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Post by Roy of the Rovers on Jul 14, 2024 23:37:00 GMT
Tuesday 16th July Friendly v Dalbeattie Star home k-o 7.45pm General admission - £5. Accompanied under-16’s - free entry.
*No unaccompanied under-16s.
**Season tickets are not valid. Cash only
After having witnessed first hand them being demolished 8-1 in the Lowland League play-off 2nd leg at Broxburn a mere 7 weeks ago (they lost 4-1 in the 1st leg) I can't see anything but a Rovers win against the South of Scotland League champions.
I predict 5-0 in a match that may see fewer trialists than we've used recently as Sandy Clark get closer to his preferred starting XI.
Rovers beat Star 5-1 in the Scottish Cup back in January 2000 in a twice postponed replay at Islecroft Stadium which was played on a Wednesday afternoon due to time constraints and them having no floodlights back then. The first attempt to play it on the Saturday was called off so late due to what the ref controversially called a frozen pitch that Rovers fans including myself arrived to see Rovers training on grass just outside the ground.
The first game at Cliftonhill ended 0-0 and the first rescheduled match on the Monday afternoon was also postponed due to a frozen pitch although at least it was done early enough to prevent unnecessary travelling. IIRC we played them down at Islecroft in a pre-season friendly 1 or 2 years later but I don't remember the score.
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Post by rab on Jul 15, 2024 16:10:14 GMT
….IIRC we played them down at Islecroft in a pre-season friendly 1 or 2 years later but I don't remember the score. The friendly was on 25 July 2001 and was reported by your programme editor dad as a ‘stroll in the park’ 4-0 win for Rovers. The scorers were Charlie McLean (a ‘new signing’), Jordan Smith, Martin Harty and David Carr.
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Post by teekasule on Jul 15, 2024 16:28:22 GMT
….IIRC we played them down at Islecroft in a pre-season friendly 1 or 2 years later but I don't remember the score. The friendly was on 25 July 2001 and was reported by your programme editor dad as a ‘stroll in the park’ 4-0 win for Rovers. The scorers were Charlie McLean (a ‘new signing’), Jordan Smith, Martin Harty and David Carr. Remember David Carr - I thought he was an outstanding prospect but hardly played for us... moved to Stenhousemuir If my memory is correct. oh to have a player like McLean up front...
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Post by jimbo42 on Jul 16, 2024 21:21:25 GMT
Mostly a brutal watch tonight. And please don't sign number 14 whoever he was. We can't be that desperate!
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Post by tommysermanni on Jul 16, 2024 21:40:54 GMT
Score Jimbo please ?
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Post by tommysermanni on Jul 16, 2024 21:42:40 GMT
Oh just seen it was 3-3. Thought Rovers would have won this comfortably.
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Post by jimbo42 on Jul 17, 2024 8:57:32 GMT
If only! Reality check, etc, etc, etc...
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Post by weerabwatt on Jul 17, 2024 11:46:12 GMT
Given that Dalbeattie Star was hammered by Broxburn Athletic 12-2 on aggregate in the Lowland League playoff just a few weeks ago, this is a worry for the upcoming LL season. Relegation of Edinburgh Uni and the introduction of Broxburn Athletic is going to make the LL more competitive, I imagine.
Hopefully Sandy was trying a few things, rotating players, new trialists, etc.
The following is a match report cutting from the Dalbeattie Star website.
A quickfire double from Ross Hunter had us 2-0 inside 15 minutes though Rovers pulled one back before the break. Just seconds after the re-start Jake Gemmell saved a penalty to keep us ahead but minutes later the home side did equalise. A brilliant free kick from Adam Jamieson put Star ahead in the 83rd minute but with just two minutes left Rovers made it 3-3 with a superb free kick of their own.
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Post by stewmelrover on Jul 17, 2024 13:22:17 GMT
Five of the team were trialists. The reserve goalkeeper also played. I'm going with Rovers 0-4 defeat to Airdrie and EK's 0-8 loss to the same team. Onwards!
