and snapped a shot. Villanova parried the shot, but this time Paatelainen was parked in the right spot to dump the rebound into the right side of the net for a matchwinner in our 2-1 road win.

[Faramir]

20.12.09

It is simply amazing to me- and a testament to the hard work of our club- that we are sitting in 3rd place as we reach midseason. Celtic and Rangers are head and shoulders above everyone, but seeing us in 3rd fills me with pride, especially given our bad start to the season. It is time to start thinking about finding new homes for unhappy players- as we have a few transfer purchases arriving when the next transfer window opens.

***

26.12.09

ICT (2) East Stirling (1)

We closed out our difficult three match in a row road schedule with a poor effort as we fell to ICT 2-1. Our backline was the major problem area in the match as Ibrahim Arslan played brilliantly in keeping us in the match. Arslan faced ex-mate Jukka Santala early in the first half after Anthony Hallam gave away another (his 3rd in limited play) penalty kick with an ill-advised tackle attempt. Santala calmly fired his shot inside the right post and we were trailing. We showed little offensively in the first half, but still only trailed 1-0 thanks to Arslan. In what would turn out to be a crucial mistake in the second half, our backline just did not get back to cover a counter attack and we paid when Graham Bayne was left alone in front and deflected a cross past Arslan. The failure was magnified when we finally found a way to score as Gonzalo Huguain drove a shot from inside the edge of the area past Joe Lewis, but Lewis came up with the save of the match when he stopped Markus Paatelainen on the doorstep moments later to preserve the close win.

[Faramir]

29.12.09

A brief midseason assessment of the club before the transfer window opens. We have gotten excellent work from our keepers, I don't see any problem there with the exception several French clubs are now scouting Arslan. Our backline hasn't done too badly, but we dearly missed Danny Black for the last month while he was away at Oceania Cup competition for New Zealand. Anthony Hallam has been injured most of the season. Adrian Nevins has been steady and Robert Cavener improving. Our fullbacks have been fine- though Adam Andrzej started slowly. Our wings improved with the addition of Gonzolo Huguain, but we do need cover for him. Sergio Zijler has been better than youngster Neils Ringoot, but together they have done fine on the right. Peter Merkestijn and Markus Paatelainen have helped carry us to the lofty heights we have reached thus far. Gregor Balazic settled into the defensive mid role nicely and we seem to have solid cover for them. Miklos Kollat has a fine rating, but has only scored 1 goal all season- I am looking for help up front to take the load off of Paatelainen. I am also trying to rid the club of unhappy players.

[Faramir]

2.1.10

The reopening of the transfer window brought a flurry of moves on our part as I tried to fine tune the squad on the fly to keep us in the upper half of the BSP for the season. A key arrival for us is 21 year old Bosnian forward Erton Fejzullahu. Though I had to pay Motherwell 450K, the Motherwell fans were up in arms over the sale of the youngster- he had been the leading scorer in Division 1. I am hoping he is the bookend forward that will take pressure off of Markus Paatelainen, since he has proven in past seasons that he can also score at the BSP level. The only risk with Fejzullahu is that we lose him fairly quickly to a 1.4 Million min fee release clause that I couldn't negotiate out of his contract. I will be making further efforts to redo his contract as the season moves along- after he realizes he is an integral part of our offense.

My other moves were more of addressing lack of cover than finding starters to help. Adding 21 year old Norwegian leftwing Preben Vatle Hammarsland from Ross County for 50K was of this variety. He impressed me when he scored against us early in the season in one of his few first team appearances and my scouts liked him too- he should be able to take some of the burden off Gonzalo Huguain. Joining us for 9K from Newcastle is 22 year old English center mid Kaan Onur. Though not quite as polished, Onur reminds me a lot of Peter Merkestijn and with Ross Hepburn looking not ready to contribute he will help provide cover for Merkestijn. Also joining us is 19 year old Irish Keeper Chris Nicholson for 1K from Queens Park. I don't expect him to contribute soon, but with the big French clubs still scouting Ibrahim Arslan heavily, he gives us another solid youngster.

Leaving us is Steven McManus, who was sold to MK Dons for 24K. McManus has a lot of skill and talent, but never really blended into the style of football that we play.

