Fee Fife Fo Fum, I Smell the Blood...

[Faramir]

flipstyle - Thanks very much Have to hope so on the additions, the squad as was needed some improving for the step up in play

***

9.7.11

"Well, as a first taste of BSP play, this friendly was a bit of a sour experience," stated Grayling.

"At least we scored first," offered Watson.

"Celtic showed us how much we will have to up our play though- though a 3-1 loss wasn't that bad."

***

13.7.11

"That wasn't pleasant," sighed Grayling.

"'Gers handed our backline their heads in the first 15 minutes," agreed Watson.

"I don't know why, but John Sutton and David Woods didn't show us anything in that first 15 minutes- Freddy Eastwood and Kris Boyd danced in circles around them."

"We played better in the second half. I thought Paul King showed well- even if he didn't finish well."

"Leave out the first 15 minutes, and it was scoreless- but when we were behind 3-0..."

***

16.7.11

"A much closer match, but still another loss," lamented Grayling.

"Still, it was only 1-0 and it was just a friendly," commented Watson.

"We did play better in the match. We have to figure a way to get our scoring going."

"The forwards, other than Paul King, have shown in inability to shed their markers."

[Faramir]

16.7.11

"You will have a new center defender in training tomorrow," said Grayling to Watson.

"Hmm?"

"We paid 12K to Ross County for 26 year old Northern Irish DLC David Ogilby. He is fierce tackler."

"Likely very welcome on our backline then."

***

17.7.11

"Paul Doyle has a hew home," offered Grayling.

"Who took him?" asked Watson.

"MK Dons- on free transfer."

***

19.7.11

"I hadn't really planned to do this Andy, but I am pursuing a bit of a makeover for us- trying to add more speed," stated Grayling.

"It was very noticeable against Celtic and 'Gers- they were all over us because they were much quicker than we were," replied Watson.

"It will mean some departures too- Ryan McCay is one of the first ones as he went to Dundee for 5K."

"We will just have to work through and try to help the boys gel for the season."

***

20.7.11

"A 1-1 draw is better, but our finishing was poor today," observed Watson.

"It would have been an easy win if we could have finished better," agreed Grayling.

"The chances were there today at least."

"Chris Snow played a fine first half in goal- he is rounding into shape for the new season."

[Faramir]

21.7.11

"The fans are certainly excited at the new signing," commented Watson.

"I am excited too. Fabio Ferrera is a player I have admired for several seasons. I am happy to have him with us and I think he will do well in our system," replied Grayling.

"How much did we pay Dundee for him?"

"Ferrera was transfer listed at his request- so it was only 325K- I consider that a bargain for a player of his quality."

***

22.7.11

"They liked the signing yesterday, but they were ecstatic today," said a happy Watson.

"It cost a little bit- 500K with a 15% sell on clause- and I had to grant Archie Campbell a 4.7 Minimum fee release in the contract, but it was another good deal for us," replied a similarly pleased Grayling.

"Campbell was an impressive youngster for 'Gers last season, I can't understand why they would transfer list him."

"Problems with the management and the fact he will get little playing time this season. He will start for us."

"Did you see that Craig O'Reilly offered his support in getting Campbell in the press?"

"No, but that shows me that Craig really is the kind of team player and leader we want him to be."

***

23.7.11

"I can't believe how excited our fans are at these three signings," offered Watson.

"Jamie McCluskey is a great addition to our club. The 23 year old Scot leftwinger will fit right in- though David WOtherspoon will now have to take a wee step back in the pecking order," replied Grayling.

"McCluskey and Wotherspoon should be a good combination on leftwing for us. I assume that means Michael Hall is mostly destined for leftback?"

"For the moment. There is something else in the works too- but I can't talk about it yet."

[Faramir]

23.7.11

"Well, that was fast," commented Watson.

"I had been waiting for the final decision. It finally came this morning. Dundee's fans have got to be a little upset with us about now. We have raided them for Fabio Ferrera, Jamie McCluskey and now Marc Twaddle for 90K," answered Grayling.

"I assume Twaddle will start at leftback?"

"Yes, Clark Kay hasn't developed and while steady- I am not convinced he can play at BSP level. Michael Hall is solid- but not a natural there and lacks pace. Twaddle has the type of speed up and down the left we need. He may be a bit fragile- but we have depth."

***

23.7.11

"That was a nice way to close out the friendlies," said a content Grayling.

"Though it was only East Stirling- the 4-0 win was a welcome boost," agreed Watson.

"I have to be honest Andy. The transfer situation will remain through the August deadline. I plan on moving more players and it will be difficult to get the club to gel in the early going."

"Well, we want to stay up. To do that, if we can improve our quality- we do it."

***

24.7.11

BSP Odds by Totalbet.com

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Rangers 5-4

Celtic 6-4

Hearts 6-4

Hibernian 2-1

Motherwell 16-1

Gretna 16-1

East Fife 500-1

</pre>

[Faramir]

26.7.11

"Argh! That is terrible," said an anguished Grayling.

