East Fife Preview

Shire travel to New Bayview minus two key players for the match with table-topping East Fife. Both goal scoring hero of the 5-0 win over Stenhousemuir, Carl Thywissen, and goalie Robert Tiroupolos will be missing because of work commitments.

In addition, Andy Smith has been home in Nothern Ireland this week, and it is still not certain whether he will have returned in time. However, boss Gordon Wylde is still hoping he will have made it in time to take his place at right-back. The absences mean Anton Nugent will start just his second match in goal. Anton's only previous outing in a Shire jersey was the 5-0 defeat in the Challenge Cup against Queen's Park.

The rest of the team should remain unchanged, with the Paul Tweedie/Derek Ure partnership continuing up from and Stephen Oates playing alongside Andrew Brand at the centre of defence, perhaps for the last time in a while. Andrew enters hospital on Thursday for the operation on his wrist and will be out for at least six weeks.

The midfield change may see Steven Blair come in for Thywissen, although Wylde has yet to finalise his starting midfield. East Fife have a number of injuries to key players and Dave Baikie will field an under-strength team,although they did so last week and still came away with all three points.

Brand Out For At Least Six Weeks

Skipper Andrew Brand is facing at least six weeks on the sidelines after he undergoes surgery to strengthen his wrist. The centre-half will go under the knife after the game against East Fife on Friday, which he admits could be his last for a while.

"After the operation, the wrist has to be in plaster for at least six weeks, then there is the recovery time after that," he told Zebra Diary. "But I have thought about it, and it's important I have the surgery for my job and my life. If I don't the doctors say there could be problems with arthritis later in life, so I am better off having it done now."

Andrew's problem is a weak wrist bone, which he has compounded by breaking twice in the last year. He broke it first in January playing against Montrose at Firs Park and that meant ten weeks on the sidelines. He came back in March, ironically against Montrose and in his very first game back sustained an identical injury.

He bravely played on with a lightweight cast on the wrist but eventually had to give up the ghost because of the pain. Andrew resumed pre-season training and after assuming the captaincy was moved from right midfield to centre-half, where he has been in outstanding form. "It's a position I have played before," he said. "I find it enjoyable playing with the game coming towards me, I like being able to read it and anticipate things."

The operation will involve an overnight stay in hospital. Surgeons will graft a piece of bone from Andrew's hip to provide extra strength and support for the wrist. "It's a big blow," said boss Gordon Wylde. "Andrwew's been in good form for us. It's a problem but we will cross that bridge when we come to it."

Shire 5 Stenhousemuir 0

A day for all Shire supporters to remember and treasure. It was the afternoon when everything came together and Shire played the supposed favourites for the Third Division title off the park. Whatever possessed Gordon Wylde to include Marc McKenzie for his first league start of the season must now be seen as a stroke of genuis.

The winger, discarded by the Warriors last season, came back to bite them with a devastating hat-trick, completed in just 12 second half minutes which knocked the stuffing out of a Stenhousemuir team that had been dicing with defeat until that point.

Once 4-0 up, Shire taunted and tormented their opponents to leave no-one watching in any doubt that they were determined to exorcise the ghosts of last term's horrific beatings. In the end, the Warriors crumbled under the weight of the Shire terror to such an extent that had the home side scored ten they would have had no room for argument.

Wylde promised changes to the team which had lost at home to Albion Rovers the previous week and he was as good as his word. Stephen Oates returned to the centre of defence to partner skipper Andrew Brand, with Carl Thywissen moved back into midfield. McKenzie replaced Steven Dymock wide on the right and Alan Ward, struggling for form, was left out in place of Derek Ure.

Shire looked the hungrier, more determined team from the start. Adam fired in a shot from the edge of the box which drifted wide while an early McKenzie cross found Thywissen's head, but his effort went past the post.

After 16 minuts the same pair combined to give Shire the lead. McKenzie received the ball wide on the right from Ure and swung over a cross which the unmarked Thywissen powered past McCulloch. More goals should have followed.

