Berwick Game Off

Tonight's scheduled Third Division match with Berwick Rangers has been postponed. Torrential overnight rain, which continued into the morning, has left the Firs Park pitch unplayable. It's the fifth time the match, originally scheduled for 18th November, has been called off.

No new date has been confirmed for the game, but it cannot be played until at least Tuesday 20th March because of Shire's other midweek commitments.

Berwick Rangers Preview

Shire welcome Berwick Rangers to Firs Park for the first time this season tomorrow night with both sides looking for a tonic after weekend disappintments. Gordon Wylde's men really need cheering up after a disastrous second half at Dumbarton on Saturday saw what seemed an almost certain victory slip from their grasp.

For their part, Berwick saw the gap at the top of the Third Division cut to three points by an Andy Reilly goal deep into injury time which gave Arbroath a precious 1-0 win at Gayfield; it was only the second defeat in twelve matches for the Borderers.

Almost the entire length of the league table seperates the teams but Wylde is confident his team can move further away from Elgin at the bottom, while throwing the race at the top wide open. "It will be tough for sure, but I know for a fact that Berwick don't like coming here. The pitch is much tighter than their own and if we can get at them from the start then who knows what will happen."

Wylde is also telling his players to lose the fear factor that overcame them at Dumbarton. "Sometimes they appar to be afraid of winning," he said. "It's as though it's too much for them and they can't cope. But we will have to go out and be positive and if we can get at them then we may have a chance of taking something from the game."

A 0-0 draw with Albion Rovers may have stopped Shire's losing run at home at eight matches, but it continued the scoring drought. September 30th was the last time Shire managed to find the back of the net at Firs Park and that's something Wylde knows will have to change. "The midfield players need to take a gamble and get forward if they sense the strikers aren't going to find the net. They all have to chip in."

Shire will welcome back Steven Learmonth to the squad after a two match suspension, but Stephen Adam will struggle to make it. Fans should note the game has a 7:45pm kick-off.

Dumbarton 2 Shire 1

Shire threw away three points as carelessly as a sweetie wrapper in the street at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium. The visitors held all the aces at the interval; their opponents had been reduced to ten men and Paul Stewart had equalised Tommy Coyne's early penalty kick for the Sons. They were playing the better football and would, surely, make that tell in the xsecond half with more goals and a preciousd three points.

But, unbelievably, Shire collapsed under the weight of their own expectations. They became more concerned with trying to avoid defeat rather than build for victory, a dangerous game against a Dumbarton team who, although down to ten men, showed far more desire. Substitute Chris Gentile's 73rd minute header proved the folly of the Shire team's ways and delivered the defeat their lack of ambition deserved.

Stephen Adam was ruled out of Gordon Wylde's starting line-up through injury although Paul Stewart did manage to shrug off his own injury concerns to play. Stephen Oates was pushed out to play left-back with Derek Ure pushed further up the pitch. Steven Dymock was recalled to partner Paul Tweedie up front.

It was a nervy opening from Shire and Anton Nugent had to make a brilliant save from Boyle to prevent Dumbarton taking the lead inside the first minute. But the visitors settled and should have taken the lead on 15 minutes when Tweedie burst clear but shot weakly at Sons' keeper Grindlay and although the goalie failed to hold the shot Ure couldn't direct the rebound into the net.

Two minutes later referee Colin Brown saw an infringement inside the Shire box that no-one else did as the ball entered the penalty area from a Craig Brittain free-kick. Despite furious Shire protests Mr Brown insisted on giving Dumbarton the softest of penalty kicks and Coyne sent Nugent the wrong way.

But that spurred Shire on and they began to show signs that they would recover. After 21 minutes Mr Brown was again the centre of attention, dishing out a red card to Dumbarton's Ryan Borris for a wild, over-the-ball lunge on Oates which could well have resulted in serious injury for the Shire man if he had not managed to take evasive action in the nick of time.

With their opponents down to ten men Shire got the bit between the teeth. Paul McAloney sent over a free-kick which Ure somehow managed to head wide and both Dymock and Ure had good efforts saved. There was a moment of panic when Nugent let a David Craig header slip through his hands but Oates cleared off the line.

After 36 minutes Shire got a deserved equaliser. Marc McKenzie broke clear and played the ball square to Stewart who raced past his defender, nudged the ball past the outrushing keeper before sliding it into the empty net. Two minutes before the interval Tweedie came close with an effort from just outside the box and Dymock brought a good save from Grindlay with a near post shot from the edge of the six yard box.