"What did the Doctor say?" asked Watson.

"The X-Rays and MRI both say Chris Snow has a broken shoulder. He will be out at least a month."

"That is a bad way to start the season- losing our #1 keeper."

"We will just have to hope that John Gibson is up to the task."

***

29.7.11

"How many leftwingers do we need?" asked Watson with a smile.

"One more," chuckled Grayling. "For 35K it was worth adding a burner like Michael Barnes. He is the fastest player on the club now."

[Faramir]

30.7.11

East Fife (3) Kilmarnock (1)

East Fife- Archie Campbell 15,54 Craig Connell 45-P

Kilmarnock- Curtis Allen 59

MOM- Archie Campbell, East Fife

"Now *that* is the way to celebrate a debut," said a smiling Grayling.

"Archie Campbell sure wowed our fans today. His move with the ball past Abu Ogogo was great and then he finished well past Jack Smelt," replied Watson.

"His second goal was nice too."

"Craig Connell did a nice job converting the penalty after Jamie Adamsc tripped Fabio Ferrera in the area."

"John Gibson made a mistake on their goal- ruined his own clean sheet- but he gave us a solid match overall."

[Faramir]

2.8.11

"You got the fans going- again!" accused Watson of Grayling with a smile.

Grayling grinned, "I could not believe that Rangers released John Fleck. He is a talented youngster and getting him was a big addition for us."

"Getting him free was the best."

"We also have another new one joining us. Queen of the South accepted our 12K offer on center defender Graham Guy. He will work into our center defense rotation."

***

4.8.11

"We certainly didn't need that complication," sighed Grayling.

"What?" asked Watson.

"John Gibson has some kind of virus. He will be out at least a week or two."

"Craig Farr is #3, will he get the start?"

"Yes, for lack of better options. Michael Hilton will come up to back him up."

[Faramir]

6.8.11

East Fife (4) Inverness CT (1)

East Fife- Steve Davis 32 Fabio Ferreira 50 Paul King 81,90

ICT- Lee York 15

MOM- Fabio Ferreira, East Fife

Redcard- Jason Thomson 65 East Fife

"More wonderful debuts! I am really happy with our start," exclaimed Watson.

"I am happy with the win, but we were very close to having a worse result in the match. Our backline play was sloppy and Craig Farr saved us a couple times when the match was close before Paul King did his thing," replied a frowning Grayling.

"Still, we survived that awful redcard given to Thomson. There is no way he is last man on that tackle."

"We overcame it nicely. Our dilemma at forward is interesting."

"Don't forget your dilemma at leftwing too. Especially if you plan to play John Fleck there."

"I do. That is the good kind of problem to have though. I thought David Ogilby played well in his debut."

[Faramir]

7.8.11

"You might want to take a screenshot of that," chuckled Watson as they viewed the BSP Table that showed East Fife atop the standings.

"Good moment for us, but realistically it will be difficult to make it last," agreed Grayling.

"Must be giving the books who put us at 500-1 fits."

***

12.8.11

"A couple players moving- but one is on loan," offered Grayling.

"I heard about Paul Hopkins moving on loan to Morton for 5 months," answered Watson. "Who is the other?"

"We sold Scott Burke to Falkirk for 40K."

"With our glut of forwards, we are unlikely to miss him."

***

13.8.11

"One more for a new home," stated Grayling.

"Who this time?" asked Watson.

"Bury paid us 40K to purchase Hal Robson-Kanu."

"Another player who was crowded out by new additions."

[Faramir]

14.8.11

Motherwell (2) East Fife (2)

Motherwell- Nathan Fisher 2 Josh Walker 19

East Fife- Fabio Ferreira 30,66

MOM- Craig Farr, East Fife

Redcard- John Fleck, East Fife- 9

"Good thing you held me back, I was likely on my way to the dressing room to join John Fleck," sighed Grayling.

"It was a foul- yes. Did it deserve a redcard- no way it should have been given. I have no clue what the Referee was thinking on it," grumbled Watson.

"Our backline play was horrid early on. Alex Rawcliffe was out of position and really that was the key to both their goals- I was very disappointed in his play today."

"Still, we fought back. I know I would not have given much for our chances going down 2-0 and down a man."

"Two great passes from Marc Twaddle to setup Fabio Ferreira for an excellent brace. Fabio has been everything we could hope for- and more."

[Faramir]

20.8.11

Hibernian (0) East Fife (2)

Hibernian- None

East Fife- Archie Campbell 73 Craig O'Reilly 80

MOM- Steven Hogg, East Fife

"All I can say is that Archie Campbell is an amazing player," said an admiring Watson.

"He is looking like everything we hoped he could be when we added him," agreed Grayling.

"Campbell's header on that long cross from Marc Twaddle was a thing of beauty. Then he

goes hard and runs down a ball before it can cross the endline and crosses back for Craig

O'Reilly to score- it was a great effort."

"He was my MOM- even though they awarded it to Steven. We were more than a little

fortunate that Scott Brown had such a poor shooting match for Hibs- we gave him too many

chances today."