Some neat interplay released Paul Twedie doen the inside right channel, but he opted to go for glory and shot wide when a pass to the more centraly-placed Ure would have led to a certain second goal. On the stroke of half-time Tweedie again should have done better with a shot past the adavancing McCulloch.

But it all failed to matter during a golden twelve minute spell in the second half. After 58 minutes Paul Stewart relased Tweedie who shot from a tight angle close to the gloal line. McCulloch failed to hold the shot and McKenzie was first to the loose ball to prod it home. On 65 minutes Andrew Brand put Tweedie clear on the left, he centred and McKenzie had all the time in the world to shoot home.

The wee winger saved the best for last, after receiving the ball from Stewart in central midfield he tried the most outrageous 30 yard curling shot which flew past the helpless McCulloch into the top left-hand corner of the net. The celebrations which followed have not been seen at Firs Park for a long time and referee Martin Sproule deserves praise for letting them continue, AND for turning a blind eye to the fact that McKenzie tore the shirt off during them.

Stenhousemuir lost all sense of defensive discipline in the last twenty minutes. Every Shire attack seemed to carry a goal threat and only the linesman's offside flag saved the morning league leaders even more embarrassment. But their shambolic attempts at stopping Shire adding to their four goals did not deserve success. Oates cleared from defence in injury time, Steven Blair flicked the ball on and Tweedie nipped in as Henderson misjudged the bounce to make the final score 5-0. To make things worse for the visitors they finished the match with ten men after McLeish was carried off with a leg injury after they had used all three substitutes.

Shire : Tiropolous, Smith, Learmonth, Oates, Brand, Thywissen(Nixon 58), McKenzie, Stewart, Ure(Blair 60), Tweedie, Adam(Boyle 71).

Warriors : McCulloch, Murie, McAlpine,Henderson, Cowan, McBride, Connelly(Templeton 76), Murphy(McLeish 58), Baird,Hutchson(McLaughlin 46), Diack.

Referee : Martin Sproule.

Stenhousemuir Preview

Shire boss Gordon Wylde is convinced there will be no more 7-0 defeats at the hands of Stenhousemuir. He says the mauling his team took at the hands of the Warriors in March is unlikely to be repeated simply because they have become a lot stronger since then.

"The result in March is one I don't like to be reminded about," he told Zebra Diary. "But you have to bear in mind that most of the current team won't remember it because they weren't here at the time. I think we are getting a lot closer to them, and we have to believe we can take something from the match."

Wylde will certainly freshen things up for the Stenhousemuir match. Stephen Oates looks set for a return to the centre of defence where he should partner skipper, Andrew Brand. Carl Thywissen is expected to move into the middle of the park to add extra height there. And there may well be a surprise call-up for Marc McKenzie to face his former club.

Up front there could be changes. Paul Tweedie and Alan Ward have struggled to find their way to goal and that may leave the door open for Derek Ure to make a return to the striking position he clearly favours.

Shire 0 Albion Rovers 1

Not what Shire wanted or expected. Apart from a brief fifteen minute period at the start of the second half, the Firs Parkers were never in this. Rovers dominated and only good fortune, and good goalkeeping from Robert Tiropolous, kept them in things until Scott Chaplain's 78th minute winner.

Boss Gordon Wylde recalled six of the seven playersv he has dropped for the midweek Challenge Cup game with Queen's Park. The only exception was Derek Ure who failed to oust Steven Dymock from Tuesday's starting line-up.

The first quarter was almost actionless. The only really noteworthy moment came on 17 minutes when Andy Smith's slip let in Rovers' Martin McBride, but his shot was stright into the Shire keepers' arms. Tiropolous did have a lucky escape on 24 minutes when Brian Felvus put Jamie Doyle clean through on goal, but the winger's shot struck the post and although the rebound found Joe Savage his effort was blocked by Shire skipper Andrew Brand.

Shire camre into things before the interval but, in truth, they must have been relieved to get to the interval without any real damage having been inflicted.

