Busy weekend for us at Easter Road. Today we purchased 26CPs as we felt we wanted to fully btrain up the age 2s and a couple of the age 3s. Not actually wanting to buy all 26 we had to bid on 5 lots to guarantee getting at least 18. We will see how it pans out - might be looking to sell off a few soon.

Aging has bit deeply - not sure Mark meant it when he said "sorry for your loss"... :-(

Yesterdays games were good for us, and we rise to 3rd in the division. Too high for us, but we will drop down soon enough.

We travelled up north to Deveronvale and it looked a good draw all round. However our forwards went mad and scored 5 times whislt Slater in our goals saved 6 of the 7 shots he faced. The 5-1 scoreline was not representative of the way the game went, but we did need goals in the GF column. Then we hosted Hamilton Accies and won again, this time by 2-0, to earn a MVP. Probably a correct result but nevertheless a good return after the 2 x draws the previous weekend.

We also sold one of our 2 bright WGs - Jim Davis, to Fraserburgh for 1200k. He played in Alon's 2nd match in a 2-0 win at Hearts but was sent off. What did Alon say to him as he took the pitch?? So he will at least be well ready for the weekends games.

Now it is the SESL Cup, and we will do well to get points in the first 3 games, starting with Motherwell, then followed by games v Clyde and East Fife. Need to keep ELs up for the league restart.

Well, it's not is it - but some do see it that way, as we take a moment from league play and turn our attentions to the SESL cup group stage. For some a chance to turn their fortunes, for others a chance to rotate some squad players. Some will look to increase training regimes to come back to league play in 5 games time stronger. 

For us, it wont make much difference. We need to compete during these games, we want to challenge in the cups (despite our poor efforts earlier in the season in the CECIL cup) We need the gate receipts, we need the continued high Moral if nothing else! The squad is a little tired, but everyone remains in contention for play in the first fixture. We move into the cup after MSA rips through our squad which will have a significant impact on our team - this is when having the 2nd oldest team in SESL isnto going to do us any favours! 

We enter the group phase having returned to storng form though, after a little blip - 3 consecutive wins. No goals conceded in the last 2 and 7 scored. Its scoring thats been our challenge in the first half of the season, so seeing these goals go in and being a bit more 'free' up front has pleased the fans. Also gives us a better chance of hitting the Sponsor payout later! 

Falkirk got back to trying to pick up league points yesterday after their Cecil cup run to the semifinals. We started with a visit to struggling Brechin City. The Bairns got off to a flyer scoring on 7 minutes through Jordan and then again on 22 minutes from Speedie. Two minutes later McTominay scored and then four minutes later Jordan again. We made it five, two minutes before halftime with Gilmour. We did concede late on for a five one away victory. The second game was at home against second placed Dundee United. We had the better of it but couldn't beat man of the match Richaards in the United goal and the match ended goalless. The result leaves us eleventh going into the SESL group cup matches.

We started the weekend with an away game at James Montrose, a quality side with lots of firepower up front, they opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 17 minutes when Grieves fired home 0-1,20 minutes and he fired home his 2nd 0-2,Montrose slowly played themselves back into the game and pulled one back on 27 minutes when Selzaron slotted home 1-2 and levelled it up on 36 minutes when top striker Ignamane fired home after some sustained pressure, half time came and subs on they pushed on and McCausland fired home on 50 minutes 3-2,after that it was a tale of defences as both stood firm, Ross in our goal in outstanding form with 6 saves but we were outplayed for periods and outshot 9 to 6 ,well played James.

Next we travelled to Roy's Stirling, never a happy hunting ground for us ,they opted for a 4-5-1 ball control as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but they opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Lynley fired home 1-0 and on 32 minutes 2-0 when Macbeth slotted home, we slowly played ourselves back into the game and pulled one back on 33 minutes when Grieves fired home 2-1 and levelled things up on half time when McTominay drilled home 2-2,2nd half subs on and they started to dominate and control all possession as we could not keep the ball,48 minutes and Macbeth fired home his 2nd 3-2,53 minutes and Doyle raced through and slotted home 4-2,59 minutes and Nightingale slotted home 5-2,61 minutes and Lynley fired home his 2nd 6-2,63 minutes and Tango fired home 7-2 and on 69 minutes Macbeth completed his hat trick 8-2 as they totally outplayed us and outshot us 11 to 5 ,well played Roy we had no answers to these tactics.