21.8.11

"Now how did you manage that?" asked Watson.

"Manage what?" asked Grayling with a sly grin.

"To talk Hearts out of one of the better young defenders?"

"Well, Eggert Jonsson was unhappy playing on their Reserves. Once Hearts received an acceptable offer- 240K with a 20 % sell on clause, they were willing to let him move. Eggert seemed excited at the chance to come to us."

"He can help us in the middle, but it might mean less playing time for John Sutton."

"It might. I have a world of respect for John, but so far he isn't playing as well as I hoped at this level. I had hoped he would be the rock, the anchor, for the backline- but he has continued to make mistakes that haven't cost us yet- because our keepers are playing well- but will cost us."

[Faramir]

23.8.11

East Fife (2) Dumbarton (1) League Cup 2nd Round

East Fife- Michael Barnes 48 David Ross 90

Dumbarton- Phil Cave 84-P

MOM- Paul King, East Fife

"Too close for comfort," stated a relieved Watson.

"It shouldn't have been that close, our finishing left a lot to be desired," answered Grayling.

"At least we were creating good opportunities."

"That we were, but if Jonathan Brown finishes any of his- this is a much easier match."

"I thought the penalty they called was a bit much."

"It was a bad call, but from his angle- it looked worse than it really was."

"Paul King's hard work really made the match winner. He dug deep to run the ball down and cross to Ross."

"It was the kind of play that shows he will be a class player for us."

[Faramir]

26.8.11

"TWo departures today," stated Grayling to Watson.

"Who?" asked Watson.

"Paul Walsh is moving to Ross County for 70K and Taiwo Atieno is moving to Yeovil on free transfer."

"Both were Reserves. I don't think we will miss either of them."

***

10.9.11

East Fife (2) Rangers (1)

East Fife- Andy Bagshaw 82 Fabio Ferreira 89

Rangers- Kris Boyd 53

MOM- Craig Farr, East Fife

"Now how about *that* for a stunning fightback," beamed Grayling.

"We showed how far we have come from when they dominated us in the friendly," answered an excited Watson.

"Brilliant effort from Craig Farr. If not for him, we would have lost this match by a large margin."

"His two saves on Freddy Eastwood when we had gained the lead were top of the line."

"Jason Thomson's dazzling cross to set up Bagshaw was another highlight."

"Don't forget Jamie McCluskey's cross that picked out Ferreira alone at the far post."

[Faramir]

17.9.11

Dunfermline (3) East Fife (0)

Dunfermline- Richard Harris 22 John Cunliffe 45 James McCarthey 69-P

East Fife- None

MOM- Michael Morrison, Dunfermline

"It was clear what the difference was in the match. Their backline played superbly, and ours played subpar," said Grayling with pursed lips.

"We didn't give Chris Snow any help on the goals," agreed Watson.

"There were parts of the match that we played well, but their tackling ruined many good chances for us."

"This was a forgettable result."

"It was disappointing, coming on the heels of the Rangers match where we played so well."

***

21.9.11

Hearts (3) East Fife (0) League Cup 3rd Round

Hearts- Tomas Pekhart 14,25 Nicolae Dica 74

East Fife- None

MOM- Tomas Pekhart, Hearts

"That was a pretty vivid demonstration of why Hearts are BSP Holders," stated a glum Watson.

"They took advantage of our mistakes and we made many," groused Grayling.

"Pekhart is bloody hard to mark, our backline found that out."

"We would not have had such problems- if the backline showed better judgement on its passing. That was why I pulled David Hall so early- the pass he gave away for that second goal was terrible judgement."

"The mistakes were mostly trying to force passes up the middle- something we have been trying to avoid against quicker clubs like Hearts."

"We showed a little life offensively, but their backline played a very good match."

[Faramir]

24.9.11

East Fife (3) Falkirk (0)

East Fife- Archie Campbell 16,22,49

Falkirk- None

MOM- Archie Campbell, East Fife

"Wow. Archie Campbell showed me a lot today with his finishing," said a pleased Watson.

"He showed all of us. Great placement on his first shot, great position on his second and then a blast to complete his hat-trick," agreed Grayling.

"Craig Connell made a pretty pass to setup the first goal. Craig is really showing signs of developing into the midfielder we need him to be."

[Faramir]

2.10.11

Celtic (3) East Fife (0)

Celtic- Craig Beattie 8,84 Stephen Hindmarch 18

East Fife- None

MOM- Paul McShane, Celtic

"That was not a very good effort," sighed Grayling.

"Craig Beattie dominated our backline. We could not mark either him or Hindmarch all match," nodded Watson.

"We just didn't deal well with them- offensively or defensively. They really diced our backline up."

[Faramir]

5.10.11

East Fife (1) Hearts (3)

East Fife- Paul King 54

Hearts- Jamie Mole 48 Tomas Pekhart 50 Nicolae Dica 82

MOM- Tomas Pekhart, Hearts

"The bad part is- we could have won this match. Our backline play in the second half was horrid and all three of their goals were directly because of our backline mistakes," fumed Grayling.

