Raith V Livingston - massive game

This is our biggest game of the season to date, without any shadow of a doubt, and if results go against us, we'll be relegated. On the contrary, it could be a massive step closer to survival. We have a terrific record on this ground - I think since our promotion in 2011 its played 7, won 6, lost 1? If Keags and Talbot are back we have a great chance to get the 3 points, and I think we might just get them. However, it needs to be similar to Cowdenbeath, were we had a big and loud support, which even Burchill says got us over the line. I think everyone should make the effort to go. Raith are in poor form, and we gave them an absolute doing there in December, so here's hoping for another huge 3 points to the Amber Machine.

Hopefully something like:

Jamieson

Fordyce
Gallagher
Sives
Talbot

Kyle
Keaghan
Pittman
Hippolyte

Mullen
White

Mon the fuckin Livingston.

Lexi Collector wrote:This is our biggest game of the season to date, without any shadow of a doubt, and if results go against us, we'll be relegated. On the contrary, it could be a massive step closer to survival. We have a terrific record on this ground - I think since our promotion in 2011 its played 7, won 6, lost 1? If Keags and Talbot are back we have a great chance to get the 3 points, and I think we might just get them. However, it needs to be similar to Cowdenbeath, were we had a big and loud support, which even Burchill says got us over the line. I think everyone should make the effort to go. Raith are in poor form, and we gave them an absolute doing there in December, so here's hoping for another huge 3 points to the Amber Machine.

Hopefully something like:

Jamieson

Fordyce
Gallagher
Sives
Talbot

Kyle
Keaghan
Pittman
Hippolyte

Mullen
White

Mon the fuckin Livingston.

As I understand it Sives hasn't been training with the first team so who knows?

Might start with Sekajja instead of Mullen; Barr and Watson know what to expect from Mullen but Sekajja is another matter.

Hopefully Keaghan will be back.

That's a shame if true, because I thought Sives had improved quite a lot after Mensing left but he hasn't really had a look in since Cole's arrival. There's absolutely no doubt he should be our back-up centre-half, so I'd like to see him play. He hasn't been on the bench of late, so he must've had a falling out with Burchill which is really inconvenient at this time. Donaldson will probably get a look in, meaning Fordyce will play out of position again, which isn't ideal.

Sekajja I'd maybe bring on late in the game. Away from home, I think we'd be better with Mullen, as you've got White just ahead of him and Hippolyte and Keags cutting in and providing balls from all angles which could give Barr and Watson a headache. Sekajja strikes me as more of an independent player.

Fordyce at centre-half, Donaldson at right-back. Sorted.

Get back to dominating the midfield for this game and we'll win. Hunt the ball down and putting pressure on them to force mistakes like we did against Falkirk and Cowden. Not bothered who we play up front, they can all score when given decent balls to attack, just need to get stuck in about them and rip them apart.

Hopefully the fans will turn up in numbers and get right behind the players, I think we give better support away from home anyway and were excellent against Cowdenbeath. Mon the Lions.

4-1 Livi, fg 12 mins.

If the other scores go as expected (wins for the Edinburgh duo) then we are still in with a chance of 9th if we lose....hopefully the heads haven't dropped after Wednesday but sadly I think the pressure will get to us.

Raith 1 Liv 0

FG 67 mins

Durnford wrote:

Lexi Collector wrote:This is our biggest game of the season to date, without any shadow of a doubt, and if results go against us, we'll be relegated. On the contrary, it could be a massive step closer to survival. We have a terrific record on this ground - I think since our promotion in 2011 its played 7, won 6, lost 1? If Keags and Talbot are back we have a great chance to get the 3 points, and I think we might just get them. However, it needs to be similar to Cowdenbeath, were we had a big and loud support, which even Burchill says got us over the line. I think everyone should make the effort to go. Raith are in poor form, and we gave them an absolute doing there in December, so here's hoping for another huge 3 points to the Amber Machine.

Hopefully something like:

Jamieson

Fordyce
Gallagher
Sives
Talbot

Kyle
Keaghan
Pittman
Hippolyte

Mullen
White

Mon the fuckin Livingston.

As I understand it Sives hasn't been training with the first team so who knows?

Might start with Sekajja instead of Mullen; Barr and Watson know what to expect from Mullen but Sekajja is another matter.

Hopefully Keaghan will  be back.

Burchill mentioned that there's only one player who is out of contract at the time of the play-offs. My guess is that player is either Praprotnik or Sives considering neither have been in the squad for the last few games regardless of how shite either players are. It could be a case that playing a number games automatically triggers an extension.

For the game itself, we need to start with two up front, especially if White is starting and fit to play. I think this is our biggest game in the last ten years considering what's at stake.

