Ya Bezzer!

I was at Partick first time round this season and we didn't really have much of a support and we got a bigger humping that a few weeks ago when 1,500 turned up, so I think it's just our away form in general rather than the number of eyeballs watching. Anyway I have a 100% win record at whatever that stadium is called so I should go and I'll let you know.

Yeah. It can only go to goal difference if we win 1 and Killie lost 2, or if we win 1 and draw 1 and Killie draw 1 and lose 1. I think. I only got 3 hours sleep last night. Still possible though.

I don't think you can be wrong about comparing one player to another. It's an opinion. BTW Magennis got his 7th of the season tonight so maybe you are right, Erwin isn't that prolific.....

Erwin for me. Involved in the first goal and scored the second. McDonald was also very good and Hammell has made a huge difference. Worth noting that although Erwin took his goal really well it came from a great tackle by Hammell with Killie attacking and then a good ball played up the field by the aforementioned. Good stuff.

We've missed what looked like two sitters in the second half. Not sure who the first one was - Grant or Pearson maybe? Then McDonald. We put those away the goal difference is -22/-19 instead of -24/-17. Let's hope we don't rue those misses! A 6 goal turn over is still possible though, especially if we win 2 and they lose 2.

Listen, Erwin was excellent tonight, he'll get my MotM award but he's had 19 starts and had 5 games like tonight. His goal tally is way off the mark for someone playing right up top and he's missed chance after chance all season. I've never said he doesn't have potential but we are in a very tricky position right now and have been for a long time. If Erwin played like he did tonight I wouldn't hear a word against him but the last time he did was a month ago against St. Mirren.

Kinda of a weird game. Didn't really enjoy the first half at all. Maybe it was nerves but although I thought we were the better team and went in 2-0 up I just didn't think we clicked, some good individual performances but the team performance wasn't good enough and I thought we looked nervous at times, unmotivated at others, then we'd have a wee spell but overall I thought it was two poor teams and Killie could have scored about 4 in the first twenty minutes or so without really playing very well. Second half we looked nervous again and conceded within 7 or 8 minutes. A very poor goal to lose and fingers have to be pointed at George Long. After that though the crowd who had been fairly subdued got more animated and the team started to show a bit more desire. Second half I quite enjoyed although it wasn't the highest standard but all that mattered was the points. Probably could have scored more than 3 and that might count against us at the end of the season, lets hope not. Hopefully we can take a good crowd to Paisley and we can take this to the last day and slip through the net. See you at St. Mirren!

So who was it that started that thread? Baraclough or Law?

Not giving Dom Thomas a contract was not really a possibility though given his performances at both U20 and first team level this season.

Always tough for goalkeepers to break through though at the best of times. Also he's not tall. In fact if you look at who's been kept on and who's been released you can definitely see a trend there. Max Currie 5'10, Steve Higgins 5'9, Liam Anderson 5'8, Craig McCall 5'5, all out. Meanwhile everyone kept on is at least 6'0. I hope that's not the way we are going and it's just a coincidence because I think that's a pretty retrogressive way to promote youth players.

Kilmarnock have conceded at least 2 goals in their last 6 league matches and at least 3 in their last 3 league matches. Not the worst bet in the world.

You might want to look at this thread. http://www.steelmenonline.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=14598

If we beat Killie, they are then away to Partick, while we play St. Mirren who will be officially relegated. Then Kilmarnock and Ross County play each other and we have a home match. I'm honestly much more confident now about catching Kilmarnock than I ever was about catching Partick and Ross County a few weeks earlier. Not saying we are dead certs to escape the play offs but by some weird twist of fate, I think it's more likely. We will know our fate later tonight.

I'd be happy to have egg on my face if he became a free scoring striker for Motherwell. In any case, I've never said he had no potential but my main problem with Erwin is that we shouldn't try to develop that potential at the expense of our top flight status.