"We didn't play poorly on offense, but you're right- the backline play was bad," agreed Watson.

"They got a quickfire double when we gave away the ball- the backline has to learn they can't make that pass up the middle against these quicker clubs."

"Don't forget Marc Twaddle's pass right to Dica to set him up for that last goal."

"Craig Farr had little chance with the lack of help."

[turn it upto 11]

Lets hope it doesnt come to that dreaded '3rd loss in a row' thats the worst one, then it offically counts as a losing streak. good luck *eagerly awaits league table*

[Faramir]

turn it up- well... Midseason table will be next one available.

***

15.10.11

Gretna (0) East Fife (1)

Gretna- None

East Fife- Archie Campbell 46

MOM- John Sutton, East Fife

"Good win. There were some rough spots, but we survived for a good win," said a relieved Grayling.

"Archie Campbell scored a nice goal, but he could have had one in the first half," replied Watson.

"Well, we lost a goal on the offside call on Andy Bagshaw. I was really pleased with John Sutton today. He really earned his MOM honours with his steady play."

"It was nice to finally see Chris Snow get another clean sheet."

[Faramir]

22.10.11

St.Mirren (1) East Fife (1)

St.Mirren- Louis Castles 35

East Fife- Craig O'Reilly 16

MOM- Nicky Smith, East Fife

"I don't know whether to be unhappy about the goal we gave away, or relieved that we escaped with a 1-1 draw," sighed Grayling.

"They had plenty of chances in the match, so I will take the draw," replied Watson.

"I wish that the officials had called the offsides. They just ignored many calls for the home side."

"We received solid midfield play today, that was the reason we at least split the points."

[Faramir]

29.10.11

Inverness CT (1) East Fife (0)

Inverness CT- Lee York 35

East Fife- None

MOM- Leigh Mills, Inverness CT

"More frustration," stated Grayling flatly. "Though they played just a wee bit better than us, I thought we could have at least split the points."

"They had one header for the only goal. We wasted too many decent chances by not putting our shots on target," agreed Watson.

"I realize some of our inconsistency is still down to us not quite gelling- because I have been juggling the lineup some. Still, we have got to take better advantage of these good scoring chances we are creating."

[Faramir]

5.11.11

East Fife (1) Motherwell (3)

East Fife- Craig Connell 10

Motherwell- Nathan Fisher 36 James Keene 38,58

MOM- James Keene, Motherwell

Grayling angrily hurled the clipboard against the wall, "What was our backline doing today?! They clearly weren't playing anything that resembled football. Their giveaways, missed tackles, missed markings are the reason we aren't celebrating a win against the last place side in BSP!"

Watson offered a curt nod and in a more muted voice, "We have things to fix. We were fortunate they didn't score more- Chris Snow had a good first half," answered Watson.

"We clearly can't afford this kind of play at BSP level. I am very disappointed in Graham Guy and David Ogilby- they both played horrid today."

***

8.11.11

"How bad was it?" asked Watson.

"It could have been worse. It is only a strain, but Fabio (Ferrera) is likely out at least a month," replied Grayling.

"Hopefully, Lionel Ainsworth can step up."

[turn it upto 11]

1 point out of a possible 18, after looking to mid table im sure you now be looking over your shoulder good luck, youll need it *ahem table*

[Faramir]

turn it up- yes, pretty much an abominable stretch and we have lowered ourself into a relegation battle

***

13.11.11

"From bad to worse," sighed Grayling gloomily.

"It was bad. All the players knew it was bad," agreed Watson.

"According to the Dr.- John (Sutton) has a compound fracture in his leg. He is probably done for the season."

"At least John Flowers only strained his wrist. Likely a couple weeks for him."

"Flowers has got to be frustrated. We bring him up with the intention of playing him next game- then he gets hurt."

***

19.11.11

Kilmarnock (1) East Fife (0)

Kilmarnock- Colin Nish 19-P

East Fife- None

MOM- Shaun Barker, Kilmarnock

"The boys have got to learn this. We can't afford to have any lapses in concentration. It wasn't Eggert Jonsson's fault he had to take the penalty by trying to keep Nish off the ball- it was Andrew Considine's for failing to stay in his position in the first place," grumpily commented Grayling.

"If we finish better, we take a better result here too. We had much better opportunities to score, but we couldn't," replied Watson.

"We did a lot of things right, but if we want better results it has to be from the first whistle to the final one."

[Faramir]

26.11.11

East Fife (0) Hibernian (1)

East Fife- None

Hibernian- Magnus Troest 40

MOM- Magnus Troest, Hibs

"We have got to get better on our set pieces! They are killing us!" exclaimed a frustrated Grayling.

"Troest turned that corner into a nice goal," sighed Watson. "He also dominated everything in the air on our crosses in their end."

"Our finishing was the other problem today. We had the better chances throughout the match, but we couldn't finish any of them."

"Andrew McNeil made two terrific saves on Archie Campbell in the first half."