It was a different story after the break. Alan Ward might have given Shire a 48th minute lead but his short was well-saved by Ewings after some good build-up work involving Brand and Jamie Nixon. After 52 minutes Ewings made the best save of the match until that point, fingertipping over Brand's superb 20 yard free-kick after Donnelly had fouled Paul Tweedie.

Shire were threaening to take over and should have scored when Paul Stewart burst clear into the penalty area, but he wasted his chance. After 63 minutes came Shire's best chance. Brand crossed deep to the back post, Dymock headed back across goal and the inrushing Tweedie was unlucky to see his effort go over the bar.

But that was the end of the Shire purple patch. As the game wore on Rovers bombarded the Shire goal, creating panic with a series of high balls into the box. Shire survived thanks to luck and, at times, good defending. They needed a brilliant save from Tiropolous to deny Lennon after the Rovers man was given a free header. And they must have thought they would hang on for a draw from that monent on. But Smith failed to clear his lines properly and Lennon passed the ball into Scott Chaplain who raced into the box to hit the ball high into the roof of the net from eight yards.

Shire : Tiropolous, Smith, Learmonth, Thywissen, Brand, Nixon(Molloy 79), Dymock(Blair 64), Stewart, Ward, Tweedie, Adam(Ure 56).

Rovers : Ewings, Nichol, McGhee, Lennon, Donnelly, Friel(Creaney 64), Doyle, Chaplain, Felvus, Savage(Chisholm 90), McBride.

Referee : Steven Nicholls

Attendance : 263.

Albion Rovers Preview

A match we have to win, was how Shire boss Gordon Wylde described tomorrow's Firs Park clash with Albion Rovers. It's not difficult to see why he thinks like that. Both sides occupied the bottom two positions in last season's league table, and many pundits expect the same outcome this time. So to win the opening match in the four game series would give a psychological lift to Shire, and a handy five point gap with just three games played.

Wylde will restore to the squad the players who sat out the 5-0 defeat against Queen's Park, although he was at pains to point out that doesn't mean we will see the same starting eleven that played against Dumbarton last weekend.

His hint could well mean a change in formation, perhaps with an extra forward in the team. He will make up his mind up about the team closer to kick-off. Everyone in the squad is fait and available to play. Rovers are on a high after their 2-1 Challenge Cup win at Partick Thistle in midweek, but Wylde rather hopes that could create its own problems for the visitors.

Shire won both Firs Park meetings between the teams last season; 3-1 in October when Iain Diack got a double and Andrew Brand claimed the third. Then in February a solitary Derek Ure goal was enough to give Shire the win.

Shire 0 Queen's Park 5

Many Shire followers worried that Gordon Wylde's intention to field what amounted to a reserve team in this Challenge Cup first round match would backfire. After the final whistle even the Shire coach was forced to admit that's exactly what happend.

Seven of the team which will most likely start Shire's crucial game with Albion Rovers were rested. Andy Smith, Steven Learmonth, Paul Stewart, Jamie Nixon and Robert Tiropolous dropped to the bench while Carl Thywissen and Paul Tweedie didn't even get stripped. In their place came debutant goalie, Anton Nugent while Steven Blair, Marc McKenzie, Scott Livingstone and Joe Boyle were all making their first competitive starts of the season.

For the first twenty minutes Shire pretty much matched a reasonably strong Queen's Park team. Derek Ure, playing at left-back, got forward in the second minute but his shot from the edge of the box was saved by former Shire keeper, Mark Cairns. Steven Dymock was next to trouble Cairns with a long range effort, which the keeper fumbled before collecting.

Shire were creating by far the better openings and should have taken the lead on 16 minutes. McKenzie made progress on the right, whipped over a cross which the unmarked Dymock headed goalwrds only for Cairns to push the ball over the bar.

Then the nightmare began. A simple corner from the left gave another ex-Firs Parker, Paul Ronald, the chance to place the deftest of glancing headers past Nugent. Barely a minute later Ronald crossed and Livingstone, trying to clar the ball, turned it into his own net. Nugent was not having the steadiest off debuts and his flailing attempt to stop Richard Bowers' effort on 37 minutes left him rather embarrassed and the ball flew through his hands into the net.

