Just In From San Starko

[jags on tour]

We started off well and had a few half chances, big Sinclair had a free head at the back post which he should have scored with and Lawless squared the ball to Elliott about 10 yards out but he tried to control it with his 8th touch as usual and sclaffed a shot into the keepers hands. Mensing was booked after a few mins then fouled Erskine as he was breaking into the box, the awful ref then shat out of sending someone off so early and booked another guy, unbelievable! Raith came back into the match and we stopped doing everything we're usually good at.

Their goal came from a Sinclair mistake at the edge of the box, instead of clearing his lines he tried to control it but Spence nicked it and fired through Fox, looks as though yet again Fox should have done better, it seemed to go through his hands, he was punching balls out in the warmup instead of simply catching them, dunno if he was trying to punch it for whatever reason,to be fair he then produced a superb fingertip save to keep us in the game.

Dools came on for Elliott thankfully. Lawless and Erskine weren't as effective but they kept going and eventually we got the equaliser. Can't remember who crossed in for Dools, the offiicial site says Muirhead, Dools was unmarked and the keeper had no chance.cue mass celebrations in the Jags end!

the ref was shocking for both teams to be honest, Mensing should have walked, the Raith timewasting both before their goal and after was a joke, everytime we had a freekick or shy they would kick the ball and when they had a shy they took an age but the ref just let them do it.their keeper was a prick, with 20 mins to go at home hes running the ball back to bye line for Dools to come and chase him in before he picks it up.I hope he enjoyed the picking the ball out of the net at the end!

no real standouts for us today, Erskine,Lawless,Bannigan and Paton worked hard, if I had to pick a MOTM it would probably go to big Muirhead, solid once again and didn't start launching aimless balls upfront when we were 1-0 down and apparently crossed for Doolans goal! Credit to Jackie for his subs today, Doolan was always going to come on at some point but bringing on Forbes for Murray when looking for a goal was a good move, I like the look of Forbes, he keeps the ball moving in midfield and doesn't panic on the ball, I think he could be a good signing once he's fully fit.

Edited September 29, 2012 by jags on tour

[kni]

^ According to the official site's commentary, your MOTM Muirhead crossed for Doolan's goal.

[chunky jag]

Fantastic feeling to equalise at the death, feels like a victory. We weren't great, but deserved a point. Sinclair and fox both to blame for goal, but fox went on to have few decent saves. Muirhead motm for me. Missing welsh, he directs the whole thing, need him back asap. Raith are a horrible team.

[kni]

If Welsh is out next week, should Forbes start to allow Bannigan to move back to left back?

[Toaster]

good day today apart from that shocking refereeing.

realistically we should have been playing vs 10 men for most of the game. still was a brilliant feeling to see that equaliser hit the back of the net and grab us a point.

[chunky jag]

Not sure on forbes fitness, need to maybe get him more reserve football. Is murray an automatic choice?

[kni]

Not sure on forbes fitness, need to maybe get him more reserve football. Is murray an automatic choice?

 

With Rowson being injured, Murray has been an automatic choice. The manager would been crazy to change a side with a 100% record. It seems that he made a tactical change to chase the game when we went behind and was rewarded with an equaliser. Jackie will have more options when Rowson and Forbes are 100% fit.

[Jaggyman]

We started well and were on top in first half. Made a few chances but didnt work the goalkeeper. Mensing really should have been sent off by the incompetent referee who to be fair was rank for both teams. After the break it was eachy peachy until Sinclair tried to control the ball at the edge of the area instead of clearing and set up the raith player who was through on Foxy and scored easily. Raith got a lift from that and we were all over the place but for 2 or 3 superb saves from Fox we would have been 3 or 4 down in no time. Creditto the players who kept plugging away and got their reward with Doolans last minute header. raith are a horrible team to watch breaking play up at every opportunity and time wasting from early on in saying that they are good and effective at what they do. Feels like a victory when defeat seemed certain. Bring on the ton

[G SUS]

If Welsh is out next week, should Forbes start to allow Bannigan to move back to left back?