[Faramir]

3.12.11

Rangers (2) East Fife (1)

Rangers- Kris Boyd 36,63

East Fife- John Fleck 61

MOM- Kris Boyd, Rangers

"It was a close one. I don't think they expected us to play so well against them," murmured Watson.

"Close means nothing. Execution counts. I hope the boys learned that today. Boyd sat there and poached two rebounds that should have been cleared, or we should have had better marking on him," snapped Grayling.

"I know you're upset, but give the boys credit. They battled Rangers evenly in front of a hostile Ibrox crowd. They deserve some credit!"

Grayling sighed and slumped in his seat, "You are right Andy. We played hard, but it was so close to being a better result for us. If we just could have finished one of our excellent chances in the first half..."

[Faramir]

10.12.11

East Fife (2) Dunfermline (3)

East Fife- Archie Campbell 35 Paul King 58

Dunfermline- John Cunliffe 17 Richard Harris 67 Lee Martin 69

MOM- John Cunliffe, Dunfermline

"Six losses in a row! I am fed up with the bloody awful backline play- it is killing us! Every match we have lost has been down to missed tackles and gruesome marking," tersely hissed Grayling.

"We don't have any excuses. We played well enough offensively to take this match, but we are not getting the job done around our goal," agreed Watson.

"To blow a lead in the second half- especially when we blow it like *that*- is unacceptable. I am ready to start from scratch on the backline, because they appear clueless at the moment."

"I don't want to heap any blame on Craig Snow, but he really hasn't come up with the big saves we needed him too down the stretch."

"There is some truth in that, but the backline hasn't given him much support."

[Faramir]

17.12.11

Falkirk (2) East Fife (0)

Falkirk- Carl Finnigan 11 Michal Ordos 37

East Fife- None

MOM- Michal Ordos, Falkirk

"I am beginning to get numb. This is so frustrating for me to watch," sighed Grayling.

"David Grof makes brilliant saves for them, we miss close- they don't miss after our missed tackles and ineffectual marking. Just another match of the same problems for us," nodded a weary Watson.

"Archie Campbell and Paul King had some excellent chances, but we just can't get the break we desperately need right now."

"Eggert Jonsson just keeps missing the tackles we need him to make. That one against Finnigan was a huge blow to the morale today."

[Faramir]

26.12.11

East Fife (1) Celtic (4)

East Fife- Andy Bagshaw 80

Celtic- Andy Ritchie 3 Blagoy Georgiev 48 Tyrone Shepherd 61 Mark Wilson 86-P

MOM- Paul McShane, Celtic

"Considering we handed them both those last two goals, this was a forgettable effort," sighed Grayling.

"Especially Eggert Jonsson passing directly to Tyrone Shepherd in front of our goal. That one embarrassed everyone on our side," stated Watson.

"It is clear how much John Sutton meant to our backline- by how horrid they have played since he went out on injury."

"Are you considering any changes as the transfer window opens?"

"How could I not be? Given our play since October, it is clear something has to change. With us falling to 10th halfway through the season after our good start, we need to turn things around."

[Faramir]

4.1.12

East Fife (3) Gretna (0)

East Fife- David Ogilby 40-P Archie Campbell 56 Eggert Jonsson 86

Gretna- None

MOM- Archie Campbell, East Fife

"Finally!" said a smiling Grayling. "We put everything together in one match and finally got another win."

"There was a lot to enjoy in our performance today," replied Watson. "John Gibson was solid in goal, our backline quit giving the ball away and we finally showed life offensively."

"Archie Campbell and John Fleck worked well together up front. Fleck will now stick with playing forward- no more left wing for him."

[Faramir]

6.1.12

"We made some transfer moves Andy," stated Grayling.

"Who and what?" asked Watson with a grin.

"We spent 40K to purchase 28 year old SW,DC Tamika Mkandawire from Dundee. Also, we loaned 19 year old phenom DMC Peter Oliseh from Hearts for the remainder of the season. We added 22 year old AM/FC Ross Hepburn from Partick Thistle for 50K. Another joining us is 24 year old DMC Charlie Grant, who we paid Dundee 120K for."

"Quite a list. Now we just have to fit them all in."

***

7.1.12

East Fife (5) Elgin (0) Scottish Cup 3rd Round

East Fife- Peter Oliseh 5 Paul King 15,42 Lionel Ainsworth 39 Craig Connell 45

Elgin- None

MOM- David Wotherspoon, East Fife

Grayling was beaming, "Nice to finally have a match go as scripted."

"The boys executed superbly today," agreed a pleased Watson.

"We got some great work from Wotherspoon and Ainsworth on the wings. Too bad Kevin Hay didn't get on the scoresheet- he deserved it for the hard work up front."

"Peter Oliseh had a nice debut, he can help us."

[Faramir]

9.1.12

"The fans are excited about our big signing," observed Watson.

"Craig Cathcart is a *known* name. Add to the fact we are getting him from 'Gers- and yes, they are excited," agreed a pleased Grayling. "As am I."

"He can certainly help us. How do you see the center defense working out?"