Shire might have pulled a goal back on 43 minutes but Stephen Adam's shot hit the inside of the post and came back out. If the home team thought Queens would ease off in the second half they were wrong. After 51 minutes Paul Paton went on a mazy run through some rather half-hearted Shire tackling although his shot past Nugent from a tight angle to make it 4-0 was of worthwhile quality. Three minutes after that the keeper was well and truly beaten by a great drive from Shaun Molloy to make it five.

Queens then went on to hit the post and the crossbar as Shire floundered. Wylde was forced to tear up his plans soon after, bringing on Nixon, Smith and Stewart simply to shore things up in midfirld and defence. Not a good night.

Shire : Nugent, Livingstone, Ure, Oates, Brand, Blair(Nixon 57), McKenzie(Smith 59), Boyle(Stewart 57), Dymock, Ward, Adam.

Queen's Park : Cairns, Paton, Molloy, Whelan, Agostini, Canning(Dunn 46), Kettlewell(Weatherston 78), Quinn, Ronald, Bowers(Trouten 87), Ferry.

Referee : Alan Boyd

Attendance : 391

Queen's Park Preview

The league must come first. That's boss Gordon Wylde's viewpoint ahead of tomorrow night's Challenge Cup match with Queen's Park. It means a number of Shire's more important players will be rested for the Spiders clash. It's anticipated Paul Stewart, Steven Learmonth, Andy Smith, Carl Thywissen and Alan Ward will all be given the night off. In addition goalie, Anton Nugent, who is expected to put pen to paper tomorrow, will replace Robert Tiropolous between the sticks.

Wylde will use the cup-tie to give a run out to Scott Livingstone, Joe Boyle, Steven Blair, Mark Molloy and Mark McKenzie. Steven Dymock should partner Paul Tweedie up front as he did at Cowdenbeath last week.

The Shire coach made no bones about his decision when he spoke to Zebra Diary earlier. "Saturday is our cup final," he said. "We simply have to get this team off the bottom of the league, and I will do everything I can to make that happen. Yes, it would be nice to beat Queen's Park but I need people to be fit and ready for the Albion Rovers match, which is far more important.

"Steven Learmonth is already looking heavy legged and we need to give players like Paul Stewart a rest so he can be ready raring to go on Saturday." said Wylde. He also revealed Thywissen and Smith are unlikely to be risked primarily because they have slight knocks.

Probable Shire Line-Up : Nugent : Livingstone, Brand, Oates, Ure: McKenzie, Blair, Boyle, Adam : Tweedie, Dymock.

Dumbarton Postscript

Gordon Wylde was a disappointed man after the 2-0 defeat at Dumbarton. He blamed mistakes by his players for the goals which gave The Sons Victory, but claimed not much divided the sides. Hear what he had to say to reporters after the match.

Dumbarton 2 Shire 0

Two terrible teams, a terrible game and an even worse result. That was the frank assessment of Shire boss Gordon Wylde who probably could not believe his team could fall to such depths after the great performance and result posted against Elgin City seven days earlier.

The good news before kick-off concerned the three main ijnury worries; skipper Andrew Brand, Carl Thywissen and Andy Smith were all ruled fit to play. As predicted, Stephen Oates was omitted from the team, with Brand taking up a kind of libero role in the centre of defence. Derek Ure was squeezed into midfield with Stephen Adam again occupying the outside-left berth.

The first quarter hour resembled a pre-season kickabout as both teams sparred without ever looking entirely serious about imposwing their will on the game. As it turned out, Shire fans had most to be concerened about from such an approach, especially after the positive starts the team had made in its previous two matches.

Dumbarton might have taken a 10th minute lead but Gemmell, although clean through on Shire keeper Robert Tiropolous, still managed to shoot wide. Shire responded in 18 minutes. Paul Stewart played Jamie Nixon in but the youngster could not hit the target.