So a pointless weekend sees us drop to 4th.

A good weekend for EDI began with a 1-3 away win at ALO with young FW Lee Wood scoring a brace to help secure all 3 points. In the second match EDI hosted DEE and ran out comfortable 5-1 victors with FW Clyde Best scoring all FIVE goals in the win. Those six points also moved EDI out of the relegation zone at the mid-point stage of the league campaign.

Next up is the dreaded MSA and then it is a break from the League as the SESL Cup  begins with the mini league stage of the competition. EDI will need to be careful with team selections as ELs need to be considered and also any possible suspensions will need to be allowed for with a view to the rest of the season.

WG Marley Redfern remains on the transfer list but with very limited interest at the moment and as a consequence looks likely to be withdrawn pretty soon.

So its onto the Cup again.

And we're at MSA, about mid-table with middle of the division in T11 and T17. With Morrison past his best and ready to retire and a young GK not quite up to the job, this season was all about surviving. And we're doing OK. The defence isn't as good as my teams usually are so we're letting a lot of goals in but with our three wingers and three forwards we're scoring loads - only Motherwell have scored more in the league so far.

This past weekend was  mixed bag. We were stronger than Edinburgh and only slightly inferior at GK but theirs only let in 1 shot from 11 and ours only saved 1 from 4. Nothing you can do about that but move on and thrash the next team 6-1.

The most disappointing thing is we're so high in the DP charts again for a team that plays passive quite  lot and hasn't had a good cup run. It's almost as though we get more than our fair share of strict referees because we're first alphabetically.

And we say good bye and good luck to Jim Davis. An age 2/29 winger he had been trained up alongside Jim Watson, also age 2/29.

Problem is I need CPs and am around 12 short, so decided to drop some of our attack options (Long Ball and Early Cross) to get some in.

Another club came in with some cash and 5 CPs but overall it didn't match up to FRA's bid of 1200k.

everybody knows we are where we want to be so if we suffer a few losses whilst getting the age 2 lads fully trained, then so be it. MSA and PSA will hit hard too - but that's part if the fun.

Jyst hope Alon @ FRA gets good service from Jim.

See what happens on a holiday weekend. You forget to put in your teams and you get massacred. Yur team get hammered and your carefully worked out EL's are now out of whack. Plus you get your main GK injured whilst playing passsive :)

Match 23 at home to Stirling Albion. All passive and it turned out that way with a 2-0 loss. We were lucky as Stirling had 7 shots on target from 9. Just as well they had an off day. But we had a worse day with a Passive GK Josh Clarke sustaining an injury and will keep him out for 3/4 games. 

Match 24 we were away to Morton. a 5-0 home win after we had our apprentce GK Thompson in goals for this game. 5 shots 5 goals. 100% goal target reached by Morton in this game. 

Next up for games 26 and 27 we are at home to Cove and then away to Berwick. With No.1 GK out of action i fear th worst for young Max Thompson and our team overall. At least another couple of TP's to get his overall SL up. But i fear it will not be pretty. 

The Galloway Gazette proudly brings you a pre–cup final report that dares to ask the question on everyone’s lips: can youth, chaos, and a suspiciously optimistic manager overcome creaking knees, statistical dominance, and a forward line held together with liniment?

Stranraer versus Motherwell. The SESL showpiece. A neutral ground, though with referee Turner’s “STRONG homefield” tendencies, one suspects he may spontaneously declare one end “emotionally home” if things get spicy. Add in his STRICT discipline, and this final could feature more cards than a birthday party at a stationery shop.

On paper, Motherwell stroll into this final like seasoned aristocrats. They dominate the historical series 23-7-20 and have handed Stranraer some absolute hidings over the years, including a 6-0 demolition that still wakes older fans in a cold sweat. However, history is written by the winners—and occasionally rewritten by cheeky Gazette reporters with an agenda.

