February 2009 Archives

The time is now for Albion Rovers.

When they kick-off at home to Annan Athletic tomorrow afternoon in a third division match with major play-off implications, it will be the first of NINE games they have to negotiate by the end of the March.

A series of postponements have led to a fixtures headache for boss Paul Martin and his part-time players.

And they know a failure to perform over the coming weeks, particularly given the fact that six of these matches will be played at their own Cliftonhill ground, will kill their dreams of reaching the top four.

I like the job Martin has done in Coatbridge this season. He has used one of the smallest budgets in the league wisely and kept Rovers in contention. Punching above their weight almost.

He snapped up the talented Bobby Barr, following his release from St Johnstone, and given the quality of his performances, this will earn Rovers a few quid when - that's right, not if - he moves.

I watched Rovers beat East Stirling a couple of weeks ago and I was very impressed with their display. They look strong all over the pitch, even though they disappointed last Saturday when they lost 1-0 at Elgin City.

Hopefully that was just a blip and Martin's men can get back on track tomorrow. Let the march to the play-offs begin.

Hello and welcome to my first-ever blog! Hopefully you will enjoy my weekly ramblings on sporting matters, both here in Monklands, and beyond the boundaries.

I write this piece with just over 48 hours to go until Airdrie United's biggest game of the season. On Sunday, and in front of the BBC ALBA cameras, the Diamonds will take on Clyde in a massive first division relegation battle.

Let's be clear - defeat at New Broomfield is unthinkable for Airdrie. If the Bully Wee cart three points back to Cumbernauld, then I don't think Kenny Black's men will pull clear of the drop zone - even though it would still be mathematically possible.

However, should the Diamonds win? Well, everyone would feel a renewed sense of confidence if Airdrie managed to beat a team they have lost to on each of the last four occasions, and failed to score a goal in those matches.

It's vital that every Diamonds fan gets behind the team on Sunday. Some have already lost faith in the players, others have lost faith in the manager, there are a few who appear resigned to second division football next season.

But all that matters on Sunday is getting behind the players for the full 90 minutes, becoming that all-important 12th man. There will be plenty of time for post-mortems and negativity if the result isn't the one craved.

For the moment, however, every Airdrie player, coach, official and supporter needs to pull in the same direction and focus on a getting a victory that could be the springboard to a 'Great Escape'.