Tiropolous was in action after 21 minutes. Some slack marking allowed Boyle a clean run on goal but the Shire keeper was equal to his close-range drive and made a fine save.But a mistake by Ure led to the opening goal on 23 minutes. The Shire man simply gave the ball awayb when under no danger to Canning who cracked in a great strike from 20 yards to give the home team the lead. Three minutes later another midfield error put Brittain clean through but his shot hit the Shire bar.

The team was re-organised, with Ure, who looked out of place in midfield, moving to the left wing and Nixon filling the space. His position on the right wing was taken over by Adam.

Shire looked a bit better balanced but they simply could not find the creative spark required. Adam injected some much needed urgency after 36 minutes but his run towards the box ended with a disappointing shot which drifted wide.

Neither team created much in the way of meaningful action. Shire's day was summed up ten minutes after the break when Adam hit a free-kick from a very good position right out of the ground. Neither team seemed to have any idea how even to create a scoring opportunity and the game became almost a turgid stalemate. The visitors should have equalised on 73 minutes when Shire got in behins the Dumbarton defence for the only time in the game. But instead of trying to lob the keeper Paul Stewart simply squared the ball to Alan Ward who could not connect and the chance was gone.

Two minutes later the game was over. Tiropolous tried to throw the ball out to Steven Learmonth, both got themselves in a mass and Dumbarton substitute Jose Quitongo pounced to shoot home off the post. In the closing minute Ward broke clear but his netbound effort was well-saved by Grindlay in the Dumbarton goal.

Dumbarton : Grindlay, McCann(Dillon 46), Brittain, Canning, Craig, Bagan, Boris(Quitongo 63), Gentile, Gemmell(Winter 20), McNaught, Boyle.

Shire : Tiropolous, Smith, Learmonth, Thywissen(Livingstone 80), Brand, Ure(McKenzie 56), Nixon(Molloy 74), Stewart, Ward, Tweedie, Adam.

Referee : A. Law

Attendance : 623.

Dumbarton Preview

Skipper Andrew Brand, Andy Smith and Carl Thywissen are all injury doubts for tomorrow's trip to Dumbarton. They were hurt in Tuesday's 4-1 CIS Cup defeat at Cowdenbeath; Smith is the least likely of the three to play. He over extended his left leg in making a great goal-saving tackle towards the end of Tuesday's game. Brand and Thywissen will be given late fitness tests.

Boss Gordon Wylde is also contemplating further personnel changes. That could mean Brand (if he is fit) taking up one of the centre-half roles with Stephen Oates droping to the bench. Wylde acknowledged he has to tighten up in the centre of defence following the loss of four soft goals in Fife in midweek. Brand displayed he could play in the position in the match at Chorley, and Wylde seems to have plenty of faith in him in that position.

Derek Ure and Alan Ward were both rested against Cowdenbeath and will return to the starting eleven for the match against Dumbarton, a side still on a high after knocking Second Division Stirling Albion out of the League Cup.

"We have had them watched and we know how they will play," Wylde told Zebra Diary. "They will want to get it in quick to the forwards to put pressure on our defence, so we will have to stand up to that.

"This will certainly be a bigger challenge and a more difficult game than the one against Elgin. But the players are in confident mood and won't want to dwell on what happened on Tuesday night. One thing we want to do is get possession of the ball early and get at them. If we can do that then we can certainly take something from the game."

Cowdenbeath 4 Shire 1

Bump. Thud. Crash.

Shire's fall back to earth was audible on a rather cool Tuesday evening at Central Park. Cowdenbeath, who had deluged goals on Alloa the previous Saturday, showered the Shire net with a devastating burst of four strikes in 18 minutes to put this CIS Cup first round tie out of reach, and bring home to Shire fans that although progress has been made in the summer, it is a long road the club still has to travel.

Derek Ure and Alan Ward were left out of the line-up that beat Elgin, with Steven Dymock and Stephen Adam coming in to replace them. The visitors did not look out of place in the opening exchanges and Paul Tweedie could have easily given Shire an eighth minute lead with a fine turn and shot which David Orr in the Cowden goal did well to hold.