Because here’s the thing: this Stranraer side, under the fearless (and, some say, fashionably unhinged) leadership of manager Andrew McCumiskey, is not here to respect history. They are here to aggressively ignore it.

Yes, MOT boast the terrifyingly efficient Mondo Polestar (13 goals from 16 shots—honestly, check his boots for magnets). Yes, their squad looks deeper, older, and statistically superior in almost every department. But older is the operative word. This is less a football squad and more a walking heritage exhibit. If the match goes to extra time, Stranraer might simply win by waiting.

SRA by contrast, are vibrant, unpredictable, and occasionally aware of what they’re doing. Ray Wylie Hubbard leads the line with 8 goals from just 9 shots—a ratio that screams either elite finishing or wild coincidence. Either way, Motherwell won’t enjoy finding out which.

Behind him, Billy Bland and Memphis Slim provide support, while the wings—assuming Jerry Jeff Walker’s “doubtful” status doesn’t translate to “currently in the pub”—offer flashes of genuine threat. The tactical approach? Let’s call it “creative ambiguity.” With a mix of Normal, Counter Attack, and Opportunistic tendencies, Stranraer could either produce a masterclass or something that requires post-match interpretation.

Defensively, Budinauckas stands tall (6'9"?) with an 83% save rate, which is excellent news considering Motherwell will likely be firing shots like they’re clearing a backlog. If he has a big game, Stranraer have more than a puncher’s chance—they have a full-on haymaker.

And let’s not ignore momentum. Motherwell arrive off a run of strong results, but Stranraer’s recent form has been… character-building. Losses, surprises, and the occasional existential crisis have forged a team that fears nothing, mainly because they’ve already seen it all.

Perhaps most importantly, there’s precedent. Season 49. SESL Cup Final. Stranraer victorious. Motherwell still muttering about it in quiet moments.

So yes, the bookmakers, statisticians, and anyone with a spreadsheet will favour MOT. But football isn’t played on spreadsheets. It’s played on grass, with questionable refereeing, fluctuating morale, and one manager—McCumiskey—who clearly believes this is destiny rather than delusion.

Prediction? A high-scoring, mildly chaotic spectacle. Motherwell will bring experience. Stranraer will bring noise, energy, and just enough brilliance to make the impossible feel inevitable.

And when the dust settles, don’t be surprised if the old guard is left wondering what just happened—again.

EDI officially announced this morning that youth academy product WG John Robertson had signed his first professional contract and has been added to the first team squad as of this week.

He is expected to see some playing time this season with a view to gaining experience which should aid his progression into a potential future star with the club. All at EDI wish him well and are looking forward to watching his growth over the coming seasons alongside recently promoted fellow youth player WG Charlie Cooke. It is hoped both will supply serious threats going forward for many seasons ahead.

BRE continues to struggle, and the team has fallen into the relegation zone after a promising start to the league season.
The first whistles are already being heard at the stadium, and the fans seem to have singled out those primarily responsible.
Many point to the poor results as the beginning of the downturn when manager Sergei decided to promote youngsters Wallace Baird and Gary Brollan to the first team.

"We can't play every game with one less defender," an irate fan declared outside the stadium after a 2-3 defeat against Raith Rovers.
However, it's true that BRE has only kept a clean sheet in two matches this season, both of them in the first two cup games against ALB.
Safety isn't out of reach yet, but the sense of helplessness the team exudes on the pitch is far from encouraging.

Motherwell had a productive weekend, with the final scoring of the week being a solid 8/10.

After the highs of qualifying for the CECIL cup final, Motherwell had a visit to last season’s winner Elgin City and a visit from Arbroath to look forward to.  ELG came out strong in the first match, despite having some EL concerns in their squad. It looked like this could be a very close one, with both sides looking to create a lot of chances. But, it was the visitors who would dominate the first half.  Tawanda Maswanhise scored the opener after 21 minutes, and then it was captain Ray Wylie Hubbard whose 6-minute brace really opened up a gap. 3-0 at halftime could have meant things would get out of control, but ELG responded well to the deficit. The second half would see them create more chances than MOT, but Kevin Budinauckas was up to the challenge. His 6 saves ensured that ELG couldn’t manage a comeback and earned captain Ray Wylie Hubbard a captain’s bonus. MOT rode their luck slightly to win with the bonus, but were good value for their win. Combined with STE’s loss to East Fife, Motherwell move top for the first time this season.

