1. Shane Sutherland (Elgin City)
When Alexander of Macedonia was 33 he cried salt tears as there were no more worlds left to conquer. Shane Sutherland is only 26. The Elgin City hotshot grabbed a hat-trick at the weekend in the side’s 3-1 win over Edinburgh City, lifting his tally to 23 in what has been an extraordinary campaign for the former Peterhead man. His personal success has been instrumental in Elgin staying on the coat-tails of Forfar, and retaining a healthy gap between themselves and the sides outside, but looking in on, the playoff places. Even though we’re just past the half way stage Elgin look a shoo-in for a top-four berth.
2. Ross Forbes (Morton)
If any bookies have been taking stakes on Morton’s player-of-the-year award then they’d probably be as well just paying out now, such has been the consistent brilliance of their main man, and no, it isn’t Kudus Oyenuga. Ross Forbes has been something of a stone-cold-baller this season, and his two goals against Ayr – the first an exquisite finish from distance – helped Jim’s juggernauts to blow The Honest Men away on Saturday evening. The Ton raced into a three goal lead after half-an-hour before cantering to an eventual 4-1 win, which reeled Dundee United in to within striking distance in second place. As for Ayr, they’ve now gone 13 games without a win, as their rut shows no sign of improving. Grim times down Somerset Park way.
3. Andy Stirling (Dumbarton)
It’s now 12 games without a win for Raith Rovers and manager Gary Locke is every increasingly starting to resemble something of a manager living on borrowed time. Home spirits had been lifted after some creditable performances against Hearts, but when Dumbarton grabbed their third goal on Saturday some fans started to depart the scene with over 25 minutes remaining. Clearly, even an extra half hour with a wife they could barely tolerate was preferable to this Stark’s Park claptrap. If they’d stayed they could well have enjoyed the remainder of Andy Stirling’s performance. He tormented Raith all day during the routine 3-1 victory for Steve Aitken’s men, who could easily have won by more. Rovers next three fixtures are against Dundee United, Morton and Hibs. Make that 15 without a win.
4. John Baird (Falkirk)
They almost lured us in again. With umpteen signings in the last week or so, some of whom sounded really quite exotic, which of course equals good in our heads, we were starting to believe that St. Mirren could perhaps start to close the gap on a rapidly declining Ayr United. But no, they’re still total jobbers. Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Falkirk was their 13th defeat of the campaign, and it’s now surely a question of when, rather than if, the bumbling Buddies are dropping out of the second tier. For Falkirk, this resembled something like a return to form for a team which had previously won just one of their previous seven matches. John Baird’s finishing prowess was the deciding factor, with his two goals ensuring The Bairns stayed just behind Morton and six clear of fifth-placed Queen of the South.
5. Rory McAllister (Peterhead)
If you were to ask Peterhead fans their thoughts on this season for a ‘family newspaper” you’d almost certainly find yourself writing up the most asterisked article in history. With The Blue Toon slip sliding away they were in need of a big performance, so what better time than for Jim McInally’s men to produce their best of the campaign. The 4-0 win over Queen’s Park may have been aided by a red card to Ryan McGeeve, but they were worthy winners in a one sided walk over. New signing Grant Anderson crashed in a fantastic debut goal on the volley, but Rory McAllister was again the main man with his brace taking his tally for the term to 16.
6. Nathan Flanagan (Annan Athletic)
Annan Athletic’s form may still fluctuate somewhere between erratic and unpredictable but they’ve cobbled together enough wins of late to put four points between themselves and fifth-placed Montrose. Saturday’s result was almost a microcosm of their season with a poor early showing eventually making way for a polished second period which blew Stirling Albion away with three second half goals in a 4-1 win over Dave McKay’s minions. We were more than tempted to pick Smart Osadolor after his two goal haul but on-loan St Mirren winger Nathan Flanagan’s performance could not be ignored. His direct running and pace terrorised the Stirling defence, and his two assists left you wondering why he couldn’t get more of a look-in at the Buddies this season.
7. Fraser Fyvie (Hibernian)
Hibs went eight points clear at the top of the Championship at the weekend, thanks partly to Dundee United’s continued stammer and their own eked out 1-0 win over Queen of the South at Dumfries. A classic it most certainly wasn’t with the Doonhamers tactics of blootering the ball in the vague direction of Stephen Dobbie unsurprisingly failing to trouble the biggest, broadest and downright meanest defence in Britain. Fraser Fyvie also played a huge part in that clean sheet however, protecting his backline with an industrious and energetic display, breaking up the Queens midfield and driving Hibs on with a dominant display. With Ayr and Raith next up in the league don’t expect too many dropped points from Hibs in the coming weeks.
8. Nat Wedderburn (Dunfermline)
Nathaniel Wedderburn may possess the largest pair of buttocks anyone has seen since Sir-Mix-A-Lot released his video for I Like Big Butts in 1992, but the defensive midfielder has played a massive role in Dunfermline’s surge up the table. The former Cowdenbeath man was again a stand-out in the Pars 1-1 draw with Dundee United, a game that both teams could have won, but in the end were probably content with a draw. United’s title challenge may be a busted flush but Dunfermline will still be harbouring hopes of a tilt at the playoffs, albeit the eight point gap gives them plenty to do. However, with Allan Johnston’s men now unbeaten in 11 league and cup matches next Saturday’s dust-up against fourth placed Falkirk will take up even more importance than usual.
9. Craig Halkett (Livingston)
Livingston versus Brechin City may have been a contest between first and fourth-place in League One but make no mistake, this match was as straightforward a victory as Livi have run up this season. Admittedly, the concession of a goal after just 35 seconds destabilised any game plan that Darren Dods may have devised, but the 3-0 final scoreline didn’t do justice to the home side’s domination. Craig Halkett’s second goal on the half-hour mark put paid to any notion of a Brechin comeback, and the young defender also put in an excellent shift in his more natural role as Livi moved 11 points clear with a game in hand.
10. Alan Cook (Stenhousemuir)
There’s been a fair few failures in Scottish football this season, from Ian Cathro’s post-game interviews to St Mirren’s promotion push, but few have backfired quite as spectacularly as Airdrie’s attempt at full-time football. Their latest reverse, a 4-2 mauling from a vibrant Stenhousemuir team, means they’ve won just once in seven matches with their December and January funk seeing them move closer to the relegation zone than the position they were supposed to be challenging. As it has been so often against Airdrie in the past it was Alan Cook, a man who always seems to rise to the occasion against the Diamonds, who inflicted the damage, scoring twice and generally tormenting Scott Stewart. As for Carlos Mazana-Martinez’s late, impudent fourth, my word.