Andrew Brand had the first effort of the second half and it was a good one. He cracked the ball in from 25 yards and Grindlay did well to save after it took a deflection off a home defender. Bt Dumbarton flooded the midfield and Shire's middle line could not cope. The home team began to enjoy more possession than they had until that point and Shire drifted out of a game that was theirs to win.

Nugent was not inspiring any confidence in his defenders and he almost dropped a harmless Boyle shot over his own line but Oates hacked the ball clar. Dumbarton sensed Shire were crumbling under the weight of expectation and on 70 minutes Coyne should have fired them back in front but his effort went across the face of goal and wide. However, Dumbarton had to wait just three more minutes for the winner. No-one bothered to mark up Gentile for a corner and when the ball was delivered by Boyle the Sons substitute was left with a free header from the 18 yard line which flew past the unprotected Nugent.

Shire played with more urgency after that but the closest they came to equalising was a McAloney effort which skimmed the bar with the game's last kick.

Dumbarton : Grindlay, Geggan, Brittain, Canning, Craig, Bagan(Gentile 57), Borris, McNaught(McQuilkin 79), Coyne, Boyle, Hamilton.

Shire : Nugent, McAloney,Oates(McBride 78), Thywissen,Brand, Boyle(Trialist 78), McKenzie, Stewart, Dymock, Tweedie, Ure.

Referee : Colin Brown

Attendance : 729.

Dumbarton Preview

Paul Stewart is the main injury doubt for the trip to the Strathclyde Homes Stadium.The club's vice-captain will be given a late fitness test before being risked, but there is no chance of Stephen Adam taking part after he picked up an injury last week. Stephen Learmonth remains suspended, but Paul Brownlie should have recovered from his knee troubles which he suffered in last week's 0-0 draw with Albion Rovers.

Dumbarton has not been a happy hunting ground for Shire over the years, and the club's only previous victory at their "new" venue was in the Stirlingshire Cup at the start of last season.

Nevertheless, coach Gordon Wylde is in upbeat mood. "We are due something against Dumbarton," he told Zebra Diary. "The first game there was a scrappy affair which we lost because we threw the ball in the back of the net twice. And through here it was a mucky, rainy day when there wasn't much to seperate the teams."

Wylde says it will be a different proposition to last week's game against Albion Rovers. "I don't think they are as hard a working team as Albion Rovers but they have better players in most positions. That will create problems.

"But I am looking for the defence to show the same kind of form they did last week and if they do then it is game we can take something from."

Young trialist, Craig Galloway, who made his debut last week, will again be included in the squad.

Shire 0 Albion Rovers 0

Shire had to be satisfied with a point after a moment of high farce at Firs Park which first raised, then dashed, their hopes of recording a first victory at home since September.

After 58 scoreless minutes Andrew Brand cracked in a shot which Rovers keeper Lee Thompson saved but couldn't hold. Referee Colin Hardie appeared to over rule his lineman who raised his flag to indicate Paul Tweedie was in an offside position at the original shot, and the Shire man collected the rebound before being tripped by the keeper.The ref then awarded a penalty and all hell broke loose. The Rovers players demanded Hardie accept the linesman's original decision while Shire's Paul Stewart placed the ball on the penalty spot and the linesman took up his position for the penalty.

Then Hardie had a change of heart, talked once more to his assiatant and, after two minutes of discussions, gave Rovers a free-kick for offside. The drama had the 300 spectators absolutely confused, although it was credit to the Shire team that they accepted the outcome. Maybe that's because they knew Tweedie was offside, something the club's own video proves conclusively.

That strange incident aside, neither club could complain about the outcome of a game that had more incident and action than the scoreline suggests. The home team went back to a 4-4-2, with Derek Ure filling in at left-back for the suspended Steven Learmonth, and began like a house on fire.

After five minutes Stephen Adam swung over a left wing cross which Thompson could only palm as far as Tweedie but the Shire man's header hit the side net. A minute later Tweedie's turn and shot inside the penalty box had the Rovers keeper diving full-length to push the ball round the post for a corner.

Shire suffered an early setback when Paul Brownlie landed awkwardly after a tackle and had to be carried off an a stretcher. He was replaced by Marc McKenzie.