But, the match home to Arbroath would be anything but simple. ARB lined up with several of their T-11 at SL 2 or 3 for this one, but the home side was feeling confident. A 13% to 4.8% shot chance advantage and a 8 SL GK advantage meant that MOT expected they would have a few goals by the half and be able to wrap this one up early. If only the narrative went that easily! It was the visitors who got the first shot and first goal, with Gordon Smith scoring 11 minutes in. Motherwell would have to wait until the 31st minute to get their first shot, putting to bed the idea that they would hit their expected 6 shots by halftime. Guy Clark leveled right on the stroke of halftime with MOT’s 3rd shot, leaving it all to play for. Halftime subs jumped the shot chances to 15.4% to 8.3%, but again MOT just couldn’t find any shots. The visitors re-took the lead 48 minutes in and got to a shocking 3-1 lead after 71 minutes. ARB were up to 6 chances on goal to MOT’s 5, with manager Foss-Grant bewildered as to why his players weren’t getting closer to their expected 10 shots by this point. His frustration with his players must have crept onto the pitch, as the Motherwell players turned up the tempo from there. Tawanda Maswanhise scored in the 79th minute to bring it back to within 1, and the equalizer came from striker Billy Bland in the 85th minute. Motherwell had 5 minutes left to rescue the 3 points from way back, but even with a 10.9% shot chance 5 minutes is not a lot of time. There would be no more shots in this one, and given the game state MOT can feel lucky that they even came away with a point. STE move back into first by a point, and MOT will be left to wonder what could have been had they been a bit riskier with ELs and had a bit more luck with their shot creation.

Motherwell welcome new signing Elijah Just to the squad. This apprentice winger brings a wealth of pace and skill to rejuvenate Motherwell’s winger corps. From New Zealand, Motherwell insiders expect that Elijah will slowly replace former captain Jerry Jeff Walker in the squad. As a second apprentice signing for the year, Just likely serves as the final youth signing for the Well this season. “While it is nice to have our business done early, it also comes with the downside of potentially missing out on late-season auction bargains. However, we felt Elijah’s skill at the position was too good to pass up on, and that we had no guarantees of seeing a similar prospect for the rest of the season,” said manager Foss-Grant.

Motherwell now have a fairly settled T-17 for the remainder of the year. 3 star strikers, 4 WGs, 3 MFs (With Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle likely to retire at mid-season), 5 DF/SW/DMs, and 2 GKs. With 3 weak defensive covers, however, it is possible even Jerry Jeff Walker could be moved on, with SL8 DF Han U-jin serving as the 17th man instead.

Pretty much. 

14 games into the league season. But some big moments to come - CECIL Cup final, Staff Buying, Mid Season Ageing and the start of the SESL cup - no time to take a breath. 

Difficult games this weekend, going down 3-0 to EF and it felt like it was coming. Stats werent in our favour on the day against a very strong team playing at home. We only manged 2 shots on target, against EF 11 - it could have been worse for us. MOT went top and we had to bounce back, or this would be the moment MOT got away. 

But against LIV, we played a storng side, albeit with rotation and managed to come out with a strong win in spite of close stats and going 1 down early one. It put us back to the top as ARB held MOT to a draw. 1 point clear feels too little, but two final games to compete before we break for the SESL cup 

Pushing it far to close on our Sponsor work, as we are literally on track pro-rata currently - we need more goals. We are running low on CP, so will be looking out to pick a few up to complete or coaching needs before the season is out. Conceding 4 goals this weekend didnt feel good either. We rely heavily on our solid back line, so have to get back to conceding less than 3 goals in a weekend, if we are going to continue scoring low. 