[Faramir]

2.1.10

East Stirling (0) St.Johnstone (0) Scottish Cup 3rd Round

I decided to rest most of our first line players against St.Johnstone and though our 2nd liners did well, we couldn't find a way to score on their stubborn backline. We had some good chances that Lenny Pidgeley saved and we had other chances that we didn't put on net. They managed to have the same kind of match too- some chances that Steven van der Deyl saved and more that were well off the mark. We will have to travel to McDiarmid Park for a replay now- and I plan on staying with much the same lineup because we host Dundee three days after the replay.

***

2.1.10

I finally completed the sale of unhappy midfielder Paul Weaver. Alloa paid us 150K in transfer fees to purchase him, but the purchase left their fans uneasy after he immediately demanded to be the center of attention there.

***

6.1.10

I was really happy to finish a 55K transfer purchase of 19 year old Belgian center defender Nathan Goris from Livingstone. Goris is an exceptional tackler and also a worthy passer, both of which may lead to him winding up a starter in our central defense. Right now I am accumulating promising young center defenders, because I am not all that pleased with how we have performed there, so that as the season progresses I will hopefully have an idea of who I want to groom to be starters- and who should be cover. I was also pleased to add another Belgian, 22 year old leftback Jeremy Nieus from Ross County for 2K. Nieus may well give Ryan Carr a challenge for the cover role behind Adam Andrzej.

[stefano1981]

Excellent story, mate. Keep it up!

[Faramir]

Thanks stefano1981 Glad you are liking the story

***

6.1.10

St.Johnstone (1) East Stirling (0) Scottish Cup 3rd Round Replay- Extra Time

One long pass that found Jason Scotland with a step on Adrian Nevins and that was all she wrote for our Scottish Cup chances as Scotland's 50th goal for St.Johnstone turns out to be a dramatic match-winner in Extra Time. We battled them to a scoreless end of regulation play and that was mostly due to fine work from Lenny Pidgeley, as he again stymied us. Steven van der Deyl did his part at our end as well- until Scotland was able to dance in alone and fire a well placed shot to send St.Johnstone onward.

[Faramir]

9.1.10

East Stirling (6) Dundee (2)

Though we won 6-2, the final score could easily have been 10-2, as we had that many excellent scoring chances- including a penalty kick that was saved as we routed Dundee at Firs Park. The debut of Erton Fejzullahu was a superb one as he started us off with a brilliant touch pass that allowed Peter Merkestijn to slip in and fire a shot past Mehdi Rahmati early in the first half. Gonzalo Higuain followed with a scorching drive for a 2-0 lead. They drew a goal back as Daniel Toszer deflected a corner past Ibrahim Arslan. We restored the two-goal as Merkestijn added his 2nd of the match and then made it 4-1 at halftime when Fejzullahu celebrated his 1st goal for us. They drew another goal back when Juanma Pena scored his 15th of the season to finish off a counterattack. We then put the match out of reach as Anthony Hallam deflected a corner past Rahmati for his 1st goal here and Markus Paatelainen finally scored to cap the scoring in the 6-2 win. The win over the club directly behind us in the standings helped us to a more firm hold on 3rd place in the BSP.

[Faramir]

11.1.10

James Frayne is on his way back to England after he accepted a contract from Bournemouth. We receive 20K initially, but there is also a 725K clause that kicks in when he scores 10 league goals- something he may do by the end of the season.

***

12.1.10

Nathan Goris will get a trial by fire as he will make his debut for us against Celtic in Celtic Park. I completed the sale of unhappy Robert Cavener to Stevenage for 150K, and then Adrian Nevins went out with a leg injury. With Danny Black continuing to be away on duty with New Zealand, I will have to start Goris and Anthony Hallam against Celtic- two 19 year olds- and hope they continue to exhibit maturity.

***

12.1.10

We now face another difficult 3 road matches in a row beginning with Celtic and followed by Hibernian and Aberdeen. This stretch will be a good gauge on how well the club is setting up for the stretch run.

***

15.1.10

Celtic are riding a 24 match unbeaten streak coming into our match with them. Obviously, they are big favorites- but I hope to at least make them notice us.

I decided to just give Danny Black a week off from training. He was looking awfully tired when arriving back here after all his playing time for New Zealand.