They give clubs like ours massive publicity, publicity other businesses would have to pay literally millions of pounds to get on an annual basis. That's why 'this man' gets the free parking space and free entry and - gasp - probably a free pie and tea as well. I don't have time for the Record, I've not read the piece, it may well be utter bollocks, but if that's what the guy thinks so be it. He's allowed to give his opinion and I'd rather that than a situation where the club was signing off Pravda style puff pieces for the media. If the media served no purpose the club wouldn't put up with them but they do because they do serve a purpose. So you'll just need to put up with them as well.

QoS started the season slowly and then came on to a game, the opposite of Rangers who's best form was at the beginning of the season. Roughly bore out by the results between the teams, Rangers won the first tie 4-2, since then QoS haven drawn one and won two with the last being a 3-0 win for QoS. Rangers finished 7 points ahead of QoS but QoS had a dead rubber match on the last game of the season against Livingston, something Rangers didn't have, even so it was 19 wins for Rangers to 17 wins for QoS, not much difference. Over the last ten matches of the season Hibs had the best form with 24 points, Rangers and QoS both had 20 points but QoS played Rangers twice and Hibs once and won 2 and drew 1 of those matches. Really I think there is very little between any of those teams and I wouldn't want to predict what team will get to the final. The things that maybe swings it a little in QoS favour is that they have a very good home record and will play all their home ties first, giving them an advantage if they can win them and they have won 6 out of the last 7 at home. Also QoS have the better head to head record against both Hibs and Rangers. So in terms of quality of opposition I don't really see any big advantage or disadvantage from playing any of those teams. For me the considerations we need to consider are else where - such as the consequences of dropping down a league, or playing on a plastic pitch or against a team where the pressure of being favourites is on us. I'd put it this simply - would you fancy taking on this Rangers team over two matches or would you rather risk taking on next seasons Rangers over a whole season? For me that is an easy answer because I doubt they will get worse next term. Bring them on.

Kilmarnock have not been in the relegation zone all season. Suddenly if we win on Friday they are in deep trouble with 7 losses on the trot, only 3 points off a play off spot with more difficult fixtures than us. I fancy Kilmarnock to shit the bed but as you say there is no point looking beyond the next match. We have to do the business because this really is the must win match.

If we'd replicated the form of the last couple of months over the season we'd have been safe. We are still falling short in matches but to suggest we've not improved is just wrong. Not suggesting for a moment we are world beaters, there's a lot that could be improved further, but 4 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats from the last 9 matches isn't that bad.

Queen of the South is the worst possible scenario. 1) All the pressure is on us to beat the 'wee' team 2) First leg on a plastic pitch 3) QoS have excellent home record 4) QoS have very good record against 'big' teams. Won head to heads against Hibs and Rangers this season. 5) Best striker duo in the Championship this season (Lyle and Reilly) 6) If they beat us we go down into a Championship with Hibs and Rangers.

Do you think we'll never win a game again? Because that's your logic. We've not won any of 3 matches, therefore we cannot win.

St. Mirren's recent results St. Johnstone A L 0-2 Celtic H L 0-2 Motherwell A L 0-5 Ross County H L 0-3 Kilmarnock H W 4-1 Partick Thistle A L 0-3 Says it all.

Hammell, came in, did well, looked solid and he didn't fade in the later stages like you might have expected. Unlike Johnson,by the way, who is out of puff after an hour most games.

McDonald scored today. Our bunch of self flagellants hate anyone that can actually give us a fighting chance of winning a game. McDonald was half great, half poor today. I guess inconsistent is the word that covers it but you can hardly complain about something coming into a struggling team and scoring 4 from 9.

Kilmarnock have lost 6 on the trot and haven't won away from home since 1st Jan. What's unrealistic about thinking we might win, not even will win, might win? Sometimes I wonder if people on here actually watch any football. Just look at the play off final last season. Can you imagine what the cynics would have said if we went into an away leg 2-0 down? Probably the same we are hearing from them now. And there are a million other examples of very unlikely things happening in football matches. It's football, anything can happen, and until it can't happen that's the way it will stay.

And you and everyone you love will die. Better not have any hopes or dreams eh?