Rovers were dangerous too. Brian Smith made a long run and burst into the box but his effort was saved by Anton Nugent. After 16 minutes Nugent's clearance rebounded off Phil Creaney and the ball was headed goalwards and then cleared off the line by Paul McAloney. But the loose ball fell back to Creaney who blasted over when it seemed easier to score.

After 41 minutes a clever pass from Scott Chaplain sent Smith clear. The winger rounded a hestitant Nugent but somehow managed to shoot high and wide of the empty net. A minute later a cross-cum-shot from Adam flew across the face of the Rovers goal when a simple touch would have guided it in. McKenzie, waiting at the back post, just couldn't get close enough to the ball.

Shire started the second half brightest and Andrew Brand strode forward b efore firing in a ppowerful shot which flew just wide but had the keeper scrambling nevertheless. Then Thompson was again in action, saving a Tweedie near post header from Adam's cross.

After the penalty incident the game started to take on all the hallmarks of a goalless contest. But Shire had a late chance when a Stewart effort fizzed past the post. Then, with six minutes to go,Smith broke clear down Shire's right and cut inside. It was a decent chance to snatch a late winner but he skewed his shot so badly he almost hit the corner flag.

Shire : Nugent, McAloney(Trialist 75), Ure, Thywissen, Oates, Brand, McBride(Dymock 65), Stewart, Tweedie, Brownlie(McKenzie 15), Adam.

Rovers : Thompson, Moffat, Lennox, Lennon, Donnelly, Creaney(Nicoll 68), Thomson(Sim 68), Chaplain, McFarlane, Walker(Chisholm 78), McGoldrick.

Referee : Colin Hardie

Attendance : 298.

Albion Rovers Preview

Shire boss Gordon Wylde says he will scrap last week's 3-5-2 experiment for the game with Albion Rovers at Firs Park. Instead, he will revert at a 4-4-2 formation and has told his players to play "route one" if necessary.

"We have sometimes played passing football and not really got anywhere," he told Zebra Diary. "What we have to do is hold a solid defensive line and get the ball forward as quickly as we can in the hope of troubling them.

"I have to say I don't like playing against Albion Rovers. They work hard, they are in your face for ninety minutesamd they also have good players. They are also on a good run of form at the moment."

Shire have a full squad to choose from, which leaves Wylde some selection dilemmas the most pressing of which is how to accomodate three centre halves in the system. This could mean Andrew Brand partnering Stephen Oates with Carl Thywissen moving into midfield. It is a nice problem for the coach to have, but he also knows the biggest problem he has is how to score goals. "If the forwards aren't scoring thten maybe we have to ask the midfield men to take a gamble and get into scoring positions," he said. Shire will have to score their first home goal since 30th September to stand any chance of winning. Rovers, who have won five of their last seven games, have beaten Shire twice already this season, 1-0 at Firs Park in August and 4-0 at Cliftonhill at the end of December. Kick-off is 3:00pm.

Molloy Leaves

The club has announced that midfielder Mark Molloy has been released from his contract by mutual consent. Mark was only an occasional player with the side this season after being more regularly in the starting eleven last term.

The former Celtic, Hibs and Barry Town player made his debut in the 4-2 defeat at Albion Rovers in January 2006 and by strangew co-incidence his final one was also at Cliftonhill on 30th December, in a 4-0 defeat. Since signing he made twenty two starts and three substitute appearances.

Shire 0 Queen's Park 2

A deeply disappointing afternoon at Firs Park as Shire made their home debut in 2007. There was almost nothing to cheer in this display and the visitors had the points wrapped up less than halfway through the match without having to play well or do much.

Just about the only positives Gordon Wylde can take were hte five star display of keeper Anton Nugent, who stopped the Spiders going home to Glasgow with a bigger win, and the return to the heart of the defence of Stephen Oates, who played his own part in keeping the score respectable.

There was a surprise before kick-off as Wylde announced his team minus full-backs Steven Learmonth and Paul McAloney. Instead, he opted for a 3-5-2 formation with Oates, skipper Andrew Brand and Carl Thywissen as the back three. Paul Brownlie made a rare start up front with te re-called Steven Dymock while Paul Tweedie was a surprise inclusion in the five man midfield.

A fairly flat opening period gave the advantage to neither side but, after 12 minutes, Thywissen was short with a pass on the half-way line and Queens' David Weatherston pucked up the ball , outsprinted Brand and cut into the penalty box before beating Ngent with a low angled drive that crept into the net at the far post. A fine solo effort and the visitors were 1-0 up.

