Shaughan McGuigan is back to run down the most impressive jobbers from the past weekend in the SPFL lower leagues.
10. Paul Willis (Albion Rovers)
Twelve months ago, Brechin City were in the midst of a fine unbeaten start to the season, which, despite an iffy moment or two, would end in an oh-so-close defeat to Alloa Athletic in the promotion play-offs. What a difference a year makes. On Saturday, they were being bumped by Darren Young’s Albion Rovers team who, with two wins out of four under their metaphorical belts, have made their best start to a season out-with the basement league since the Second World War. It was Young who picked up the sponsors man-of-the-match award, but even he admitted that it must have been his Mum who plumped for him, as Rovers ran up a deserved 3-1 win with Paul Willis chipping in with two assists. It was Willis’ cross that was turned in by Ross Dunlop to open the scoring, while the same player had his sprint upended inside the area, allowing John Gemmell to smash home a penalty for the second. Brechin under Darren Dods are rooted to the bottom, a position that most felt Albion Rovers would spend the majority of their time in this season. However, if the ‘Vers can maintain their home form then they may make the naysayers and doom-mongers eat humble pie.
9. Jamie Adams (Ayr United)
The various lyrically waxed descriptions of Dunfermline’s start to the campaign may have you believing that they’re the Halbeath equivalent of the Harlem Globetrotters, but it’s Forfar Athletic who lead the League One table by a single point. The fact it isn’t more is probably down to the performance in the middle of the park by Ayr United’s Jamie Adams during Saturday’s 2-2 draw. Adams is an unusual case in that he took a couple of years away from the game after leaving St. Johnstone in 2012 after a series of serious knee injuries curtailed his career. However, after returning to the game with Wigtown and Bladnoch last season he was named in the Lowland Team of the Year, prompting Ian McCall, who had managed the player previously at both Partick Thistle and Queen of the South, to offer him a short term deal. His muscular, physical style sees him predominantly used as a defensive midfielder, but his ability to win balls in the air can also be applied to the other end of the park, as was evidenced with Ayr’s equaliser on Saturday, when Craig Moore was the eventual beneficiary of his knock on. If Adams can stay clear of injury you can expect his short term deal to become a much longer one.
8. John McGinn (Hibernian)
Hibs may have accumulated more central midfielders than the rest of Scottish football combined, but based on Saturday’s 2-0 win over Raith Rovers, the acquisition of McGinn may be the most important of the plethora. He didn’t manage to get himself on the scoresheet at the weekend, but he and Dylan McGeouch’s willingness to run at the Raith lines had the away side on the back-foot for the majority of the game, especially during the opening half-hour where Rovers toiled in the face of Hibs dynamism. He was involved in the second, game-killing strike, harvesting the ball in the middle of the park and turning away expertly from the leaden-footed Iain Davidson, before playing the ball forward for Liam Henderson who quickly swept it out wide for Lewis Stevenson to cross for Jason Cummings’ close-range effort. McGinn’s performance was so impressive you found yourself wondering just how good he’d be if Steven Thompson hadn’t went all Captain Ahab on his ass last season and harpooned the poor, unfortunate sap with a giant stick.
7. Alan Cook (Stenhousemuir)
Alan ‘Cookie’ Cook might have a really poor nickname, but that certainly wouldn’t have been at the forefront of his mind on Saturday evening as he knocked back a cheeky wee Cinzano or two to celebrate a 4-2 win over perennial no-gooders Cowdenbeath. At times the match appeared to be a what-not-to-do exercise in terms of defending, but Cook was front and centre for the Warriors, mucking in with two assists and a goal as Brown Ferguson’s men clambered into the top four. His first piece of set-up play produced the best goal of the half-dozen, threading a ball inside to left-back Liam Henderson, who had gallivanted past him on the overlap before slotting it past Cowdenbeath goalkeeper Michael Andrews. Cook’s goal had slightly less to admire about it, dribbling tentatively toward Andrews before slithering past him to make it 4-1, sealing all three points for the home side in the process. The effort probably showed just why the Berwick fans celebrated Andrews leaving the club with bunting and beverages in the summer.
6. Michael Paton (Dunfermline Athletic)
He may not have as many goals as Faissal El Bhakatoui, or as many female admirers as Ben Richards-Everton, or kick as many opponents in the head as Jason Talbot does, but right midfielder Michael Paton is fast becoming a vital element to Dunfermline’s blistering start to their season. Joe Cardle is generally regarded as the stand out winger in this Dunfermline team on the left-hand side, but Paton is mirroring his team-mate’s form on the opposite flank. During his time at Queen of the South, Paton only hinted at what he was capable of, but after relocating to Fife he’s now heavily suggesting it, ably demonstrated by his excellent pass to Bhakatoui for the Pars opener during their 3-1 win over Stranraer on Saturday. Next week’s match between the two Athletics, Forfar and Dunfermline, should be a real humdinger.
