Kmcalpin

Adopt the same tactics as Accies - wait until officials aren't looking then clobber someone off the ball. They know precisely when to fall to ground, when to time waste and when to leave a boot in. In the last few games at NDP they have targeted someone like Ainsworth, Johnson or Lasley early doors with a brutal tackle and the referee has bottled it by taking no action. If one of ours did that they'd be straight in the book and the target of Accies' wind up merchants.

Given the very political and high profile nature of football policing and stewarding, its often very hard to make much sense of any incidents that occur from the reporting, unless we are present. Whether we like it or not, incidents involving football fans are treated differently from other types of incidents.

I'm a bit more confident about this one although your post seems to be a good summary of the kind of game we can expect. We, as fans though have to play our part and take a leaf out of Dundee United fans' book, and scream and howl at every jersey pull, foot left in, elbow in the back etc etc. In short constantly pressurise the referee. Accies are streetwise and as we know will employ every trick in the book to intimidate us and con the referee. If Johnson is playing expect a brutal tackle on him early on. We have to work hard off the ball to close them down; not defend too deeply and above all don't let them have a clear attempt at goal.

There is no stereotypical football fan just as there is no "average" person. Some like to sit some like to stand. Some like a lot of noise in close proximity ie a drum others avoid it at all costs. Some like an end view and others like a centre of the pitch view. The trick is for clubs to try to cater for all tastes within the current legislation. Most fans do like a bit of atmosphere in the ground as a whole. Each to their own.

7 points ahead surely?

Selling tickets prior to the game. No mention of this at all until today. Until now its been totally PATG.

We can't rely on others doing us a favour but yes this was a good result for us. Our crowds aren't great but Killie only attracted 2,600 or thereabouts.

Killie are already a goal down.

A bit late I'd say. Why have Accies changed their minds?

Thanks for clearing that up.

Good post. My overall impression is that we've improved since last season whilst rival clubs have tended to tread water or deteriorate. We have an improved squad, look to be better organised and have had a better season injury wise. That said, there's still considerable scope for improvement. The goals we lost on Saturday and the first at McDiarmid Park are still goals that we were losing 3,4,5 years ago. Maybe we're now losing less of them? We are scoring more and our striking department is definitely better than it was ie compare Moult and Sutton. Freak results like Tynecastle can always happen and hopefully it'll be a one off this season.

There were a few Mitch. First half: Johnson had a great low cross in the first half that was missed by everyone; Louis Laing had a great run which ended with the keeper having to make a save. Second half: Cerny had a couple of good saves, one from McDonald; Chrissy Cadden had a shot cum cross which just missed. Thats 5 and I'm sure there were more.

Good post Googles. Financial planning in a football club is a difficult business. I have heard the above argument mentioned a few times by Directors at AGMs and there is some truth to it. By the same token we can't afford to be financially reckless - we wouldn't want to go through administration again. What I'm saying in short is that there's no simple answer to this fine balancing act. When I'm on, I was thinking more about Stuwell's post last night. Can I ask him/her who was the source of the information that Les Hutchison has abandoned the 5 year aim of fan ownership? I realise these things can be confidential and so a private message would be fine.

It'll be the usual blood and guts derby and I just hope we're fired up for it this time. Accies will be their usual belligerent and aggressive self and our lads can expect a tough physical encounter from very streetwise opponents. Accies will not simply tolerate us if we try to play football. I can foresee a red card and a few bookings with perhaps a penalty thrown in. Oh how I'd love to give them a hammering on their own ground!

Certainly back in last November Jim McMahon was confident the next repayment would be made on time.

I thought so too, but Stuwell seems very sure of his/her facts.

So are you saying that Plan A is now officially dead and buried? If so Society members ought to be told.

Admittedly the first half hour wasn't great but you'll see much worse. We dominated the game for that period without really causing Cerny any trouble.

Injured apparently.

Even after questioning one or two usually well informed sources at the game yesterday....nothing.

First and foremost absolutely delighted with the 3 points and the performance wasn't too bad either. So, credit is due to the players and Mark McGhee. A physically powerful Thistle side posed a difficult challenge for us but we triumphed. In the first half they defended very well and made it hard for us. Despite having loads of pressure we didn't trouble the annoying Cerny. The penalty, which was a stonewaller, changed the game. As often happens the first goal is very important. At half time a 2 or 3 goal lead would not have been unjust but we lacked a killer touch. The second goal really changed the game and forced Thistle to play a more open game which led to our third. Two well worked second half goals. For the last 20 minutes Thistle had us under the cosh as we sat back and although they flattered to deceive up front it was no surprise to me when they scored. Booth had all the time and space in the world to fire in his shot, which either took a deflection or swerved viciously. I don't blame Ripley for that but rather our midfielders who were posted absent again. How many goals do we lose like that? The last 20 minutes or so were very uncomfortable and cried out for substitutions but as others have said who would we have brought on? I thought Lasley and Pearson had decent games, especially the former, but they disappeared in the last quarter of the game when we needed them most. credit to young Cadden though. He had a decent game throughout and was the one who stuck his chin out and had a real go at the Thistle attackers when others around him were unable or unwilling to do that. In the latter stages we were very exposed on our left flank and Stevie Hammell had a poor closing quarter, although he had no support in front of him it has to be said. Plenty of positives though. Moult and MacDonald were exceptional against 2 leviathans and covered miles over the 93 minutes. Johnson too had one of his better games. Chris Cadden is coming on by leaps and bounds and, although a bit raw defensively, has a great engine on him and kept going to the end despite being exhausted. A fixture in the side now I'd say for his running. Louis Laing had a great game at right back and Mark McGhee is being proven right in that there's more to this lad's game than we thought at first. He was the better of our 2 full backs today, putting in a solid defensive display and proving he can produce some dangerous charges and runs reminiscent of a buffalo on steroids. Both centre backs too had solid games and stood firm in the closing stages. All in all a good day at the office. These late season basement games are rarely footballing classics but today wasn't the worst I've seen. If we can reproduce this form in remaining games we'll be ok but we do need to remain competitive in the last 15/20 minutes of games. Perhaps some of us are being too hard on the senior pros like Lasley, Hammell and Pearson - they do try their best but just no longer have the legs. To end on a positive note though, Cadden gave me some hope with his never say die display and boundless energy.

Louis Moult for me, closely followed by Skippy and as Spiderpig says, Louis Laing.

I wouldn't read too much into 2 departures. These things happen all the time in the business world. A degree of change is never a bad thing providing there's some continuity.

Who are they? Derek Weir and who else?

Accies will treat this as 2 points lost in hindsight, given that they were playing against 10 men. However we have to pick up points ourselves and not rely on others to bail us out.