After 21 minutes it should have been 2-0 as Robert Dunn picked up the loose ball on the six yard line but his effort was brilliantly blocked by Nugent's legs.The Shire keeper was a busy man as the half wore on. He had to dive low to smother Paul Paton's free-kick and dived full stretch to push a Mark Ferry effort wide for a coerner kick.

But on 36 minutes not even Nugent could stop Shire falling two goals behind. The home defence were caught sleeping at a throw in, which Paul Ronald collected before racing down the byline and cutting back for the unmarked Stuart Ketrtlewell to stroke home.

Nugent's one man quest to stop Queen's Park running up a rugby score carried on after the interval. After 49 minutes Ferry was clean through but the keeper denied him with a brave block wirth his legs. That said, Paton should have scored with the rebound but blasted the ball over. Two minutes later the visitors squandered another chance when Ronald sent a free header wide from Mick Dunlop's cross.

Soon after the 3-5-2 experiment was abandoned with the introduction of McAloney for Joe Boyle. He went to right-back, Derek Ure switched to left-back, Thywissen and Oates filled the central defensive roles, with Brand moving into a four man midfield. Brownlie was withdrawn from the forward line to play wide on the left with Tweedie partnering Dymock in attack.

The transformation was immediate. With a couple of miuntes Shire created their first real chance of the game and Dymock ought to have scored with a diving header from a pinpoint McAloney cross. But at the other end Nugent was covering himself in glory. His one handed tip over the bar from Weatherston was the save of the match, but even better was his miraculous double block from Ferry when it seemed certain the Queens man would score.

It was small conso;lation but Shire finished the game on top. Inside the final five minutes David Crawford had to make a good save from Paul Stewart's long range effort and, in injury time, Marc McKenzie burst into the box and fired goalwards only to be denied by a decent smothering save.

Shire : Nugent, Boyle(McAloney 52), Oates, Brand, Thywissen, Tweedie, McKenzie, Stewart, Dymock(Adam 73), Brownlie(McBride 64), Ure.

Queen's Park : Crawford, Paton, Dunlop, Canning, Agostini, Cairney(Quinn 71), Kettlewell, Dunn(Carroll 71), Ronald(Bowers 80), Weatherston, Ferry.

Referee : Steven O'Reilly

Attendance : 292

Spiders Game Gets Go Ahead

Match referee Steven O'Reilly inspected the Firs Park pitch at 10:45 this morning and ruled Shire's scheduled Third Division match with Queen's Park will go ahead as planned.

Overnight conditions were much milder than forecast which allowed the pitch to thaw out sufficently for the match to be on.

It will be Shire's first home match of 2007, the last time they managed to play at Firs Park was the 2-0 defeat against Elgin City on 23rd December last year.

Kick-off is 3:00pm.

Queen's Park Game A Doubt

A week of heavy frost has made the scheduled match with Queen's Park a serious doubt. The club has called a 10:45 am pitch inspection tomorrow, but there seems little doubt, with temperatures set to dip to -3C overnight, that the game will fall victim to the weather.

This is, in itself, a serious problem for the club. It will mean there will have been no Shire match at Firs Park since the 2-0 defeat against Elgin City on 23rd December 2006, a period of seven weeks. And it will also mean having to fit inanother midweek fixture.

So far two of the three outstanding matches have re-arranged dates. The match against Berwick Rangers, which should have been played in November and was postponed three times before Christmas, will now go ahead on Tuesday 27th February with a 7:30 pm start. And the Arbroath home game, postponed on 20th January because of a waterlogged pitch, will be played on Wednesday 14th March again with a 7:30pm kick-off.

Zebra Diary will bring you first news of the outcome of the pitch inspection tomorrow morning.