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Post by shakey on Jul 17, 2024 14:14:31 GMT
I though we utterly dominated this game despite the score line. I'm pretty sure they scored with their only effort on goal of the 2nd half ( to be fair, it was a peach of a free-kick) By that time Ross McCulloch had been subbed and I'm pretty sure he could have skipped his post match shower so little did he have to do in this match.
Having said that the 2 goals we conceded in the first 15mins were some of the worst defensive play I've ever seen at Cliftonhill - and that's saying something! Schoolboy defending would be too generous a description TBH. But even then, these were very much against the run of play.
Also not mentioned above - we missed a pen - a poor effort from Dom.
On the positive side I thought some of the trialists looked good - No7 the pick for me, and the two big lads up front also impressed. On another night I think we would have won this easily - but yes - it was a night for trialists and experimentation as WRW suggests above.
No panic yet - but 6 goals in the last two games I think possibly flatters us - we really need a clinical striker to gives us impact when we dominate games as we did this one.
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Post by tommysermanni on Jul 17, 2024 18:04:55 GMT
Yeah I was at the Broxburn 2nd leg when they demolished Dalbeattie so I guess that is what I placed my mis guided optimism on.
Really is a low key feel about this season and I expect last season was a reality check for many and I include myself in that.
I thought last season we would be top 6 with a massive push for promotion this season.
I now know we are miles off that and are in reality going to be floundering about in the LL for the foreseeable future or until we get over taken by more progressive clubs.
The novelty of new grounds and competitions is fading and I expect a really tough season.
Nothing captures our new reality better than this weekends friendly against QP B Team.
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Post by jordancampbell on Jul 17, 2024 20:36:43 GMT
What worries me is that we are only just over a week away from the opening fixtures of the Lowland League…and are still experimenting with, I believe, just 14 signed players (including 2 goalkeepers). This is despite the claim, when I was leaving the Board, that our budget would be competitive and allow us to “challenge” at the top end of the table.
It’s clear (to me anyway) that Sandy and George are really struggling to attract players or, as a layperson, not casting their net wide enough. I was astonished to see Tyler Denholm in Rovers colours at a recent friendly given how his loan spell at the Club went last season and the lack of game time he was given. It seems that’s where we are.
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Post by bucky on Jul 18, 2024 9:40:00 GMT
I wasn’t at the match and don’t generally attend friendlies. Results in these games can become skewed with the amount of trialists and experimentation involved. I expected us to be heavily defeated by big spending Gartcairn and to beat Dalbeattie but what do I know.
Jordan understates the obvious that the club are struggling to attract players to the club, that is one of the long list of downsides about being relegated to the LL. I’m sure this would have been discussed at the time the Board dithered over the dismissal of Brian Reid as Manager. The fact is the LL is effectively a prison cell and when clubs like East Kilbride who will spend maybe 2 or 3 times more than us on players…and yet still fail to get promoted tells us how difficult it is to get out this league.
Like many other Rovers fans I am hopeful that we can build a team that can compete but my expectations are kept in check.
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Post by jordancampbell on Jul 18, 2024 10:46:52 GMT
At this stage last year, Bucky, we’d managed to assemble a half-decent squad which was a bit stronger on numbers, though. The services of a properly recognised striker (Niyah Joseph) were also secured. I’m not stating the obvious here, there appears to have been a sharp decline in recruitment despite claims of a “competitive six figure budget” being provided to the management team.
There are a number of other things that worry me. The loss of a hard-working part-time kit man and the structure this provided on training nights/matchdays. The apparent lack of a main shirt sponsor (unless something has changed?) with the league campaign starting imminently. No goalkeeper coach recruited for some time now. The recent letter sent by Club to shareholders (I won’t elaborate) left me with more questions than answers.
Tough, tough times ahead.
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Post by jordancampbell on Jul 18, 2024 11:06:31 GMT
I also think there needs to be a proper acknowledgment that L2 was hardly the land of milk & honey for ARFC.
When did we last challenge at the top end during our last few seasons there? When the books were balanced, and no overspend made, we were consigned to the bottom places at the more noble cost of keeping the doors open.
Whilst I acknowledge there are some differences between LL and L2 (professionalism, standard of grounds, etc) the on-the-park gulf isn’t as big as some like to make out. The main drawback to me is no invite to League Cup and an increased difficulty in attracting players.
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