1. Robert Thompson (Brechin City)
After passing up approximately nineteen dozen half-chances against Cowdenbeath the previous week, Brechin seemed incapable of missing against Peterhead on Saturday, demolishing the Blue Toon 5-1 with Robert Thompson helping himself to a hat-trick in the process. Brechin’s win saw them hurdle Forfar in the table and, with Stenhousemuir and even Cowdenbeath within reach, staying up, something which looked impossible a couple of months back, now seems a decent prospect. If they do, much of the credit must go to forward Thomson, who has now managed 12 goals in his last 18 appearances, and kudos too for playing Default by Django Django as goal celebration music. All this and an exquisite hedgerow too, what a club.
2. Conrad Logan (Hibernian)
Up until Saturday afternoon, Dumbarton’s Jamie Ewings had little in the way of competition when it came to Scotland’s finest roly-poly-goalie. However, after Conrad Logan’s debut for Hibernian in the Scottish Cup semi-final, Jamie, unlike his belt, has been moved down a notch. Logan may have been out of shape, but there was nothing wrong with his reactions, as he denied the Dundee Duffers on a number of occasions in normal-time as well as stopping two penalties as Hibs once more gave themselves the perfect opportunity to finish as Scottish Cup runners-up. Incredibly, this was Logan’s first game since 2014, meaning he’d been out of work so long he probably considered finding stop-gap employment as a Raoul Moat lookalike. His performance was so good, however, that Alan Stubbs must be wondering if he could now usurp Mark “Oh Dear” Oxley as Hibs first choice…
3. Jordan Preston (Ayr United)
With the play-offs fast approaching, Ayr United appeared to be staggering rather than swaggering into them. However, fans of the Honest Men will be hoping that Saturday’s facile 4-0 victory over Stenhousemuir is a sign that, after a blip, they’re heading into them in somewhat finer fettle. Striker Jordan Preston certainly appears to be, this his finest performance for some time with two assists and two goals – the first the on-loan Blackburn striker has garnered since January. The win puts Ayr back into contention for second. For Stenny, the season’s end looks far more fraught. Not only are the Warriors just three points off the bottom, they’re also in possession of the division’s most inferior goal difference. With just one win in ten, the prospect of Stenhousemuir going down has went from fanciful to feasible.
4. Barrie McKay (Rangers)
Whether it’s attitude, motivation, tactics or just eating more Weetabix in the morning, there can be few more improved players in the Scottish game than Barrie McKay. The Rangers midfielder once again staked his claim for that title, with a performance and strike which will live almost as long in the memory as Scott Brown’s embarrassing, pre-game handshake routine. While playing well week-in, week-out in the Championship has led to an understandable, “aye, but…” attitude when it comes to Rangers squad this season, McKay and the majority of his colleagues discovered that over the course of 120 minutes and penalty-kicks at least, they’re more than a match for their biggest rivals. Only Hibs now stand in the way of Mark Warburton winning a domestic treble in his first season as Rangers boss. So that’ll be that then.
5. Aidan Connolly (Raith Rovers)
Considering Dundee United are eye-bleedingly abysmal, it’s fairly bizarre that Mixu Pattelainen, a man who looked like a Mafioso enforcer at Hampden on Saturday, decided to jettison Aidan Connolly in January. Whatever went on behind closed doors at Tannadice is unknown of course but since arriving at Stark’s Park, Connolly has proven to be quite the #baller. He didn’t enjoy the best of first-half’s on Saturday. Although, in fairness, nor did any of his Rovers colleagues as they went in a goal behind but, with Connolly firing on all cylinders in the second, Raith managed to see off Dumbarton by three goals to two. It’s becoming a habit, but Connolly was once again the game’s best player, slipping Ryan Hardie through for his equaliser before firing Rovers in front with a fantastic strike from distance. Raith are now riding a nine (N-I-N-E) game run without loss.
