retired_brinker317

This is superb Iain :thup:

Craig looks one hell of a player as well :o

BarryLFC

Yeah, he was playing well too, but £10,000 was over his value price so it would have been unfair on the player to force him to stay. I wish he'd rejected the offer though.

shannon2007

I've come to the conclusion Iain that you're a sadist (or is it a masochist). :p

BarryLFC

Sado-masochist? :o

retired_marcias

bah @ unfair on them and over their value and stuff

I rejected £9 million from Celtic for one of my Ross County youngsters - he got over it :p

BarryLFC

I'm an equal opportunities employer.

BarryLFC

37.

We were able to field our strongest XI at Raith as February got off to an unseasonably warm start in Kirkcaldy. We were the stronger side throughout, but the 0-0 final was a testament to the strong play of the Rovers' goalkeeper. Ayr lost at St Johnstone in an upset - perhaps all is not lost just yet!

The cup provided a distraction a week later as we looked to eliminate Falkirk despite a suspension for Steven Ritchie. As happens a lot lately the first half was goalless, but with fifteen minutes of the second to go the home side scored agaisnt the run of play through our least favourite player, Ian MacSween. A penalty five minutes later allowed Birsa to make it 2-0 and it seemed our cup dreams were over for another season. Moran hit the Falkirk bar from 70 yards, but injury reduced us to 10 men and the tie was done.

The derby at Love St seemed a perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways and despite missing Mark Wilson to injury we were confident. That confidence was dented when Kevin Devlin put Saints ahead midway through the first half and we couldn't erase that defecit before the break. Even after the break we were poor, with the Buddies creating most of the chances, but with five minutes to go a fine strike from substitute Robert Dunn pulled us level, and seconds into injury time Steven Ritchie headed an unlikely second goal to put us ahead. A red card for Barry Kane of St Mirren moments later for hauling down David Fraser when through on goal killed any chance of a home recovery and it was a sweet, sweet derby day victory.

Forfar were our next visitors, and rude ones at that, scoring after only five minutes. Not only that, but they stubbornly refused to concede for the entire ninety minutes and made off with our three points. They shan't be invited back. A poor month's worth of performances ended up at Inverness where the players were charged with the task of redeeming themselves in our hunt for second place. Yet again though we lost a stupid early goal to a counter-attack and found ourselves on the back foot. It's all well and good to say the league is over, but after Ross County trying their level-best to throw the title away last season, games like this have to be won. Brian Johnstone belted a leveller from eight yards shortly before half time and the ball just about burst such was the velocity of his shot. Inverness though scored twice in the second half and we lost. A bad few weeks and February was over. Let's hope March is more forgiving.

BarryLFC

38.

You knew it was a new month immediately. Five first-half goals underlined the fact, and though Brechin won the second half 2-1 the 6-2 result was pretty sweet. Doubles for Hamilton, Johnstone and, oddly, Anthony Reid - deputising for Moran - comprised our tally, with another double making up Brechin's, Chris Templeman the man on target. Eight games now remain, and the seventeen point gap to Ayr is insurmountable. There are five up to St Johnstone so we need to catch them for second, grab a bye in the League Cup and set a foundation for a tilt at promotion next year.

Wilson and Moran were back for the big match in Perth but once more the first half was scoreless, which was not surprising for such an important game. Chances were at a premium even after the break but with twenty minutes to go comeback man Wilson fired us in front with a well-taken goal. Saints pressed to the finish, but time ran out on them and we moved to within two points with a game in hand on them.

Ayr came calling next as we looked to reverse the losing trend we had established against them and with Iwelumo on the bench we held them scoreless to the break and with Anthony Reid again in at the back and in goalscoring form we took a 1-0 leaf after it. It only took fifteen minutes for Ayr to level though, Michael Doyle scoring, but the point was hard-fought and well earned. I was proud of the team.

A first half red card for Craig McGowan at home to Falkirk was a blow, but with a 1-0 lead to defend we came out in reasonably confident mood. Not for long though as a fluke goal from Scott Young tied the game five minutes into the second half. Still, we're not easily beaten and Brian Johnstone's second of the game restored our lead with half an hour to go. Falkirk knew this was a chance to beat us once again and piled forward, but Ian MacSween blazed over after a strong run and long range shots were not troubling Robertson. Time ticked away and when it finally ran out we had three more points and Falkirk had none, which was nice.

We swep the player and manager awards, Brian Johnstone picking up the youngsters' prize and Anthony Reid being the surprise, but very appropriate Player of the Month. It had been a much improved month, and thankfully there are no more Februarys this year.

BarryLFC

39.

Visiting Partick used to mean a draw, but we've beaten them this season to break that hoodoo, now they had a chance to return the favour. A missed Johnston penalty allowed the Jags to bounce into a 2-0 lead and an own goal made that three late on. This was one game we would simply have to put down to experience, for Partick it moved them ahead of St Mirren, but both sides have long since been relegated. This was also the week that Ayr mathematically clinched the title and promotion. Ross County will replace them in the First Division next season.

A spate of minor injuries robbed us of three or four players for the visit of Inverness, but it was a solid XI that took the field and took a 45th minute lead through a fine Johnstone header, his 21st of the season and the highest tally of his career. Inverness levelled after the break, but John Johnston made up for his penalty miss last week with an 87th minute conversion this and after Stefan Schill was sent off for the visitors there was no chance of a comeback.

Raith came calling next and looked to continue their decent form in games between us this season. Brian Johnstone scored after 17 minutes, but this was never going to be an easy game and Raith fought tooth and nail throughout. A good, good John Johnston goal with about fifteen minutes to go looked to have sealed the points and it had.

Two points from our final two fixtures would clinch second place, with St Johnstone dropping points lately and we had our strongest XI available for the trip to Forfar. Andy Hamilton put us ahead just before the break as we looked to return the favour we received on Forfar's last trip to Greenock. The home side though have done well to stay up this season and are no mugs. They proved it with an equaliser two minutes into the second half and when Hamilton missed an open goal it seemed we may not win, but a Steven Ritchie header from a corner re-established our lead and we never relinquished it, clinching second place in the process.

Our only game in May was the derby at home to relegated St Mirren and we had everything to lose with victory expected. The derbies so far this season have been tense encounters, but we've come out on top each time and another win is demanded this time. An early own goal was a boost to the Buddies and they battled well to hold the lead to half time. Last time out we didn't level till there were just five minutes to go, but this time it took only 30 second half seconds for Brian Johnstone to level. I threw John Mann on with twenty minutes to go as both sides started thinking about a winner, but when he blazed a glorious chance high and wide I began to doubt his ability. The draw allowed St Mirren to salvage a little pride without taking all the bragging rights, but our season had been a lot better than theirs.

BarryLFC

40.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag G.D. Pts 1st C Ayr 36 21 11 4 84 32 +52 74 </pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">2nd Morton 36 18 10 8 51 35 +16 64 </pre><pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">3rd St. Johnstone 36 15 12 9 41 34 +7 57 4th Falkirk 36 13 15 8 40 29 +11 54 5th Raith Rovers 36 13 15 8 43 36 +7 54 6th Brechin 36 13 12 11 43 52 -9 51 7th Forfar 36 13 4 19 59 61 -2 43 8th Inverness C. Thistle 36 9 10 17 47 60 -13 37 9th R Partick Thistle 36 6 10 20 44 67 -23 28 10th R St. Mirren 36 3 13 20 33 79 -46 22 </pre>