"Likely three-man rotation between Cathcart, Mkandawire and Eggert Jonsson. The fourth player- likely used less- will be Andrew Considine for now. The odd men out will likely be David Hall and Graham Guy- neither of who has impressed me this season. John Sutton will be the 4th whenever he is healthy again."

"What about our other new signee- Neil McMechan?"

"I like him a lot and at only 5K the price was right. It will be interesting to see who stands out between him, Considine and Sutton- once John is healthy."

***

12.1.12

"One departure today- Iain Vigurs is moving to Cowdenbeath for 26K," offered Grayling.

"He will do much better there," replied Watson.

***

13.1.12

"Another nice addition," commented Watson on the news.

"Teddy Bjarnason is the right kind of center mid to help us. We were weak there, but adding Bjarnason, Ross Hepburn and Charlie Grant has made us a lot deeper," answered Grayling.

"We may have some problems gelling again. We have added a bunch of new players."

"Considering we are in 9th place- I think we have time and incentive to try."

***

13.1.12

"Paul Hopkins finally has a new home," commented Grayling.

"Who purchased him?" asked Watson.

"Morton paid us 12K for him."

"A good enough amount I guess, since he really wasn't helping us here."

[Faramir]

14.1.12

Hearts (0) East Fife (1)

Hearts- None

East Fife- John Fleck 87

MOM- Jamie McCluskey, East Fife

"Well, score one for the new additions," grinned Watson.

"The pairing of Craig Cathcart and Tamika Mkandawire worked very well up front. They did a wonderful job of choking off Tomas Pekhart and Jamie Mole," agreed Grayling.

"Charlie Grant helped a lot too. Having someone that active made a big difference in the midfield play."

"I don't want to forget Chris Snow's efforts in goal. He hasn't had a very good season to date, but he made some key saves in the first half to give us a chance at the late match winner."

"It's always fun to knock off the #1 club in front of their own fans."

"Tynecastle was pretty silent there in the last few minutes."

[Faramir]

16.1.12

"It figures," sighed Grayling.

"I didn't think it was too bad- obviously it was?" asked Watson.

"Chris Snow has a broken shoulder. He will be out a month minimum."

"Just when he was starting to finally get back in his good rhythym. That one hurts."

"John Gibson will work as #1 for now."

***

16.1.12

"Clyde paid us 775K and Mathew Birley has a new home," stated Grayling.

"That is a good chunk of change for him. He is really a good player, but we didn't have a spot for him to contribute much," replied Watson.

"I am sure he will help Clyde quite a bit."

***

21.1.12

East Fife (0) St.Mirren (1)

East Fife- None

St.Mirren- David Hillerby 38

MOM- Eddie Nolan, St.Mirren

"We should have won that one," grumbled Grayling. "Fifteen shots and only one on target!"

"Not to mention that we only allowed them four shots," replied Watson.

"I don't want to take anything away from Hillerby's goal- it was a nice shot- but I thought John Gibson should have made the play."

"Should have, could have- we had plenty of them in this match."

[Faramir]

9.1.12

"The fans are excited about our big signing," observed Watson.

"Craig Cathcart is a *known* name. Add to the fact we are getting him from 'Gers- and yes, they are excited," agreed a pleased Grayling. "As am I."

"He can certainly help us. How do you see the center defense working out?"

"Likely three-man rotation between Cathcart, Mkandawire and Eggert Jonsson. The fourth player- likely used less- will be Andrew Considine for now. The odd men out will likely be David Hall and Graham Guy- neither of who has impressed me this season. John Sutton will be the 4th whenever he is healthy again."

"What about our other new signee- Neil McMechan?"

"I like him a lot and at only 5K the price was right. It will be interesting to see who stands out between him, Considine and Sutton- once John is healthy."

[Faramir]

28.1.12

East Fife (2) Inverness CT (2)

East Fife- John Fleck 4 Archie Campbell 65

ICT- AJ Leitch-Smith 87 Alan Teggart 90

MOM- Alan Teggart, ICT

"I am just sick about this one Andy. We had this match. It was ours- and then we just gave it away," said a dispirited Grayling.

"We played a great match for the first 85 minutes and then we just lost our composure. I wish I could understand it..." sighed Watson.

"Archie Campbell scored a nice goal- his 10th- but he completely gave away the goal that got them back into the match when his backpass went right to Teggart."

"And then Craig Cathcart did not stay home and Teggart found the open space to score past John Gibson."

"Gibson played a good match up until the last five minutes. We should have had this one put away before then."

[Faramir]

4.2.12

Falkirk (2) East Fife (3) Scottish Cup 4th Round

Falkirk- Michal Ordos 31,63

East Fife- Paul King 29 Steve Davis 37 Jonathan Brown 83

MOM- Michal Ordos, Falkirk

"We didn't really deserve to win this match, but I am glad we did," said a relieved Grayling.

"Ordos got credit for two goals- but Craig Farr should have had his first one easily- a 30 yard shot that Farr just muffed into the goal," commented Watson.

