Dundee vs Accies - SPFL Championship - Sat 14 Sept 2013

Accies return to action after a 2 week break with a visit to Dens Park to play 3rd placed Dundee.  Dundee have signed former Scotland striker Craig Beattie since last week's penalties defeat by Stenhousemuir in the Challenge Cup, but whether he will be fit to play on Saturday is anyone's guess.  Accies are on a fine run of form and I look forward that continuing, with the starting XI likely to reflect our success at Falkirk a couple of weeks ago.  While that game was not without its difficulties for Accies, it is clear that when we play well we have little to fear from any other team in this league.  Consistency will be the key to a good run in the Championship this year.  We have reinforced encouragingly in the last few weeks with Garcia Tena finally signing in the last week.  I don't expect him to feature as anything other than a sub on Saturday, but he certainly seems to have made an sound debut as Accies' u20s defeated Dundee Utd on Tuesday. 

This game will be provide another indication of the likely strength of our fledgling promotion challenge.  Would I take a draw if it was offered now?  I'm not sure, really, given the last few weeks… 

Kilmarnock vs Accies - League Cup - Tuesday 27 August 2013

Accies come into this game after an ultimately comfortable win on Saturday against a previously undefeated Queen of the South; Killie on the other hand are looking to have a bit of a confidence boost after a home loss to low flying Hibs in the SPL, or is SPPL?  Those looking for precedents should note that Accies beat Killie in the League Cup in season 2007/8 (albeit at NDP), announcing that October evening that we were a SPL club in waiting.  Accies will certainly go into this game full of confidence and it will be interesting to see who plays tonight, assuming the club's priority is a top 4 finish in the Championship.  I guess Alex Neil will sit this one out, but other than that I don't see too many changes.  It may be that an away game against an established premier league club is too big a step to blooding too many youngsters - we will find out soon!  This will be a good test for the 2013/14 Accies, although my guess is that it comes just a wee bit too soon to be really helpful or indicative - I will be more interested to see how we react in our next two league games (away to Falkirk and Dundee) after this potentially tiring distraction.  As long as we don't end up having to play 120 mins.....  

Stirling Albion vs Accies - League Cup - Sat 3 August 2013

Accies travel to Stirling on Saturday to play the Binos in a match between 2 teams already eliminated from the Ramsdens Cup.  This League Cup fixture (there doesn't seem to be any sponsor for the League Cup yet) is hardly one to set the pulse racing, but for Accies it represents a second chance to record a victory against lower-league opposition before the league kicks off in 2 weeks time.  As ever with Scottish football there is a curiosity, in this instance Albion were dumped out of the Ramsdens Cup by Raith Rovers, Accies first league opponent in 2 weeks time.  So this game is something of a form guide - maybe.  It is difficult to see Accies showing more commitment to this game than was shown last week, which suggests there may be doubts about participation by Neil and Canning.  Hopefully new signing Andreu will add bite in midfield and Keatings will show his true colours up front.  Ryan is still suspended for this game.  A win would certainly be a morale booster, but with the obvious priority being the league it is likely that success in this game will be provided by a slightly less than optimum Accies team.

Feel free to question Club Chairman Les Gray about Accies' priorities for the coming (current?) season at the Fans' Forum to be held in the function suite at NDP at around 5pm on Sunday 4 August.  Further details available on the official site.   

Morton vs Accies Sat 27th April 2013

The penultimate match of the season takes Accies to Greenock for a league game against Morton. A few months ago this looked like it could have been a massive game for both sides. At the time Morton's title challenge was strong while Accies were perilously close to the relegation play-off battle. As it happens, it might now be viewed by some as a meaningless end of season game. However, Morton still have their pride to play for and Accies can still finish in 3rd place.

Last week saw the team's 5th victory in what has been a fantastic April for the fans, players & new management team. The big question is can they round off the month with yet another win on Saturday? The confidence levels are certainly high and the players all look relaxed and incredibly fresh. In addition our record against Morton recently has been excellent.

Morton on the other hand will surely find it difficult to get motivated for this one. The disappointment of losing the league is bound to have had an impact on their players - will it be a negative or positive impact?

Looking to the Accies team, it's hard to imagine that there will be many changes from last week's squad. Louis Longridge must be pushing strongly for a start after impressive perfomances as a substitute in the last 2 games. I also wonder if the manager might be tempted to give a couple of the younger players an opportunity?

Livingston vs Accies (x2) - Sat 13 and Tues 16 Apr 2013

Another double header, this time away from home against Livingston.  First of all, well done to Livingston for their dogged determination to succeed in making entry to a game against Accies this season cost only £5.  I do hope they will be rewarded big crowd.  Accies go into the first game showing their best form of the season, having won their last 3 games and 4 of their last 7.  Livvy are not far behind with 3 wins in the last 7, and will have some confidence, having taken 4 points from the 2 fixtures between the teams played at NDP earlier in the season.  Accies will be without the suspended Devlin (for the first game), Fisher and Neil continue to have injury worries and Canning was taken off after 77 mins on Tuesday as a precaution.  Lets hope that spine of the team is not too badly hit by these doubts and the suspension.  Lee Kilday to come in to the squad?  It seems to me to be a possibility, as cover if nothing more, but he took a knock at one point in the U20s game vs Aberdeen on Wednedsay (which we lost 4-1, although it was not, apparently, a 4-1 game!) and there is no info at time of writing as to his fitness.  For once we have no worries up front, with some strong competition for places, although I can't see any change to the May, McShane and McKinnon combination, despite pressure from Brophy and Ryan.  Accies have every reason to be confident going into these games and I would like to think we can collect 4 points out of 6.  A 4th place finish to match last year might be on the minds of Neil and McAvoy - I reckon it's a long shot, but not wholly out of the question.     