I'm feeling an AM victory: 3-2 Livi. FG 13 mins.

Referee is: Kevin Graham
Assisted by: Brian Templeton & Colin McAlpine

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/RefereeAppointments/SPFL/40.%20SPFL%20Appointments%20Friday%2024th%20-%20Sunday%2026th%20April%202015.pdf

He was the referee in the recent cowdenbeath game wasn't he?

If anyone needs a lift let me know, keen to get as many folk going as possible.

Durnford wrote:Referee is: Kevin Graham  
Assisted by: Brian Templeton & Colin McAlpine

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/RefereeAppointments/SPFL/40.%20SPFL%20Appointments%20Friday%2024th%20-%20Sunday%2026th%20April%202015.pdf

He was the referee in the recent cowdenbeath game wasn't he?

Crawford Allan.

Durnford wrote:

Lexi Collector wrote:This is our biggest game of the season to date, without any shadow of a doubt, and if results go against us, we'll be relegated. On the contrary, it could be a massive step closer to survival. We have a terrific record on this ground - I think since our promotion in 2011 its played 7, won 6, lost 1? If Keags and Talbot are back we have a great chance to get the 3 points, and I think we might just get them. However, it needs to be similar to Cowdenbeath, were we had a big and loud support, which even Burchill says got us over the line. I think everyone should make the effort to go. Raith are in poor form, and we gave them an absolute doing there in December, so here's hoping for another huge 3 points to the Amber Machine.

Hopefully something like:

Jamieson

Fordyce
Gallagher
Sives
Talbot

Kyle
Keaghan
Pittman
Hippolyte

Mullen
White

Mon the fuckin Livingston.

As I understand it Sives hasn't been training with the first team so who knows?

Might start with Sekajja instead of Mullen; Barr and Watson know what to expect from Mullen but Sekajja is another matter.

Hopefully Keaghan will  be back.

Sives has been injured, just watched AffinityTV and Burchil said Keaghan and Sives he's not sure how they'll be for this game. Talbot will be back though.

Liviforever wrote:

Durnford wrote:

Lexi Collector wrote:This is our biggest game of the season to date, without any shadow of a doubt, and if results go against us, we'll be relegated. On the contrary, it could be a massive step closer to survival. We have a terrific record on this ground - I think since our promotion in 2011 its played 7, won 6, lost 1? If Keags and Talbot are back we have a great chance to get the 3 points, and I think we might just get them. However, it needs to be similar to Cowdenbeath, were we had a big and loud support, which even Burchill says got us over the line. I think everyone should make the effort to go. Raith are in poor form, and we gave them an absolute doing there in December, so here's hoping for another huge 3 points to the Amber Machine.

Hopefully something like:

Jamieson

Fordyce
Gallagher
Sives
Talbot

Kyle
Keaghan
Pittman
Hippolyte

Mullen
White

Mon the fuckin Livingston.

As I understand it Sives hasn't been training with the first team so who knows?

Might start with Sekajja instead of Mullen; Barr and Watson know what to expect from Mullen but Sekajja is another matter.

Hopefully Keaghan will  be back.

Sives has been injured, just watched AffinityTV and Burchil said Keaghan and Sives he's not sure how they'll be for this game. Talbot will be back though.

I wouldn't risk Keaghan. QotS will be a tougher game than Raith, especially in the midfield. If he is out, I'd bring in Glen and put Mullen and White up front.

Ground will probably be very heavy with all the forecast rain so probably best not to risk but he will be a loss though.

Glenn would be a possible option or even Mike Mckenna. Beaumont played well in midfield didn't he?

Durnford wrote:Ground will probably be very heavy with all the forecast rain so probably best not to risk but he will be a loss though.

Glenn would be a possible option or even Mike Mckenna. Beaumont played well in midfield didn't he?

Beaumont is a CM so I doubt Burchill will stick him on the wing. Ideally I would put Mullen on the wing but he's a decent partnership with White up front.

LiviCub wrote:

Durnford wrote:Ground will probably be very heavy with all the forecast rain so probably best not to risk but he will be a loss though.

Glenn would be a possible option or even Mike Mckenna. Beaumont played well in midfield didn't he?

Beaumont is a CM so I doubt Burchill will stick him on the wing. Ideally I would put Mullen on the wing but he's a decent partnership with White up front.

Would have thought Sekajja would have been better up against Watson and Barr to be honest (which probably means it'll be Boulding).

How anyone can prefer Sekajja to Boulding is beyond me.

EdinburghLivi wrote:How anyone can prefer Sekajja to Boulding is beyond me.

Baffling Ibra is nowhere near good enough but scored two lucky goals and got him cult status, crazy game football at times.

What have you two against Ibra?