Its funny though, having spent so many seasons yo-yo'ing throught he divisions, we still measure success on how many points we are / or arent clear of the relegation places! So currently looking OK :-)

Motherwell have made their second CECIL cup final in a row afyer dispatching of Falkirk, 7-2 on aggregate. The first leg was, frankly, pretty lucky for the Well. Visiting Falkirk Stadium, the stats were pretty even between the sides. MOT had the advantage in net and with finishing skill, but the match would swing even more in their favor than that. FAL's gk was keeping them in the match early on after the visitors were givem the bulk of the chances. But then the match really turned when FAL's single aggressive player conceded a penalty and got a red card. Talk about harsh! Terrible luck for FAL. The second half would do them no more favors, with only a single shot being created, and that shot being Motherwell's second. 0-2 the final, and MOT had one foot in the final.

The second leg at Fir Park was an interesting test, with FAL playing counterattack trying to catch Motherwell taking their foot off the gas. Had MOT played a tactic that played poorly against 'c' it could have been trouble, but fortunately for the home side 'e' was the tactic of the day. MOT quickly put two on the board in the first 8 minutes, and this tie felt over. However, FAL were nog ready to call it quits! They scored two replies to bring it to 2-2 (4-2) amd give themselves a shot at the half. But, again, Motherwell would come out hot. Billy Bland scoring 2 minutes into the half killed the visitors' momentum, and Ray Wylie Hubbard iced the tie with a late brace. 5-2 on the day and a big margin to see the well into the final.

They will play Stranraer in a rematch of the CECIL cup final from season 49. Let's hope this time turns out better for Motherwell!

Falkirk's Cecil cup run to the semifinals has cost them vital league points which has left the Bairns near the relegation spots going into the half way stage of the season. We started this week with the 2nd leg Cecil cup semifinal away at Motherwell after losing the first leg two nil. A decent first half effort and it was two apiece but we conceded just after halftime and then two further late goals losing five two, seven two on aggregate. So yesterday  we went into the away game at Airdrieonians FC having to rest our better players due to low energy levels. We lost five nil with youth keeper Platt conceding from just seven shots. We then had league leaders Cowdenbeath at home. We went a goal behind early on but equalised on 35 minutes through Gilmour for one all at halftime. The deciding goal came on 53 minutes but Cowdenbeath was the team to score and a close game ended in a two one defeat. Bring on the next cup competition.

We started the weekend with an away game at Craig's Clydebank, a really tough side who had not been firing on all cylinders this season,they opted for a 3-4-3 press with a very impressive front line as we opted for a 4-4-2 normal, they started quickly and opened the scoring on 7 minutes when Bridges fired home 1-0,from the restart we went upfield and Grieves fired home 1-1 and on 11 minutes he fired home his 2nd 1-2,but Clyebank kept coming wave after wave and levelled things up on 16 minutes when Gallacher fired home 2-2,half time came and subs on ,we were weathering the storm of the constant attacks and on 56 minutes Fraser fired home 2-3,on 63 minutes Niven slotted home 3-3 and on 79 minutes Syrie fired home 4-3,we had no answers to this as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 9 to 6,well played Craig

Next we were at home to James's Dunfermline, another formidable side who have lots of class players in their ranks,we opted for a 4-4-2 normal as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, game on and both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half subs on and we opened the scoring on 52 minutes when McTominay powered home his header at the back post 1-0,61 minutes and Crimm fired home to level it up 1-1,but we kept pushing and on 83 minutes Fraser headed home a deep cross 2-1 as we outplayed them for periods and outshot them 9 to 3,well played James.

So a 3 point weekend sees us sit 2nd.

A weekend with little joy but at least no woes.

Away at Dumbarton we always looked like holding a 0-0 draw hoping for a breakaway goal.

In fact we were surprised when the Sons grabbed a goal with 12 minutes left. We went Press immediately and new boy Quinn in midfield did justice when he converted a shot into the net with a couple of minutes left. Happy enough with the draw.

At home to Albion Rovers we should have just dismissed the EC tactic they use so much and gone N. As it was we even forgot to go N at the half as we headed in 0-0. Up till then we were not troubled at the back at all, and despite creating a 8-3 shot on target count we didn't break down the Rovers defence.