Dunfermline vs Accies - Saturday 6 Apr 2013

Who would have guessed a few weeks ago that Dunfermline would play Accies on 6 April with the hosts missing Gallacher, McMillan, Barrowman, Kirk (among others), and with Accies being managed by Alex Neil and Frankie McAvoy?  The most unpredictable of leagues strikes again and quite how tomorrow will pan out is anybody's guess.  Accies should have the skill and experience to prevail, even without the suspended Gary Fisher and the likely absence of player/interim manager Neil, who was described earlier in the week as being 30/70 against for this game.  The away team will have been boosted by the victory on Tuesday against Dumbarton and will travel to EEP with the confidence boosting memory of a fine cup win there a couple of months ago.  The younger and lesser known Dunfermline players will no doubt use the rest of this season as a showcase for their talents, but despite this factor I'll take Accies to win this game convincingly and give our new management team their first 3 points at their first attempt.

POSTPONED: 3rd Plays 7th - Livingston vs Accies - 27 March 2013

Match rearranged for Tuesday 16 Apr 2013 at 7.45pm

4 league places and 11 points will separate Livingston and Accies at the start of their meeting at Almondvale (Braidwood Motor Company Stadium).  We have poor record against Livingston this season, but they come to the game having been beaten (mauled?) at Firhill while Accies completed a comprehensive victory away to Falkirk.  So we have another typical SFL Div 1 game that is impossible to call.  This is the first game for the new Livingston management team of Richie Burke and Mark Burchill and they would hope that their players will be suitably motivated to impress by that fact alone.  Accies Chairman Les Gray acknowledged earlier this week that his team had under-performed this season, but was equally clear that this season is one of reconstruction and Les also suggested that more similar seasons could follow.  This realistic and financially prudent approach should be widely welcomed by Accies supporters, even it does mean that we are unlikely to be challenging for a very swift return the the SPL.

Back to the matter in hand.  Accies haven't admitted to any injury worries and supporters, who will be charged only £5 admittance, can expect to see a very similar team to the one fielded at Falkirk.  The pitch will be heavy, if recent weather reports by the Blog's Livingston correspondent are to be believed, but it's impossible to know whether this will benefit either team.  So, the game's up for grabs by the better team on the night - I'll be consistent and plump for Accies to win, 0-1. 

Falkirk 0 Accies 2 - 23 March 2013

What a great result for Accies today.  First win against Falkirk since Apr 2010 and it seems to have been a pretty comprehensive performance.  The pitch was poor, the wind was blowing, but we created lots of chances against what seems to have been a pretty disappointing Falkirk side.  However, teams can only play against the other team, not that other team's potential, so the win stands with the best of our results this season.  Well done Jon Routledge and Louis Longridge on getting the goals.

This win takes us into 7th in the table, 3 pts ahead of the Blue Brazil (we have a game in hand), 5 pts clear of Dumbarton, who had a fine win at Dunfermline, and 13 points clear of Airdrie Utd.  We now have 9 games to play and need look no further than Wednesday at Livingston and next Saturday at home to Dumbarton for the next challenges.  This season's history suggests we won't win both games but this supporter would be delighted with 4 points, especially 3 of them are prised from Dumbarton.

In other football news, BBC suggesting that Derek McInnes (not Adams as I initially read it!) is on the verge of signing for Aberdeen.  Interesting appointment.  Discuss!!

Falkirk vs Accies - 23 March 2013

So, we continue the Falkirk saga on Saturday 23rd March.  Some say they are a bogey team, but I've witnessed a couple of fine victories at Westfield in recent years.  This will be a different Falkirk, too, without Steven Pressley at the helm.  So, what difference will that make?  Since we played Falkirk in that ill-fated cup match they have played only twice, suffering a 2-0 defeat at Morton and drawing with Raith Rovers at home.  They also have the very experienced Alex Smith, their technical director, taking charge as interim manager.

In the topsy-turvy world of the Scottish First Division any prediction is foolhardy, but that won't stop me expressing an opinion.  Accies are quite capable of beating Falkirk - without a wonder goal against us and with a wee touch of luck for Andy Ryan we would have done so on 2 March.  Accies away record is only marginally worse than their home record this year and it could be that there is less pressure of expectation on the team away from home.  There are no known injury issues (at the time of writing), although whether the fragile Alex Neil will last 90 mins or not (from a fitness point of view!) is anybody's guess.  Hopefully Stevie May will have a bit of luck and Martin Canning will keep Lyle Taylor quiet, leading me to conclude that Accies will pinch a tight game with the only goal.