But the Blue Brasil's midfield and forwards were always going to pose a far sterner test than Elgin City. After 14 minutes Markus Paateleinen cracked in a shot which Shire keeper Robert Tiropolous did well to hold. However, five minutes later the visiting custodian was beaten by Pat Scullion's shot and looked relieved to see it come back off the post.

Another Scullion cross found Pat Clarke at the back post after 23 minutes but the Cowden man powder puffed his effort into Tiropolous' arms. The action was pointing to just one thing; a Cowdenbeath goal. And it duly arrived after 29 minutes Paateleinen played Scott Dalziel in down the theft, he had the Shire defence trailing in his wake and a simple pass across goal allowed Clarke to tap-in. Two minutes later a free-kick from Scullion was headed into the net by Dalziel but disallowed for offside.

There was no respite and it was 2-0 on 31 minutes. A Scullion corner was kocked back across goal and headed goalwards by Chris Hughes. The ball hit the post but as it came back out hit Tiropolous on the back and rolled over the line. Three minutes further on Clarke burst clear of the Shire defence and beat Tiropolous with a shot at the near post; 3-0 Cowden.

The home team showed no mercy and on half time a Scullion corner bounced around the Shire box until Hughes gathered the ball to shot home. The visitors were a bit shell-shocked. The defence was certainly groggy and no doubt welcomed the fifteen minute break.

Cowden boss Mixu Paateleinen showed Shire some mercy by taking off Scullion and Gomis, replacing them with players who caused much less of a threat. It seemed he was happy not to inflict any more embarrassment on Gordon Wylde's team. Shire even managed to pull a goal back on 63 minutes when Carl Thywissen headed home a Stephen Adam cross.

In the closing stages Shire's main worry wasn't losing more goals but instead losing players to injury. Skipper Andrew Brand limped off and both Tweedie and Andy Smith sustained heavy knocks. Not good news with Dumbarton ahead on Saturday.

Cowden : Orr, Guy, McBride, Gomis(Baxter 53), Hughes, Ellis, Scullion(Fotheringham 53), Paateleinen(Mauchlen 68), Dalziel, Clarke, Buchanan.

Shire : Tiropolous, Smith, Learmonth, Thywissen, Oates, Nixon(Boyle 69), Brand(McKenzie 68), Stewart, Dymock, Tweedie(Ure 82), Adam.

Referee : C. Charleston

Attendance : 271

Shire 2 Elgin City 1

Shire are on their way. The club claimed its first opening day league win since 1993 in deserved, if not uncontroversial circumstances, with two late goals from substitute Steven Dymock and Paul Tweedie.

Gordon Wylde threw a surprise by including 18 year old Jamie Nixon in midfield, one of six players in the starting line-up making their debut for the club. Shire started brightly and could have been a goal up after less than a minute; Paul Tweedie sending a flashing header narrowly wide from Derek Ure's corner kick.

But the sucker punch came at the other end in the seventh minute. Shire's central defenders simply failed to deal with Dempsie's simple left wing cross and the impressive MacKay was left unmarked to head the visitors in front.

After eleven minutes the home team really ought to have equalised. Andrew Brand swung in a free-kick from wide on the right which Tweedie failed to connect with. But Carl Thywissen, unmarked atb the back post, somehow managed to spoon the ball over the bar from point-blank range.

On the 25 minute mark a lovely bit of flowing fotball involving Steven Learmonth, Paul Stewart and Alan Ward ended with a wild shot from Derek Ure. Three minutes later Ure really should have scored. after receiving a flick on from Brand's cross, but with only the keeper to beat his shot lacked the necessary power and Renton in the Elgin goal turned the ball round the post for a corner.