 

Not sure if Forbes should start but Bannigan should move back to left back. It was completely stupid of MacNamara to change a completely solid defence, he got away with it last week and it nearly cost us the game today.

[Trotter]

If Welsh is out next week, should Forbes start to allow Bannigan to move back to left back?

 

Yes

[Fawlty Towers]

Not sure if Forbes should start but Bannigan should move back to left back. It was completely stupid of MacNamara to change a completely solid defence, he got away with it last week and it nearly cost us the game today.

 

I would hardly say putting Sinclair to left back to replace Bannigan was a terrible decision considering Forbes is not fully match fit yet. Sinclair may have made a mistake today but we need to get behind all the players as they will all be needed over the course of the season.

[G SUS]

I would hardly say putting Sinclair to left back to replace Bannigan was a terrible decision considering Forbes is not fully match fit yet. Sinclair may have made a mistake today but we need to get behind all the players as they will all be needed over the course of the season.

 

Why change a defence that had been solid? It had conceded 1 goal in 4 games - from a set-piece. I'm not saying Sinclair's entirely to blame(though he certainly cost us a goal today) but why change something so solid? We could have played Craigen rather than shoving a player into an unfamiliar role.

[Santana]

Apart from the mistake for the goal I thought Sinclair had a good game. He doesn't seem to be as quick as he was last season, don't know if his ankle injury has cleared up 100%.

[Steven H]

 

 

Why change a defence that had been solid? It had conceded 1 goal in 4 games - from a set-piece. I'm not saying Sinclair's entirely to blame(though he certainly cost us a goal today) but why change something so solid? We could have played Craigen rather than shoving a player into an unfamiliar role.

 

I think the majority of us would see the switch of bannigan into midfield and Sinclair to left back as the best option to replace Welsh. Forbes is still short of fitness.

[G SUS]

I think the majority of us would see the switch of bannigan into midfield and Sinclair to left back as the best option to replace Welsh. Forbes is still short of fitness.

 

So is Sinclair...

 

I'd rather have someone short of match fitness in an attacking role than a defensive. He could have played Craigen for an hour then Forbes the last 30 if fitness was an issue. I just don't get why he changed our strongest position: the defence.

 

It's irrelevant, We've won 6 and drawn 1 and we're top of the league. We should enjoy it.

[Fawlty Towers]

So is Sinclair...

 

I'd rather have someone short of match fitness in an attacking role than a defensive. He could have played Craigen for an hour then Forbes the last 30 if fitness was an issue. I just don't get why he changed our strongest position: the defence.

 

It's irrelevant, We've won 6 and drawn 1 and we're top of the league. We should enjoy it.

 

Here here!

[erty13]

Sitting in the weird main stand, so had a good view of the game.

 

First half we dominated and probably had 70% of the posession, but we missed a few easy chances and this gave rovers hope.

 

They really are an ugly team to play against, but our midfield general (murray) played ok, but did not step up to boss the midfield.

 

I thought linford played well, just did not get enough service. He would not have been my choice to come off.

 

We did not put in many good crosses. Most hit the first defender. Other than the goal fox played well made a few realy good saves.

 

Erty

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Sitting in the weird main stand, so had a good view of the game.

 

First half we dominated and probably had 70% of the posession, but we missed a few easy chances and this gave rovers hope.

 

They really are an ugly team to play against, but our midfield general (murray) played ok, but did not step up to boss the midfield.

 

I thought linford played well, just did not get enough service. He would not have been my choice to come off.

 

We did not put in many good crosses. Most hit the first defender. Other than the goal fox played well made a few realy good saves.

 

Erty

Erty, from where I sat I couldn't see clear enough the individual ref decision incidents that were so annoying the locals. Were Raith hard done by any/many of those decisions?

