JAG1970

That last minute goal today ruined it 😁

A deserved and badly needed win. Hopefully paves the way for more going forward and builds confidence. Robinson was outstanding and McBeth ran him close for MoTM, but every player worked their socks off. Thought the defence had too much to do in the last 20 mins, too many hurried and misplaced passes in the middle of the park gave possession straight back to Morton. Something still to be worked on. Also some questionable decision making in the final third, two glaring ones from Fitzy and another from Zander, but delighted to get the win which in the end is all that matters. Well done to the players and the manager.

Tough game and our defence will again be under pressure with lots of high balls into the box. I think Doolan will make one change from last week, bringing in Bannigan (or maybe Stanway) for McInroy. Assuming no new injuries. Several teams will now have us in their sights, including Morton, Airdrie, Dunfermline, all chasing a playoff spot, with the later two now having momentum. After today we have just 3 games at Firhill, ICT, Airdrie and Ayr. Tough away schedule to Dunfermline, Raith and Utd after the aforementioned Arbroath. Therefore essential we start picking up points today and next week against Arbroath then ICT. As for those who “would be happy to finish mid table this season”, it raises an interesting point. Let’s imagine Doolan was tasked with just that as a minimum based on whatever his budget was. The fact that we have been sitting quite comfortably in 3rd for so long, if we were to mis out on a playoff would undoubtedly feel like failure regardless of any alleged mid table “target”. And that could result in fewer ST sales next year as the earlier “feel good factor” diminishes. But hopefully we get back on track today.

Andy Dunlop?

McCready doesn’t appear to have played a single game for Spartans this year

Seen this film so often. On top for the first 30 but fail to capitalise. Concede a cheap goal. Feel sorry for ourselves and fall out the game for the next 30. Then huff and puff side ways with no real idea how to break down the opposition because they know how we play. Yes, we went close at the end but I don’t think their keeper had a save to make in the second half. Saturday is massive. Defeat, and assuming Airdrie beat Arbroath, then we’re hanging on by our fingernails to avoid 5th. We really need to find a win somehow or we’re banking everything on OReilly being the answer to our defensive woes by the time we play ICT. But all is well: Thistle manager Kris Doolan said: "We know we were the better side. It's a sore one, but you don't have time to dwell on things. We have to be resilient and come back stronger."

Groundhog Day. Could/should have been 2 up after a good first 30mins. But the opposition then play the sneaky set piece trick….

Adeloye next in line for a scan…. Williams may be out for a while….OReilly hopefully back for ICT at the end of the month, so short in defence again. Will Dools put Neilson back to central defence and allow Milne into his more effective position of full back? Bite your hand off for a point tomorrow night and 3 against Morton on Saturday, or just 3 on Saturday as second place has disappeared over the horizon for us. But never give up, never surrender….

Tuesdays game is on tv so might affect the attendance

Would have bitten a hand off for a point having gone two behind but overall disappointed. After last week I was hoping we’d be tougher to score against but two fairly soft goals conceded today. With just 5 points from a possible 21 and no wins in 7 we really need to get back to winning on Tuesday or we're at risk of slipping out of the playoff positions. Just realised it’s Raith on Tuesday so maybe not… but beating Morton seems essential

Haven’t seen the lad but if Everton are keen I’m sure we’d all rather he got into our team in due course and got plenty of first team experience and hopefully a good fee if he moved on. Only need to look at Cameron (?) who went to Rangers but was released a year later. But obviously can understand the lure of EPL and more money. On a totally unrelated topic I see David Beattie has joined the board of Ayr U…… scrub that… Ayr Rugby club!

Ref kept shrugging his shoulders like “I didn’t see it”… Another duffer

Good performance in the first half, could have been 2 up with Neilson going close twice. Mitchell looked solid and was good at getting the ball going forward quickly several times. On the back foot for most of the second half and another poorly defended goal. But it was a gusty performance which deserved a point. Could have had a penalty in the second half for handball, and either Doc or the petulant Moult could have seen red. Think we need to stick with this starting line up especially Neilson in midfield and Williams at right centre back. Hopefully provides some solidity and consistency over the next couple of games at least.

Neilson growing in confidence in his midfield role and causing them problems .

Arbroath’s comeback victory tonight against Raith (2.0 down with 30 mins to go) and their game management was really impressive. If they can do it surely we can. Although I think the result gives the incentive back to DU which will make it even harder for us tomorrow.

Yes, Doolan has confirmed 6-8 weeks out and Sneddon out for several weeks or longer

Ahead of the next game it seems appropriate to slightly misquote Einstein: insanity is playing the same defence over and over again and expecting a different result

I think it’s 44/25 = 1.76? But hey just trying to put some lipstick on the pig

Airdrie win at Tannadice and don’t concede. Morton draw at Kirkcaldy and don’t concede. We can only dream what that’s like and how they do it

Looks like we’re in the sh*T then unless he pulls a good defender in on loan

Our third place “cushion” has gone and with the next 4 games against DU/QP/RR/Morton expect we will be out of the top 4 by then. With no changes at HT against a bang average Ayr, Doolan hasn’t demonstrated a plan B so presumably he’s banking everything on a fit OReilly quickly returning and shoring up that defence? He clearly doesn’t have any confidence in the likes of Williams and Ngwena to make a difference. The strikers evidently need to score three or four every week for a draw now. “we can’t score 3 away from home and not win”… someone said after the ICT game Risk of free fall now

Looking forward to finally seeing plan B in the second half

Maybe we could stick a sofa in defence

And Doolan has a smaller budget than last season? And didn’t know what division we were going to be playing in until June… plus he’s just completed only his first year in management versus McCall who has loads of managerial experience (and I wish McCall all the best in saving Clyde, even if I’d much prefer he saved any other team 😁). But moving on from the McCall v Doolan debate because Kris IS our manger….. Lots of things need addressing including our defence our game management lack of pace and physicality (amply exposed by a struggling Livingston, albeit they have benefited from top league revenue) a lack of a plan B when things aren’t going our way, too much dependency on our front 3 to keep digging the team out of a hole But Rome wasn’t built in a day and it probably can’t all be fixed until we go through another transfer window Whilst we could slip our 3rd spot between now and the end of the season, I was really impressed by McBeth who might add some sorely needed steel to the midfield, and OReilly will hopefully be available soon to shore up the defence, and/or we pull someone in on loan. And maybe if Stewart gets a couple of games under his belt his sharpness will improve or Mitchell comes back and does the same. Reasons to be optimistic but not complacent.

A big test coming over the next 3 weeks starting Tuesday away to Ayr, then Dundee U, QP, Raith and Morton.. We’ve now conceded 40 goals in 24 league games, 1.7 per game, it just hasn’t improved all season and short of a fit OReilly possibly making a difference I think Doolan needs to look for a Steven Anderson type loan to shore things up. I see no reason why the existing personnel are suddenly going to improve. Can’t keep asking the forwards to score 3 or more most weeks. We’ve managed just 4 clean sheets in 24 games.