The Shire onslaught continued and on 31 minutes Stewart sent in a tremendous long range effort which Renton had to stretch to tip over the bar. The Elgin keeper needed three minutes of treatment after injuring himself making the save. But things exploded on 37 minutes when Elgin's Adam Nelson injured himself while aiming a wild lunge at Ure. Almost every player was involved in a centre circle melee and it was a surprise when referee Chris Boyle only booked Shire's Learmonth and Elgin's Campbell. Nelson had to be taken off on a stretcher but not before the ref rightly waved a red card at him for his initial challenge. The whole incident, from start to finish, used up seven minutes.

With an extra man Shire's superiority was emphasised, but they enjoyed no luck in front of goal. Three minutes before the breal Ward was unlucky to see his effort come back off the bar.

Following the break Elgin re-shaped, pulled eight men behind the ball and Shire struggled to break them down. They were reduced to long-range efforts, the closest of which came from Andy Smith on the hour mark. But Elgin could easily have stolen the points when, on 63 minutes goalscorer MacKay shot wide of an empty net. Shire went stright up the park and Stewart looked as though he had equalised after shooting past the advancing keeper but his effort went just the wrong side of the post.

Shire seemed to be running out of ideas when Wylde brought on Steven Dymock and Steven Adam, choosing to play with one less defender. The ploy paid off in 74 minutes. Stewart fed Ure wide on the left and his cross picked out the inrushing Dymock who powered a header from close range into the net for the equaliser.

There was no doubt the initiative was now with Shire. They sensed victory and had to wait just four more minutes before finding the net again. This time Ward sent Tweedie clear inside the box and the Shire striker showed great composure before sweeping the ball past Renton at the far post.

Shire :Tiropolous, Smith (Molloy 67), Learmonth, Thywissen, Oates(Adam 55), Nixon(Dymock 70), Brand, Stewart, Ward, Tweedie, Ure.

Elgin City : Renton, Kaczan, Dempsie, Low, Dickson, Hind, Campbell(Finnegan 79), Nelson, Johnston, Charlesworth, MacKay(Booth 73).

Referee : C. Boyle

Attendance : 227

Elgin City Preview

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. After six weeks of pre-season the real stuff starts tomorrow. Shire fans are really no futher forward in knowing how their team will perform against the rest of the Third Division, but Elgin City at home is as good an indicator as any, in a single 90 minutes, of what the season holds in store.

Boss Gordon Wylde has almost a full squad to choose from. Only Steven Blair, who is suspended, misses out. There was an injury scare over Andrew Brand in midweek but that should not hinder him. The boss has not yet managed to secure the services of Ashfield keeper, Anton Nugent, although that may well happen next week. That will mean a league debut in goal for Robert Tiropolous, who has played in all the pre-season matches with the exception of the Dunfermline game.

The defence should be the one which started the English matches; with Andy Smith and Steven Learmonth at full-back and the central defensive partnership of Carl Thywissen and Stephen Oates. In midfield Wylde has plenty of options. Certain to start are Brand and Paul Stewart , but the manager will only make a final decision on who partners them closer to kick-off. Up front it looks like being a double strike force of Paul Tweedie and Alan Ward, although that may change depending on the final midfield selection.

Of the match itself, Wylde told Zebra Diary, "Elgin probably looked at the fixture list and thought this would be a good place to come to pick up three points on the opening day of the season. I hope we have got a surprise for them. They are a good team and will be challenging for the play-offs but we want to get off to a good start. The players we have brought in over the summer have improved things . We have worked hard in pre-season. The team is looking realy fit and there is a good spirit among the players.

"The supporters have played their part by making the park look really neat and tidy. All we need now is a good result."

Shire Add Another Player

Gordon Wylde's rebuilding work has carried on with the signing of Steven Adams. He was the trialist winger who played in the Stirlingshire Cup match with Falkirk and in the two tour matches at Lancaster and Chorley.

Steven was without a club after being released by SPL Livingston at the end of the season. He made fourteen top flight appearance in his time at Almondvale and last season spent some time on loan to Second Division Raith Rovers.

"He cwill need to get himself fit," Wylde told Zebra Diary. "But Steven will be a useful addition to the squad, someone who has played at a higher level. He showed some good things in the games he has played, once he gets fitter we will see more from him."