The squad set off on an overcast but dry Sunday morning on what looked to be a pivotal moment in our league campaign. Currently sitting in sixth place in the league we’re facing the teams directly above us so every point today is important.

Our first game today is against Tayport. A tough game with opportunities for both sides and play going back and forth. Chances missed and shots saved in all areas the game has draw written all over it as we approach the final minute. The final minute passes and, to the surprise of all on the sidelines, the game continues. And then Tayport score. There’s not much time left to equalise, in fact we’re well into 17 minutes played when Tayport score again. Teams are now queuing up for the second game on the sidelines. “How long to go?” “We’re on 18 minutes at the moment.” “Are we playing twenty minute games this month?” “Who knows?” As this conversation is going on Tayport score a third. The final whistle blows and it’s a 3-0 loss for Raith. A conversation with our ref after the game and he insists that “all games are always 20 minutes. We’ve played that way all year.” At this point one of the other refs points out it should be 15 minutes and all the other games today will be 15 minutes long.
Saints in the Community 0-5 St James
Crieff Juniors 2-0 Fairfield
Dunfermline Dynamos 1-1 Montrose
Raith Rovers 0-3 Tayport

We sit out the next round of matches which are now back to 15 minutes.
Carnoustie Panmure 4-0 Fife Wanderers
Arbroath 2-1 Montrose
St Andrews & East Neuk 0-2 St James
Dundee Utd CT 1-2 Fairfield

Our second game of the day against Arbroath was a physical battle with some more controversy. In the fourth minute a tussle between an Arbroath forward and Jimmy Robertson ends up with both players in the box and unbelievably the ref awards a penalty to Arbroath which they convert to go one nil up. It’s hard to follow the reasoning behind this as both players entered the box at the same time with pushing and shoving by both. There was no intention by either to enter the box so a penalty or free kick both seems inappropriate. The game continues to be physical with both teams managing to carve out opportunities but with no more goals forthcoming. The game ends after 15 minutes.
Dunfermline Dynamos 1-3 Fairfield
Saints in the Community 0-2 Tayport
Arbroath 1-0 Raith Rovers
Carnoustie Panmure 0-1 Dundee Utd CT

After two losses we need to get something from our last game of the day against Crieff Juniors. The game starts well with John Wylie shooting low to the keeper’s right in the opening minutes. The boys are playing well and knocking the ball about with ease and things look to be going well until a quick two goals in the sixth and seventh minutes for Crieff put Rovers behind. However a quick reply from Stevie Fleming in the eighth minute equals things up again. Rovers continue to press and rain shots in the direction of the Crieff goal but without any luck and the game finishes with a point to each team after 15 minutes and no controversy.
St Andrews & East Neuk 1-2 Tayport
Dundee Utd CT 0-1 Fife Wanderers
Arbroath 3-1 Saints in the Community
Crieff Juniors 2-2 Raith Rovers

We sit the final round of games out.
Crieff Juniors 2-1Montrose
St James 4-0 Tayport
Dunfermline Dynamos 1-1 Fife Wanderers
Carnoustie Panmure 1-1 St Andrews & East Neuk

So only one point today from nine but we only drop one place in the league which is something. However the big thing from today’s matches revolves around the first round of matches today. What would have been the results had the games only lasted the proper 15 minutes? Our match was 0-0 so we would have one more point and Tayport two less. Would St James goal difference be as big as it is? Would the Crieff V Fairfield result have been different? With only two points between them this could be important to league positions. Similarly with Dunfermline and Montrose would the result at 15 minutes have made any difference to league positions later on in the season. With all of these possible variations to league positions surely this round of games should be voided and replayed? There is space in the calendar with only two games scheduled for the last round next month and again in November.