1. Martin Boyle (Hibernian)
When you haven’t won a league game all season, what you don’t really need is a visit to the home of the league favourites, who appear to be emerging from the other side of a mild blip. That’s what winless St Mirren were up against on Saturday when they faced up to a Hibernian team who could quite easily have bagged five or six, but ended up settling for a 2-0 win, due to the profligacy of Grant Holt and some cracking custodianship from Jamie Langfield. Martin Boyle hasn’t exactly set the heather alight for Hibs, but he was on point on Saturday, scoring an early opening goal and giving the Buddies defence a torrid afternoon, although that’s generally a weekly occurrence for the St Mirren back-four these days. Boyle was filling in for the out-of-the-form Jason Cummings, but with the ex-Montrose man looking the part, it may be a wee while before ‘Beanzema’ returns to the fold.
2. Jamie Lindsay (Greenock Morton)
With an injury ravaged Scotland heading to Wembley soon, and Gordon Strachan’s jacket hanging by the shoogliest of pegs, the timing of Morton’s fine run of form couldn’t have been better for the wily old fox that is Jim Duffy. Don’t be silly I hear you cry, Jim Duffy could never manage Scotland. Well, Chick Young suggested it the other day, and who are we to disagree with one of the media’s sharpest analytical minds? The Greenock side’s latest win, a 2-1 triumph over, Ayr didn’t look likely at one stage as they trailed 1-0 with 15 minutes left, but late goals from Tom O’Ware and Gary Oliver turned things around. Morton midfielder Jamie Lindsay was involved in a slobber-knocker of a midfield battle with namesake Jamie Adams, which the on-loan Celtic player probably just shaded as Morton made it four wins from five. While forward Jai Quitongo has taken most of the praise and plaudits this season, Lindsay is proving just as vital to the future Scotland boss.
3. Brian Cameron (Elgin City)
Fair play to the Cowdenbeath social media volunteer. His or her team may have put in another diabolically inept performance against Elgin City on Saturday, but that didn’t stop them flashing up a neat, colourful goal gif on Twitter, festooned with umpteen exclamation marks to celebrate a last-minute consolation goal in a 3-1 loss. While things look bleak for the ‘Beath, Elgin are on the up, with this their fourth win in five games. Midfielder Brian Cameron opened the scoring, and he continued to prompt and construct from the centre of the park in a game which could easily have ended with a far bigger margin between the teams. As for Cowden, with three of the bottom five teams coming up in their next few games, Liam Fox’s future could very well be decided in the coming weeks.
4. Scott Pittman (Livingston)
There was a big switcheroo at the top of League One at the weekend, with Livingston hop-scotching over Brechin City thanks to a 3-0 win over the hedgerow obsessed Glebe Parkers. The one-sided skirmish was the Amber Machine’s most accomplished performance of the season, and was also the first time they’d managed to avoid the concession of a goal in a league match since a 1-0 win over Rangers at the fag-end of last season. As has so often been the case this term, Scott Pittman was the best in show and, while the midfielder failed to add to his six goals this term, he was an instrumental facet of Livi’s domination. Fingers crossed, for their sakes, they didn’t field an ineligible player this time.
5. Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers)
If you’re reading this, then you presumably didn’t watch Raith Rovers 1-0 win over Queen of the South over the weekend, either in the flesh or on BBC Alba. How do we know this? Well if you had, your corneas would have exploded from watching the unremitting horror and drudgery that was unfolding on the park. At one point in the second period, two balls were clattered clean out the stadium in the space of 60 seconds, and in truth, no-one in the crowd would have complained if every other available Mitre sphere was also punted clean over Pratt Street as well. Amongst the dross and drivel, however, Kevin McHattie did have a fine game, defending diligently and making several last-gasp blocks, as well as producing an incredible piece of skill which was gif-ing its way around Twitter within minutes of it occurring. The win moves Raith move up to third, as Queens slump continues.