They left Easter Road with a point and we remain comfortably in 5th place.

We have the lowest equal goals for in the division, and the lowest against total in the division. 2nd lowest overall for and lowest equal (with Stenhousemuir) goals against.

The latest session saw EDI win 2-1 at home over RAN which was followered by a tough loss 1-0 loss on the road to HEA. The three points means EDI remain in the relegation zone but at least we keep in touching distance of safety albeit only just.

Two EDI players still remain on the transfer list despite some interest but it looks likely now that only one of those players will be allowed to leave at the moment if a suitable deal for TPs or a cash/TPs offer that suits is forthcoming. WG Kuhn has already been traded away and the manager remains open to other offers.

So we went into 2 league games (19 & 20) home to Dunfermline and then away to Montrose last weekend. 

First up was a the home tie at Somerset Park and we knew it would be tough as our apprentice GK Max Thompson was between the sticks. The team did well hold the Pars to 1-0 at half time with a goal after 25mins from Otoo. But the floodgates opened in the 2nd half with goals after 50/52/63/76 to score 5. We managed a couple of counters after 51 and 53 to round out the scoring and we lost 5-2. 

The fact that there were goals on 50/51/52/53 is quick something. 2 goals apiece in that 4 min spell. Trent Crimm with 3 goals from 3 shots got MOTM for Dunfermline.

Cutis Main was a culprit for use with 4 shots and no goals. 

Next up was a trip to the north east v Montrose. 

A tight game with no goals in the 1st half. We took the lead through CUrtis Main (he had practised his shooting from the previous game) in the 65th min. Then despite trying to hold out montrose equalised with 2 mins remaining. Our GK Josh Clark got MOTM with 8 saves from 9 on target. Montrose with a massive 214.52 of OFF after playing Early Cross with 2 wingers. I hate that tactic :)

So despite us having the lowest T11 and 17 we sit in 11th position of out 16. We are the only team after 12 league games who have not scored double digits of goals in the league with a tally of 9 for and 12 against. So our saving grace is we don't concede too many. That GF would have been better is the apprentice GK was not in v Dunfermline. 

In somewhat surpring news, especially considering it being so early in the season, DF Laim Brady, WG Nicolas Kuhn and FW Connor Young all asked to be put on the transfer list. The manager was surprised to say the least but agreed to all three players wishes.

In an ideal world the manager would prefer to sell any 1, 2 and/or 3 players for TPs as an apprentice would need to step into the void created but he finally accepted that EDI may have to consider and maybe accept CASH offers instead.

The manager was reported as saying that he is not keen to sell any of the three but if any suitable offers were proposed then he would have to give said offers serious consideration as he has no desire to keep players that are no longer committed to the club.

Just when the fans thought the team appeared settled.............

We dropped points this week, but we arent complaining - the boys continue to put in 100% effort and grind out some great results in a run (the entire season right?) of tough games! 

In reality we probably should have done better against ELG, the numbers were in our favour. But given some of the results we have had recently, ill take it - we slipped behind early, but quickly replie to level the score. Surprisingly it stayed like that then through to the end of the game - a draw and one point. 

Andrew has 2 convincing wins this week - 9 goals without reply and 6 points, so it wa simportant we got a win in the second game. But we knew we would be up against a very strong team in ARB, so we put out a T11, HB and the numbers were in our favour - the game was finished at half time, which allowed us to rest some players later in the game. Crucial as part of our season long rotation policy. 

We continue to push our sponsor effort very tight - we will need to increase goals scored at some point to secure the payout. But at the other end we are the only team to have conceded single digit goals and we continue to improve our defensive line week on week.  

There are rumours that GK Norway will be shortly heading to an intensive coaching camp aimed at older players with the aim of giving him the rest of this season at the top of his game and hopefully allowing him to play on in some form next season too! 

Other than that, given we are top of Division 1 currently, the individual performances still arent really shining for us - not on Golden Gloves chart, a distance off the Golden boot, but Render might have a shot at the MoMs chart?