05.03 // Four to Follow

Right, let's forget that awful business in Glasgow the other week and get back to the football. There's a bit of a strange spread across the SPL this weekend, with our pick of the SPL game coming on Monday evening as Dundee United and Aberdeen go head to head. Elsewhere we're hoping (or not, depending on you're position here) that Dundee can extend that tremendous run of 4,213 unbeaten league games and that Neale Cooper won't be fired. Oh, Stranraer - if you could just go ahead and win that game, it would really make us happy.

Ready? Here we go!

SPL » Dundee Utd v Aberdeen (Monday)

You say West Coast, I say East Coast. You say Old Firm, I say New Firm. Yes, back in the 80's, when Rangers and Celtic were not particularly good (unlike today, when they're still not very good, it's just that the rest of us have gotten worse), Dundee United and Aberdeen were the two most scucesfull teams in Scottish football. It may seem like half a lifetime away, but between 1980 and 1985, under the leadership of Alex Ferguson and Jim McLean respectively, Aberdeen won the league three times, with United winning in 1983. The Dons further underlined their dominance with four Scottish Cup wins, two League Cup wins and two European Trophies. United, 65 miles down the East Coast picked up two League Cups and lost out in a UEFA Cup final to IFK Gothenburg. Since then it's been a steady slide back from whence they came, with both sides fighting off relegation - some better than others.

Anyway, that's all in the past. Going into tomorrows fixture, United hold a three point lead over the Dons, but for fans of Aberdeen, any hope they have of overtaking United and moving into the top six for the first time this season will have to be put on hold unless the Dons overcome a crippling goal difference of -14 that would have the Fraud Squad down Sandeman Street quicker than you can say "Mr Houston, there's a Thai businessman on the phone for you".

The Dons have drawn their last two games, the more notable of those against Hearts, the team currently hoping to benefit from any Rangers slip-up. Aberdeen are continuing to improve and where it not for two execellent goalkeeping performances from Hearts' Martin Kello and St Johnstone's Peter Enckelman in midweek, the Dons might well have been level on points with United.

Dundee United recovered from a shock draw against Accies last Saturday to beat Inverness Caley 2-0 in midweek and take up position in the top six; two late goals from Prince Bauben and David Robertson, both subs, secured all three points and their first league win since the end of January.

With a win for United and a draw so far this season, this game, possibly the last one before the split should be interesting. Both sides need a win to edge that little bit closer to a top-six finish,

Division One » Partick Thistle v Dundee

Check this: Should Dundee win or draw against Partick Thistle tomorrow, Dundee will notch up their eighteenth straight league game without defeat. You'd think that with a stat like that the Dee would be top of the table by some incredible margin, yet they're in seventh place, twenty-one points behind leaders Raith Rovers.

The deficit can be explained by the massive 25-point imposed on the club following their move into administration in October. Those points left Dundee at the bottom of the table on -11 points, and with the very real threat of liquidation hanging over the club. Thankfully, the clubs creditors agreed to a deal that would see them receive six pence in every pound the club makes, and though the clubs long-term financial situation is still not great, at least they're still in existence.

Despite a transfer ban put on the club (presumably to stop them spending other peoples money), new manager Barry Smith has worked wonders down at Dens Park with an alarmingly small squad. With three "Manager of the Month" awards, and architect of an unbeaten run that stretches back to September of last year (a 2-1 defeat to Cowdenbeath), the former Dundee player will be looking to turn in another game without defeat as they travel to Glasgow, and an encounter with Partick Thistle.

Thistle are unbeaten in their last six home games in which they scored 10 goals (six of those against Stirling Albion) while conceding only two. Like Thistle, Dundee have only conceded two goals in their last six games, scoring nine along the way. Dundee will be hoping to avenge the 1-0 defeat Thistle inflicted back in September. Given Dundee's recent form it's hard to bet against them. That run has to end at some point, right? Could it be tomorrow? Time will tell.

Division Two » Peterhead v Forfar

Not normally a game we'd feature, but I've a bit of a vested interest in this one. Peterhead, just up the coast from Aberdeen are currently being managed by formed Dons legend Neale Cooper. And they're in trouble. Bottom of Division Two, without a league win in six games and shipping goals to all and sundry, there has been talk of 'pressure' and 'must win' games. Under Cooper's stewardship Peterhead finished in the top half of the table the past two seasons, never slipping below eight place, but this season has been absolutely terrible so far. Four wins all season - the last against Alloa at the end of January - have seen the Blue Toon slip down the table, the basement finally being reached after the 3-1 defeat away in Methill (two of the goals ironically coming from Bobby Linn, a former Peterhead player himself) and Stenhousemuir's 3-1 win over Ayr United.

Forfar have lost their last two away games, but those came against runaway leaders Livingston and Airdrie United, the team immediately below them.

It's hard to see Peterhead picking anything from this game other than a draw. Though it's unlikely that Cooper will get the heave-ho should they lose promotion-chasing Forfar, the pressure remains. A defeat could see them drift even further from safety, so the time to see the battling combative approach to the game that made Cooper a favourite at Pittodrie has come.

Division Three » Stranraer v Albion Rovers

In a weekend when the top 4 face each other (Abroath take on Annan), all eyes on faraway Stranraer as they try and build on their lead at the top of Division Three. In a strange two week period when they played East Stirlingshire and Clyde twice, Stranraer managed to pick up nine points, the only blot on the copy book being a surprise 4-2 defeat to bottom side Clyde - the club that current Stranraer manager Keith Knox made over 300 appearances for, earning himself the only testimonial games the Bully Wee have ever given. With former leaders Arbroath suffering a 3-2 defeat in a thrilling game at Elgin, it allowed Stranraer to leapfrog the Red Lichties into top spot.

With two wins from their last six games, tomorrow's opponents Albion Rovers will be hoping that they can repeat the performance from their last two games, in which they picked up four points.