"Then on Ordos 2nd we just gave the ball away in our own area to give them the chance. Our backline has got to play smarter and they just haven't been of late."

"At least we got good finishes from Paul King and Steve Davis earlier- they paired up pretty well."

"I was happy to see Jonathan Brown get his 1st goal of the season. He couldn't have picked a better time to scrore it."

[Faramir]

15.2.12

Motherwell (0) East Fife (1)

Motherwell- None

East Fife- John Fleck 90

MOM- Craig Cathcart, East Fife

"It's nice to finally win again," smiled Grayling.

"It was nice for Joe Skarz to hand us the win on a silver platter. If Skarz doesn't try to dribble past John Fleck in his own area- this is likely a scoreless draw," replied Watson.

"The goal was a gift from them, but we have given away many goals like that of late. I was just glad to see Fleck rifle it past Lawrence Matthewson."

"John Gibson played well in earning us a defeat."

[Faramir]

18.2.12

East Fife (0) Kilmarnock (1)

East Fife- None

Kilmarnock- Jai Reason 83-P

MOM- Michael Weir, Kilmarnock

"Michael Weir as MOM? I suppose he was if you consider his hard tackling put both Paul King and Teddy Bjarnason out of the match early in the first half," snapped Watson.

"We only allowed them two shots on goal. One was the initial shot that John Gibson saved. The second was the penalty kick they were given after Craig Cathcart was called for holding in the area on the rebound from the first shot," answered Grayling. "We played well defensively, but paid the price for an iffy call."

"Squandering chances was something we did pretty well today."

"Both King and Bjarnason will be out about a month. Bjarnason broke his arm and King badly twisted his ankle."

[Faramir]

22.2.12

East Fife (2) Rangers (3)

East Fife- John Fleck 25 Kevin Hay 75

Rangers- Freddy Eastwood 15 Stewart Dicks 50 Charlie Adam 88

MOM- Stewart Dicks, Rangers

"That was a heart-breaking defeat. We battled back twice to even and then to lose it that way- was difficult," sighed Grayling.

"We did a lot of things right in the match, but I have to agree with you at this point- unless we can improve our play on our backline, we aren't going to be able to move up the table," stated Watson.

"It really is killing us. We gave away both those goals. That 2nd goal we had two chances to head the ball away and failed twice. We also need better keeping. John Gibson has done a solid job, but he hasn't come up with the key saves and we just aren't a good enough club to win more without our keeper playing well."

[Faramir]

25.2.12

Hibernian (2) East Fife (1) Scottish Cup Quarterfinal

Hibernian- Steven Whittaker 11 Darren Pratley 13

East Fife- Steve Davis 65

MOM- Steven Whittaker, Hibernian

"You held your temper in check quite nicely," said Watson quietly.

"Only through rigorous effort," replied Grayling through clinched teeth. "Look at the stats Andy. We were called for 24 fouls to 6 for Hibs. We had three yellow cards in the first 15 minutes of play and then that idiotic late redcard he gave to Ogilby. It is pretty clear to me that this match was not fairly called- not that anyone would pay attention to the matter if we said anything."

"I was proud of how the boys battled in the second half. They gave it their best shot to fight back and we were close until the redcard."

"The worst part was that they scored those two quick goals after it was plainly obvious to our players that any kind of challenge on a tackle attempt was going to result in either a foul or a yellow- that is the *worst* kind of influence a Referee can have- when his actions change the course of play."

"Then we come right back here to play in our next BSP match too..."

[Faramir]

29.2.12

Hibernian (3) East Fife (0)

Hibernian- Scott Brown 13 Steven Davies 52 Dean Shiels 81

East Fife- None

MOM- Steven Whittaker, Hibernian

"We have got to solve our backline problems Andy! Every goal they scored today was because one of our defenders failed to make a play that we expect him to make!" exclaimed a frustrated Grayling.

"True," sighed Watson.

"Tamika Mkandawire misses a header that allows Brown in for the first goal. Craig Cathcart misses clearing the rebound and Davies scores and then Cathcart gets outjumped by Shiels as he deflects the cross past Chris Snow."

"Snow didn't show as much as I hoped he would in returning from injury."

"I hate to say it Andy, but at this point we clearly look like we are dealing with a lost season. The club hasn't gelled and we just are playing bad football."

"Fortunately, relegation still seems easy to avoid- as we are still in 9th and 13 points clear of Motherwell and 11 points clear of Gretna."

"Yes, that is the saving grace for us- that we played better earlier in the season. Still, we are going to have to do some work this summer."

[Faramir]

3.3.12

Dunfermline (1) East Fife (0)

Dunfermline- Richard Harris 77

East Fife- None

MOM- Peter Oliseh, East Fife

"Can you be any more frustrated than our club is now?" asked Watson rhetorically.

"I don't know Andy. We put together a great effort today. We had good chances and good shots- but Ross Kitteridge came up with several impossible saves," answered a tired Grayling.

"Then we blow the coverage on another corner and Harris is able to deflect it past John Gibson for the match winner."