5. Andy Halliday (Rangers)
Rangers saunter to victory over the Doonhamers on Sunday may have been made considerably easier by Derek Lyle’s deserved dismissal for smearing his fake tan onto Rob Kiernan face, but it was yet another imperious display from the away side who made it eight consecutive wins. The Rangers full-backs of Lee Wallace and James Tavernier have been hogging the man-of-the-match awards between them this term, but the latest victory was notable more for Rangers’ midfield performance, with Barrie McKay, Jason Holt and Halliday bossing the game. The former may just have shaded it in terms of the finest performance of the afternoon, but Halliday also deserves special merit, especially when his opening goal got the ball rolling after a quiet beginning to Sunday’s affair. He may be more naturally concerned with sheltering the back-four from harm, but his set-up play and runs from deep are proving to be another potent weapon in Rangers jam-packed arsenal.
4. Smarticus Osadolor (Annan Athletic)
Our good friend Smarticus was at it again on Saturday, grabbing his fourth and fifth goals of the season in a match where, with a dash of luck, or an added pinch of composure, he could have netted a couple more. While he’s predominantly a right-sided attacker, he was popping up centrally and on the left too in a performance which, whilst pleasing to the Galabank regulars, left them fretful about just how long Osadolor’s tenure at Annan will last. Not only did he score twice, he set up Matty Flynn’s effort which was sandwiched between his strikes in the 3-2 win over Montrose. His first was the pick of the bunch though, latching on to the end of a quick, skilful breakaway that demonstrated his pace and composure with his fine, low finish. Good player, great name.
3. Sean Higgins (Clyde)
What would you constitute as a star? A large bright ball of plasma held together by it’s own gravity of course, but other than that it’s a title that’s only deserving of dignitaries and luminaries of the entertainment industry, such as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, or the boy that plays Paul Robinson in Neighbours. Where am I going with this I hear you cry, well, the Sunday Mail described Sean Higgins as a star at the weekend, and I laughed for a good couple of minutes. However, I digress. Clyde, and their megawatt jumbo-celeb Higgins have been somewhat disappointing so far, grubbing about in seventh place in League Two, but they eked out a 3-1 win against East Stirling on Saturday, thanks in no-small part to a fine show from the former Cowdenbeath hot-shot. His first goal came at the end of an unseemly stramash, but his second was a lovely free-kick, which he plonked straight past Shire ‘keeper Richard Barnard from around 25-yards to confirm a reasonably impressive victory. However, unless Barry Ferguson’s team can start to find some consistency, they’ll struggle to justify their tag as League Two favourites.
2. Nathan Austin (East Fife)
After a physically enduring 120 minutes against Motherwell last midweek, it was thought that the Methil Magyars may be a little jaded on their trip to Hampden to face Queens Park, especially on the large, open expanse of the national stadium’s park. Instead, they wrapped up a straightforward 2-0 victory, their third league win in a row, taking them top of the table on goal difference from Jim Weir’s Elgin City. Despite only conceding two goals in their previous three league matches, the Spiders looked hesitant and slipshod in defence, with much of that down to the presence of Nathan Austin, who in this form, is destined for greater things in the game. His goal, the second of the match was a fine, solo effort, but he was also involved in the first, when his shot was palmed away by Queens ‘keeper, Willie Muir, only to be turned home by Craig Murray. Player-boss, Gary Naysmith claimed after the match that Austin compared favourably to last season’s League Two top goalscorer, Simon Murray, so you can probably expect Jackie McNamara to turn up at Bayview with a big bag of pound coins in the not-too-distant future.
1. Barrie McKay (Rangers)
The fact that Rangers are now regularly handing out absolute drubbings to all-and-sundry is a fairly obvious sign that Mark Warburton’s ways are having the desired effect on the Ibrox club. However, perhaps a more subtle but clearly evident change in the fortunes of Barrie McKay is another decent indicator of the Englishman’s fine work. McKay has went from having boos, jeers and swear words thrown in his general direction during loan-spells at Cappielow and Stark’s Park, to being cheered and appreciated by the Rangers fans on a weekly basis. He was at his productive best at Palmerston on Sunday during Rangers comfortable 5-1 win, providing an assist for Andy Halliday’s opener before sending in the through ball which led to Rangers first penalty kick, from which Martyn Waghorn made it two. McKay’s goal, his second of the season was a tap in for Rangers fourth, but it was well deserved for the creativity and entertainment he’d provided during a man-of-the-match performance. The Rangers winger has ventured from lamentable to laudable in just a few months. Perhaps this Warbs’ character does have a hat with magic properties.
Written by Shaughan McGuigan (@ShaughanM)
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