Montrose 4 Shire 0

Shire’s Links Park hoodoo continues. It’s six years since the team last recorded a win there and right from the off it never seemed likely they would bring that sequence to an end.
The team only got in at the interval all square thanks to a missed Andy Rodgers penalty and it was all downhill from there as Shire, swamped in midfield, lost goals and heart in equal measure. By full-time they were lucky to have escaped with a 4-0 defeat.
Andrew Brand won his race against time to make Links Park and the skipper took his place at the centre of the Shire defence alongside Carl Thywissen in place of the suspended Stephen Oates.
Coach Gordon Wylde made just one other change to the team that started the previous week’s match at Berwick, Joe Boyle’s place in midfield going to Paul McBride. There was one positional change, Marc McKenzie partnering Paul Tweedie in attack as Shire abandoned their normal 4-5-1 away formation.
The visitors had lost 12 of their last 13 visits to Links Park but began brightly enough. Paul Stewart saw an early opportunity to shoot from well ot but his effort was wide of the target. Two minutes later Tweedie saw a half chance and hit a well-struck volley but his effort went just over the bar.
Paul Napier was an early threat for Montrose. The winger set off on a mazy run after 13 minutes but he shanked his shot well wide of the target. Thee minutes later Napier was again bearing down on the Shire goal after Stewart was dispossessed in midfield but once again his final attempt did not match the quality of his approach play.
After 25 minutes t was Stephen Black’s turn to have a crack at goal but after some decent approach work his shot flew well wide. Five minutes later Shire carved out what was their best attempt of the first half. Derek Ure laid the ball back into the path of Stewart who crossed for the unmarked Tweedie who could not direct his free header anywhere near the target.
Shire had a lucky escape on 39 minutes when Black’s corner was headed goalwards by McLeod and headed off the line via the underside of the crossbar by Paul McAloney. On the stroke of half-time Montrose’s Michie fell inside the penalty box under a challenge from Steven Learmonth and referee McKendrick awarded a rather soft penalty kick. Justice was done when Rodgers sent the spot kick both high and wide.
Two minutes after the break a long ball out of the Montrose defence sent Rodgers clear but Learmonth seemed to get back to ward off any danger. The Shire man appeared to be fouled by the home forward but the referee waved play on and although Rodgers’ shot was saved by the legs of Shire keeper Anton Nugent, he picked up the rebound to shoot Montrose ahead from a tight angle.
Four minutes later Shire had a chance to get back into the game when Ure connected with a long ball out of defence from Learmonth but he hit his shot straight at Montrose keeper, Andy Reid.
Montrose, not surprisingly, took heart from their lead and became more adventurous. Black made a good run into the box but his effort flew wide. Thee minutes later the young winger tried his luck from 20 yards out and this time the ball flew past Nugent low into the keeper’s left-hand corner.
A minute later Ure was given a gift chance after McLeod gave him possession but he shot wide with the goal at his mercy. The game was put beyond their reach on 74 minutes. Black’s corner was headed towards goal by Neil Stephen and despite Learmonth’s desperate attempt to keep the ball from crossing the line both referee and standside linesman awarded the goal.
Shire brought on trialist, Chris Hughes, to partner Thywissen and moved Brand into midfield. It made no difference. Four minutes before the end the misery was completed when Jed Stirling floated over a free kick from wide on the right and substitute Greg Henslee threw himself to head the ball into the net.
Montrose : A.Reid, Tawse(Cumming 79), Stirling, Stephen, McLeod, Donanchie, Napier(Henslee 71), Davidson, Rodgers, Michie(P. Reid 82), Black.
Shire : Nugent, McAloney(Livingstone 70), Learmonth, Brand, Thywissen, Adam(Brownlie 70), McKenzie, Stewart, Tweedie, McBride(Trialist 81), Ure.
Referee : John McKendrick
Attendance : 323.

Montrose Preview

Shire have been dealt a potential blow ahead of the vital visit to Links Park with the news that skipper Andrew Brand could miss the match.

Work commitments on Saturday morning will leave Brand with a race against the clock to make it to the game. A contingency plan has been drawn up but there is a fear that he may have to sit this one out. With Stephen Oates suspended the news gives Gordon Wylde a major headache of who to pair with Carl Thywissen at the centre of defence.

Nevertheless the boss is upbeat. "It's a must win game for us," he told Zebra Diary. "We will go there in a positive frame of mind and we will put our most attack-minded team out. Some of the players who have been sitting on the sidelines could find themselves back in contention.

"It is a match very much at our level. Montrose are at the bottom end of the table for a reason. They are not Berwick Rangers and we have a decent chance of victory. But we will have to play really well because we have struggled against them in the past."

It's thought Wylde will switch from the 4-5-1 system he has favoured in recent away matches, and there could be a surprise inclusion of Marc McKenzie among the forwards with Wylde hoping his pace can cause Montrose problems. Steven Dymock and Mark Molloy are two other players set for a return. Anton Nugent will continue in goal.