[erty13]

The rovers fans were shouting for everything, but the ref got the vast majority of the decissions corect. Was with my dad who is a rovers fan as they are his local team and he was surprised at how many fouls they committed.

 

They gave muirhead some rough treatment when he was pushed up front. At one free kick a rovers player had him in a head lock. Somebody needed to sort out a few of the rovers players.

[kennymac29]

I thought Christie ran his socks off today. Best game I've seen him although I missed last week.cant believe Stephen odonnells change from last year. Superb today, that block was brilliant. Turning into a fantastic right back.

 

Aaron played well apart from the mistake.

 

Thought motm was foxy. Although an even game foxy was awesome.the save or the shot on 80 mins was outstanding.

 

Ps doooooooooolan.only guy on the team that could have scored that.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

The rovers fans were shouting for everything, but the ref got the vast majority of the decissions corect. Was with my dad who is a rovers fan as they are his local team and he was surprised at how many fouls they committed.

 

They gave muirhead some rough treatment when he was pushed up front. At one free kick a rovers player had him in a head lock. Somebody needed to sort out a few of the rovers players.

Ta.

 

I thought the ref started out so finicky and ended up letting either side take so much liberty. Regardless over the piece, the Mensing thingy aside, he wasn't that poor. To his credit and to our benefit he did allow for the Raith time wasting. At the time he looked oblivious to the gamesmanship but clearly wasn't fooled.

[Harrybriscoe]

I guess we can all be a bit biased when appraising out team's performance but having just had a look at

the Raith Rovers fans forum, to get a view of the game from their perspective, I think the use of

something stronger than waccy baccy in that corner of Fife must be extreme.

 

I can understand their disappointment at losing a (well deserved imo) late equaliser to us, but to think they were the better

team over 90 mins - your havin' a laugh!

The football played by Thistle was superior for large parts of the game, especially in the first half,

and on another day we could have won quite comfortably.

 

Rovers fans are unhappy about the time added on by the referee, but they should lay the blame

for that on their own players and management whose playground tactics at timewasting were an

embarrassment. They even resorted to ball boys blatently ignoring balls that went out of play.

 

Also, Mensing should have clearly walked in the first half for a second yellow, but the ref bottled it and

picked on another Raith player instead.

I was surprised that the ref didn't catch up with Mensing in the second half and brandish a yellow for the

constant dissent he was subjected to throughout the game by Mensing.

 

Rovers did have chances, of course they did. I just thought we had a more and it would be interesting

to see the match stats if they are available online.

 

Aaron was unlucky to lose possession and to tee it up for the lad for their goal, but bad luck like that will

happen from time to time. Although I thought on the whole Foxy had a good game, at the Rovers goal I was

again disappointed that although he appeared to get a good hand(s) to the ball, as he did against Cowdenbeath,

he was unable to stop or divert the ball away from goal. I'm sure he will be too.

Maybe something to work on in training.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, can't wait for the next game as I love the football we play these days.

Mon the Jags!

[erty13]

When rovers made their last substitution, the ref had a word with the player who was leaving the field.

 

I think he was warning him that if he walked off slowly then more time would be added

[Duck snort]

Don't know what they are complaining about. By my watch the 2nd half kicked off at 4.01 and finished at 4.50, so at most 4 minutes of injury time. Given that there were 6 subs and a lot of time wasting 4 minutes seems perfectly reasonable. We scored in the 2nd minute of injury time anyway.

 

The ref did give some very strange decisions for both sides, but the only one of any importance was booking someone other than Mensing when it would have resulted in him going off.

 

Played some really good stuff in the first half without really testing the keeper. We must have had 3 or 4 quality crosses along the 6 yard line without anyone being there for the final touch. Thought Elliott played well but just lacks that confidence in front of goal. Really needs a goal.

[Davie Thistle]

.......everybuddy

gets the same amount of extra time!

They get 4mins so do we.

Greetin for nuffin.

Anyway onwards and upwards!

Wee hic-up!

Monra Jagzz!!