6. Mark Gilhaney (Stenhousemuir)
It would be quite the understatement to suggest things haven’t exactly been hunky-dory along at Ochilview this season. A string of poor performances have seen Stenhousemuir prop up the table, but there’s been a far more important online discussion about the club in recent days. Some old soaks have made it known that they’ve no time for The Warriors use of Stone Cold Steve Austin’s walk on music which greets the team’s entrance on match days, nor for the appeals from the P.A. to give the home favourites a “Hell Yeah.” Frankly though, if Ochilview isn’t an ideal location for some wrestling exclamations and rhetoric, then we just don’t know which way is up anymore. Back to on-field matters though, and Stone Cold Stenny cantered to a 3-0 win over Queens Park on Saturday, helped in part by a fine showing from Mark Gilhaney who scored the first, and also assisted by a Queens Park team who are gripped by a miserable run of form. Brown Ferguson’s men remain bottom, but are now just a point behind the Spiders.
7. Mark Durnan (Dundee United)
Hopefully you weren’t drinking a beverage whilst reading the above name there, as you probably just coughed and spluttered it all over your screen. You read it right though, the much-maligned Mark had his finest game in neon tangerine as Dundee United laboured to a 1-0 win over Falkirk. Not only was the central-defender an impenetrable obstacle at the back, he doubled up as the match-winner down the other end, sticking away a late winner in a match which appeared to be dribbling to a draw. He started and finished the move, sprinting the entire length of the park, in a move which was reminiscent of another United legend/doughball (delete as applicable) Lee Wilkie. Falkirk have now lost more matches than in the whole of last term, but it’s their switch to a more basic style of play, with giant punts up the park to Lee Miller’s expertly exfoliated cranium, that’s causing the fans the most amount of consternation. The result kept United in touching distance of Hibs, while Falkirk slid out the play-off spots.
8. David Gold (Arbroath)
This Arbroath mob are becoming more and more difficult to suss out. A host of well kent faces rocked up at Gayfield in the summer. Players who, it was presumed, could potentially make light work of League Two, but it’s not turning out that way, with Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Berwick Rangers making it just one win in six league games. Admittedly it’s also just one defeat in that sequence, but it’s draws which are costing the Red Licties dear, with six of their opening ten fixtures ending all-square. In midfielder David Gold they had the game’s best player at the weekend, and if the fans didn’t strike up some ditty based on the Spandau Ballet hit which reached number 2 in 1983, then more fool them. His fine strike put Dick Campbell’s team ahead, only for them to be predictably reeled in, in a result which places them fourth, one point and one place above their cross-border opponents.
9. Andy Ryan (Airdrieonians)
Well, the Gordon Dalziel football review has got off to an interesting start. A 1-0 win over East Fife on Saturday made it three wins from four outings, but if anyone was under the impression that that sequence would solidify Kevin McBride’s position as Airdrie boss, they were sadly erroneous. In a move which was as predictable as a Daily Mail front page (Weather! Racism! Isn’t Prince George Cute?!) McBride was released from his duties on Monday evening to be replaced by another inexperienced boss in Mark Wilson, as Dalziel took up the Director of Football role. While the club clearly has its issues, they now find themselves fourth, just three points behind Alloa. In Andy Ryan, the scorer of the winner on Saturday, they have a striker who is one of the best in the division on his day. Time will tell if the latest machinations are worthwhile, or yet another poor decision from a club which appears to specialise in them.
10. Garry Fleming (Dumbarton)
Considering how ropey Allan Johnston’s record as Pars boss is against full-time sides (won 2, drawn 1, lost 12. LOL.) Dunfermline may be in a spot of soapy-bubble if they’re also now toiling against the part-timers. With ten minutes to go on Saturday, it appeared Athletic had done enough to win this tie with Dumbarton, battling back from a goal down against an obdurate Sons side to lead 2-1, but they relinquished their hard-fought advantage almost immediately thanks to a well deserved goal from Garry Fleming. The Dumbarton forward may be the archetypal Scottish lower-league footballer, with his greying skin, podgy gait, bad tattoos and generally looking like he’d smell of rolling tobacco and Lynx, but his workrate and ability to coerce a mistake from an opponent are exactly what Dumbarton require right now. With both teams near the foot of the table though, they’ll both look upon this 2-2 draw as an opportunity squandered.
Written by Shaughan McGuigan