6. Darren Dolan (East Stirlingshire)
With promotion chasing Annan Athletic on a run of just two defeats in ten, and East Stirlingshire with a wretched return of just one point from a possible 21, there appeared to be a potential pumping on the cards on Saturday, especially when the Shire’s Maxwell Wright was dismissed after just 40 minutes. The shellacking did indeed materialise, but it was Annan who were bizarrely on the receiving end, on an afternoon when no team from League Two’s top-six managed to cultivate a win. That Athletic didn’t manage it was almost solely down to the goalkeeping greatness of Darren Dolan, who assembled a throng of fine saves in a match which Annan dominated. Despite that, we couldn’t help but be chuffed for the eight delirious East Stirlingshire fans who’d made the trip. They’ll be hoping they’re just as happy after the play-off against either Edinburgh City or Cove Rangers next month.
7. Andy Stirling (Stranraer)
It may have been against an under-strength starting XI, but Stranraer’s 4-1 win over champions Dunfermline was a statement of intent as the play-offs near. Brian Reid’s team haven’t quite secured a slot, they’re five points clear with two games remaining, but their team, which bristles with talent for this level, will surely be prominent in the end-of-season jamboree. Players like Mark McGuigan, Paul Cairney, Craig Malcolm and Willie Gibson are all capable match-winners, but while all those mentioned put in fine performances on Saturday, it was Andy Stirling who probably stuck out more. His strike from the edge of the area put Stranraer 3-1 up and, in terms of the match highlights, was second only to the Blues pre-game guard-of-honour, which featured some kilted pipers and an eight-foot-tall dog called Scooby Blue wearing a Stranraer strip. Marvellous.
8. Michael Duffy (Alloa Athletic)
After picking up just four points from their first 13 home games of the season, the Wasps have managed to pick up the same tally from their most recent two against Hibernian and now Queen of the South. As impressive as that is, we can’t help but think that they may have peaked a smidgen too late. While Jack Ross’ side have nothing to play for in terms of league positions, they’ve plenty to play for in terms of pride, and perhaps even contracts, with immediate promotion now the name of the game next term. 21-year-old Celtic loanee Michael Duffy presumably won’t be hanging around at the Indodrill next term, and that’ll be a blow, with the Northern Irishman putting in one of his most accomplished displays for the Clackmannanshire team as they held the Doonhamers to a 2-2 draw. The result appeared to be the final straw for the Doonhamers board, with James Fowler huckled out the Dumfries door soon after. Both clubs will be hoping for vastly improved results next term.
9. Jim Lister (Airdrieonians)
There was a moment right at the start of this match thatencapsulated Forfar’s performance, not just on Saturday, but during the season in general. An agricultural punt up the park left Steven Craig with just the goalkeeeper to beat, but his shot as so wayward it sailed over a portacabin outside the ground, before bouncing down the road towards an industrial estate, eventually disappearing from view. It was a spectacular piece of rubbishness, and it summed up Forfar’s day. The 2-0 defeat saw them slump to the bottom, and after a recent resurgence, relegation once again looks likely. Airdrie’s win secured their League One safety and they were led there in part by Jim Lister, whose graceful chip over Darren Hill was his seventh goal of an injury-plagued season. You can tell how chuffed the Airdrieonians fans were with this result, as for the first time in a few weeks, they didn’t refer to Danny Lennon online as ‘Danny Lemon.’ Progress indeed.
10. Mark McLaughlin (Clyde)
Clyde do enjoy hosting a title-party, although unfortunately for the fans of the Bully Wee they always seem to be for their visitors. East Fife became the third team in three seasons to clinch the League Two title at Broadwood, and although their 0-0 draw wasn’t the greatest of spectacles, the style and panache they’ve shown during the season sees them deserved champions. While the Fifers were going for the title, Clyde needed the points for their own selfish reasons, and while it appeared to be a must-win for Barry Ferguson’s team, they were able to take advantage of some surprise results and move up to second with the single point. Nathan Austin has been running rampant in this league all season long, but the Falkirk-bound forward struggled against the grizzly warhorse that is Mark McLaughlin, who rolled back the years by impressively shackling League Two’s top scorer. Who knows, perhaps Clyde might be able to hold their own promotion party via the play-offs next month.
Written by Shaughan McGuigan