"We held them to only four shots in the match, but we lost on one of them- it is just a hard thing to live with all the close losses of late."

"I know we are a better club than what we have shown, but getting it out of the boys is proving difficult."

[Faramir]

10.3.12

East Fife (1) Falkirk (1)

East Fife- John Fleck 48

Falkirk- Michal Ordos 75

MOM- Michal Ordos, Falkirk

"Another one that we let slip away," grumbled Grayling.

"I don't know why our defenders can't follow instructions. Why did they get caught up the pitch- again- when we were yelling at them to stay back," said Watson angrily.

"This would have been an easy win if Archie Campbell could remember how to score. We set him in free three times on James Gilpin and Gilpin made the save three times- at least one of those times we need a goal from him."

"At least we got a good match from Chris Snow and a point from the match."

[Faramir]

21.3.12

Celtic (6) East Fife (1)

Celtic- Tyrone Shepherd (5) Niki Zimling (7) Blagoy Georgiev 40,57-P Vieirinha 44 Stephen Connor 70

East Fife- Steve Davis 11

MOM- Jack Hobbs, Celtic

"I have seen enough Andy. I am packing some players off to the Reserves and likely the transfer list after this one. I don't like losing, but I *hate* seeing players quit- and that is what I saw this afternoon," tersely commented Grayling.

"I have to agree with you Lew. The club needs a shakeup," offered Watson.

[Faramir]

24.3.12

Gretna (1) East Fife (1)

Gretna- Alan Gow 76

East Fife- John Fleck 65

MOM- Tamika Mkandawire, East Fife

"They got the wrong player for MOM. It clearly should have been Chris Snow today," flatly stated Grayling.

"Too true on that. We would not have survived the first half still scoreless if not for Chris' brilliant efforts," agreed Watson.

Grayling shook his head, "We just have not been able to get everything working. We get a penalty in the first half and see Andreas Arestidou save not only Teddy Bjarnason's first attempt- but also his second."

"We gain the lead when a good play allows Fleck to finish into the open goal and then we make another defensive mistake and give the goal back to them."

"The chances were there in the second half to get us a win, but we were only in that situation because of Snow's first half of play."

[Faramir]

1.4.12

East Fife (1) Hearts (2)

East Fife- Paul King 55

Hearts- Tomas Pekhart 11,78

MOM- Tomas Pekhart, Hearts

"We gave Hearts everything we had and deserved better," said a disappointed Watson.

"Especially since Pekhart was offside on the match winner. It was a bitter non-call to accept with how well we played today," replied Grayling.

"If we can just keep that kind of effort for the rest of our matches- I am sure there is a win to be had for us..."

"You will have to take the next match Andy. I just heard the FA is suspending me for my comments about the officiating."

[Faramir]

7.4.12

St.Mirren (4) East Fife (2)

St.Mirren- Jeroen Van den Broeck 2,12,21 Eddie Nolan 65

East Fife- Paul King 48 Archie Campbell 70

MOM- Jeroen Van den Broeck, St.Mirren

"Same problems, different day. Our marking was atrocious and Van den Broeck took full advantage of it," muttered Watson.

"It was a difficult match," agreed Grayling. "Especially to watch from the stands."

"Well, we have the match we need to win right away in our Lower Grouping."

"Yes, Motherwell at home. I agree that is a must win match. We still have a 7 point edge on them and an 8 point margin on Gretna to avoid relegation- but we really do need to win and put things beyond doubt."

[Faramir]

14.4.12

East Fife (2) Motherwell (1)

East Fife- John Fleck 55,62

Motherwell- Giuseppe Genchi 8

MOM- John Fleck, East Fife

"Do you realize it is almost two months to the day from our last win- and that was also against Motherwell?" asked Watson.

"Just a sign that we struggled a lot Andy. We would not have gotten a win today if not for the pair of brilliant free kick goals from John Fleck," answered Grayling.

"It really hurt us going behind that early in the first half when John Gibson missed intercepting the cross and Genchi didn't."

"I was very happy that they came out battling after that goal. That is why I felt we still had a good chance to earn a win today."

"How bad was the injury to Fabio Ferrera?"

"strained knee ligaments. He is out for the rest of this season."

[Faramir]

21.4.12

East Fife (1) Kilmarnock (0)

East Fife- John Fleck 55

Kilmarnock- None

MOM- John Fleck, East Fife

"Two wins in a row!" chuckled Watson.

"Oh, come on Andy. Still, it was nice to win our last home match of the season. It was also nice to see John Fleck get his 10th goal of the season," answered Grayling.

"Fleck's goal was a pretty one and so was the cross from Michael Barnes that set him up."

"I was most pleased to see Chris Snow come up with the key saves down the stretch that earned him the clean sheet. He was very good today."

"We could have had more goals today, except Aaron Walsh played well in their goal too."

"The win assured us of avoiding relegation too- as we are 12 points up on Motherwell with only three matches to play. Since we are now in 9th, let's try to finish the season there."

"If we can play better on the road- we just might."