Hippo was being written off a few months ago but I always said he needed a run of games to have a chance to shine, look what he's done since getting that run. Ibra has plenty energy and hassles players forcing mistakes, has got himself into positions to knock the ball into the net too so seems like a decent prospect. Would have been more suited to the Hibs game than White anyway and should've been on earlier when we were down to 10 men.

Would still like to see Ibra and Hippo getting a chance to form a partnership, two mobile players that chase down balls and look strong to hold off a challenge. He's a bit like Mullen only stronger on the ball.

A bit like I said in the Hibs thread, a lot of our fans seem to love Sekajja for some reason, can only assume they know fuck all about football as he's a bit of a diddy.

As for Boulding, fuck off with this cunt. Turned up with a massive ego, pissed around doing fuck all before realising nobody would touch him, so he scored a few tap-ins in meaningless games (all from the hard work of Barr and Russell) then fucked off with his massive ego to the SPL and Falkirk, where he failed and came crawling back.

White, Mullen and Hippolyte as strikers. Anything else we have is desperate.

Lexi Collector wrote:A bit like I said in the Hibs thread, a lot of our fans seem to love Sekajja for some reason, can only assume they know fuck all about football as he's a bit of a diddy.

As for Boulding, fuck off with this cunt. Turned up with a massive ego, pissed around doing fuck all before realising nobody would touch him, so he scored a few tap-ins in meaningless games (all from the hard work of Barr and Russell) then fucked off with his massive ego to the SPL and Falkirk, where he failed and came crawling back.

White, Mullen and Hippolyte as strikers. Anything else we have is desperate.

Actually thought Boulding fed off the hard work of McNulty more than anyone else but irrespective I would have pretty much anyone ahead of his ego and tantrums.

Do think Hippolyte is far better attacking on the wing though; whenever he's been in the centre he's failed to impress.

Smithy wrote:

EdinburghLivi wrote:How anyone can prefer Sekajja to Boulding is beyond me.

Baffling Ibra is nowhere near good enough  but scored two lucky goals and got him cult status, crazy game football at times.

Rarely has Sekajja been given more than half a game; He runs well and a lot of his passing is spot on; unfortunately he's a bit short against a lot of the championship defenders but least-ways doesn't get pushed off the ball as easily as Mullen.

Miles better striker than Boulding in my opinion but then again so is Craig Sives.

Massive game today would certainly have White and Mullen on the park today as they have scored 11 and 9 league goals respectively up to now.

These two lads have scored 55.5% ( a percentage the SNP would have been proud to achieve ) league goals between them so let's keep playing them and it would be good to see them as a front two like we did against Dumbarton when we banged in 5.

Hippo is better on the wider position and has proved his worth as LF says with a run of games.

Boulding did have a nice assist for White in the Cowdenbeath game .

One guy I like is Glen so would like to see him feature more, his link up with White in the final , which is my goal of the season , was brilliant and football at its best. Great scenes after the goal too made the goal complete.

Mon the lions today against Raith and I think we can win 3 -1 .

Where's the ego in taking a move to a bigger club after scoring plenty goals for us? Equally where's the ego in, after not succeeding at bigger clubs, coming back and contributing successfully again? Could have easily decided he was too good for us and got an offer on more money down south, I'm almost certain.

Sekajja is a headless chicken who as Smithy said got very lucky in scoring two goals. I'm yet to see him contribute anything (admittedly missing some games where he has apparently done well) that suggests he's good enough to be a professional footballer. The finishing and general play in the Dumbarton game was borderline embarrassing. Kyle Jacobs may have lost us that game with a stupid challenge on the edge of the box after fannying about but Sekajja should have had that game sown up himself. I guarantee Boulding would have taken at least one of those chances.

Agree with EL. Boulding had no emotional ties to us so it seems illogical he'd have stayed after having such a good season. If he scores goals in the next week or so to help keep us up, I doubt few will care about what happened before. Equally, the same goes for Sekajja. Apart from two tap ins, he's not really been up to much, and he maybe should have had a run in the team similar to Hippo to see if he actually had any quality, but it's time we don't have nor can afford.

Wouldn't write anyone off as yet, even though Mullen frustrates the hell out of me getting knocked off the ball far too easily he has skills and is still developing. All our strikers bar Boulding are pretty young and inexperienced at this level, they all show potential.

If we've plenty possession and play 2 up front then White is a certainty to get some chances and providing he gets some decent service will score, however if we're struggling against a team and do our usual of just lumping the ball up to him he's not going to get much joy and I'd rather have Ibra on. Aganst Raith we should be dominating the midfield and giving White service.

Can't argue Ibra had a stinker against Dumbarton but I could name any of our players that have stinkers this season, even Gallagher.