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Hampden dream spoiled by Spiders defeat

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Chris Jardine | 18:02 UK time, Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Similar to waiting on a bus, the boys at and now we've played three in a week.

Granted, two of those matches have been reserve fixtures but it's predominantly been the first-team squad that has taken part in those games due to our lack of match action.

In the three games, we've won one, drawn one and lost one - and .

Chris Jardine is playing every game like it is his last
Annan Athletic won't get many better opportunities of winning at Hampden and, personally speaking, I certainly won't.

We were in front twice in the match and still walked away with nothing but I think we can definitely take some positives from the performance.

The most disappointing aspect of the defeat, apart from the result itself, was our defending for the three goals. In the early stages of our first season in the Scottish Football League this was part of our game that was letting us down most, but this season we have improved greatly and haven't been giving many cheap goals away.

Let's just hope that Saturday was a one-off and we get back to our solid defensive base for our home match with this weekend.

I have to say that I would gladly play at the National Stadium every other week - it is an absolute joy from the moment the bus drives underneath the main stand until it drives back out again.

For that one match I really felt like a proper player! I think myself very lucky that I have played a senior competitive match for Annan at Hampden Park.

I've been at the club for 12 years and had some great times (as well as some not so great) and in all honesty I didn't think that Saturday would have been a possibility for me even at the start of this season.

I genuinely believed my time was up - not for the first time, I might add - and I'm trying to play every game just now as if it were my last for the club.

I'm absolutely desperate to stay at Annan and I told the chairman on Saturday that I wasn't leaving even if they told me my time was up as a player.

We had a good 4-1 win with the reserves at home on Monday night. After Lee Hoolikan and Gary Redpath left we're running with a small squad at the minute so we're using the first team to fulfil these fixtures.

The manager usually brings a few trialists in so some of us old boys can get a rest midweek, but we all agreed that we're better getting as many minutes on the pitch as possible to get the sharpness back.

It's ideal for the players that haven't started games recently and Lewis Sloan done his chances of a recall no harm with a hat-trick in the match, with Phil Storey getting the other.

Harry likes to take his seat in the stand during reserve games and friendlies and that lets take the team from the sidelines - I just hope the big man never gets the manager's job while I'm still here or I'm most definitely finished.

Degsy is partial to calling me Jacko now and again so I'm under no illusions as to who his favourite is for starters.

On Monday night I was starting on Harry's sheet of paper but after a quick call from our assistant I was benched so Steven Sloan could take my place and told I would be on at half-time.

Half-time came and went and eventually I was thrown on for the last 15 minutes. I had a word with Degsy after the game and he assured me that he's just trying to prolong my career.

Finally, if the referee, Mr Charleston, is looking in this week I can assure him that I'm getting my hair cut on Friday.

I've been taking dog's abuse from some of the boys at training, with Graeme Bell even calling me Bobby Charlton. Granted, it's a bit of a disgrace right now but I draw the line at getting stick from a bald referee!

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