1. Ian McCall (Ayr United)
We fully appreciate that Ian McCall is the Ayr United manager as opposed to a player, but in terms of lower league performances over the weekend, few were greater than the Ayr impresario’s. His decision to go on to the park at full time, initially stemmed from wanting to applaud and appreciate his own fans. However, it quickly altered into a fine opportunity to bend it right up the St Mirren fans who were giving him no end of stick, leading to one of the finest photographs we’ve seen from a Scottish game in some time. Virtually every single person captured in the snap-shot has reason to squirm, but big shouts to the two fans both gesticulating whilst holding a child. We can’t decide if we prefer the V brandishing female, or the lairy lad who’s making the 1-1 gesture. Never mind your Michelangelos or Banksys. This is art.
2. Robert Thompson (Dumbarton)
Lose lots of games of football, vociferously shout for Steve Aitken to be sacked, pull off a surprise win to keep the wolf from the door, and repeat. That’s how it always seems to go at Dumbarton, with their latest coupon-busting victory coming at the expense of Falkirk, whose manager Peter Houston resembled a balisha beacon with his bald dome pulsating and glowing in equal measure due to his team’s many inadequacies. Putting their Scottish Cup debacle to one side, the Sons have actually been in some decent form of late, with Saturday’s 2-1 win over Falkirk making it just two defeats in seven matches. Robert Thompson opened the scoring for Dumbarton, as well as leading the line superbly, as Aitken’s men moved out of the relegation spots and into eighth.
3. Gavin Swankie (Forfar Athletic)
We weren’t entirely sure who was going to be considered the best in show for Cowdenbeath 3 Forfar 4, but we knew right away that it probably wasn’t going to be a defender. Cowdenbeath somehow contrived to lose this one, despite taking the lead twice, while Gavin Swankie’s second goal in the 92nd minute sparked wild scenes in the director’s box with reports of one member of the Loons board allegedly going radge and calling the Cowdenbeath fans “pricks.” The defeat plunged the Blue Brazil to the bottom of the table, and, after a brief hiatus from being rubbish, took a huge step-backwards with this performance. Forfar, on the other hand, are back winning and scoring, with 9 goals poked home in just two matches as they stretched their lead at the summit of League Two to seven points.
4. Bryan Prunty (Arbroath)
There were a couple of good come-from-behind-wins in League Two on Saturday, but Arbroath’s 3-2 win over Elgin City was probably the best of them. Trailing 2-0 with 35 minutes to go, Bryan Prunty got them back into the match before a Steven Doris double, the last coming from the penalty spot in injury time, flipped the match around and propelled big Dick Campbell’s Arbroath team into second at Elgin’s expense. The loss was Elgin’s eighth of the campaign so far, and whilst they’re not a million miles behind leaders Forfar, unless they can start to turn some of those defeats into draws at the very least, their inconsistency will almost certainly condemn them to a play-off spot at best.
5. Dale Carrick (Livingston)
The rotund lady may not quite beat the singing stage when it comes to the destination of the League One title, but she’s definitely cleared her throat of phlegm and practising her octaves. Airdrie were without some of their biggest and best through suspension for their meeting with Livingston, but the way in which the league leaders brushed them aside suggests no-one will be standing up to the Amber Machine this season. The 2-0 scoreline fails to accurately depict the one-sided nature of the match, with Dale Carrick opening the scoring in the opening period, before leading the rejigged Airdrie defence a merry dance for the rest of it. Expect the ten point gap to increase, rather than diminish between now and the end of the season.
6. Ross Callachan (Raith Rovers)
There was a somewhat curious moment in the first period of this Raith-Dundee United encounter when, with play meandering on towards the United net, two members of the Rovers ground-staff ran on to the park with a ladder and started to adjust the netting which was coming away from the crossbar. If United had embarked on a quick breakaway at that point, they’d have probably have struggled to find a way past Kevin Cuthbert, a step-ladder, and two boys in overalls wearing Christmas hats. As far as nil-nils go, this was actually a decent one, with play pinging from one end to another as both teams believed they could have won it. Ross Callachan put himself about in midfield to good effect, and the draw means that both teams have now lost just one match between them from the last 19 outings.
7. Tom O’Ware (Morton)
Considering Jim Duffy had to make do without Jai Quitongo and Liam Lindsay for the visit of table-topping Hibernian, it was thought that the Leith side would have too much for the Greenock outfit. However, anyone who thought it would be a cakewalk for Neil Lennon’s men probably hadn’t taken into consideration just how jaded and poor Hibernian look at the moment, even with the inclusion of Kris Commons. Hibs are desperate for pace and width in their team, and while Commons is clearly talented, he doesn’t exactly tick those boxes. Both teams would probably have taken the 1-1 scoreline beforehand, with Morton defender Tom O’Ware receiving the most amount of plaudits in what was an altogether forgettable affair.
8. Darren Brownlie (Queen of the South)
At the start of Queen of the South’s barren run the main issue was a complete lack of goals, with just one scored across five consecutive fixtures in October and November. That now seems to have been rectified, with Saturday the third game in succession that the Doonhamers have scored two, but unfortunately the wins still aren’t forthcoming. Queens looked good after man-of-the-match Darren Brownlie put them in front against Dunfermline, but their performance completely petered out in the second-period, and were arguably fortunate to escape with a point in this 2-2 draw between the sides. Both teams had higher aspirations for this season, but mid-table will probably be the sum of their efforts.
9. Bryan Wharton (Queen’s Park)
We like Jim Goodwin, we really do, and there’s lots he has and could successfully turn his hand to. Over the years he’s been a fine defensive midfielder and, as he’s got older, he’s embraced his new found role as an amusing, pantomime villain. His current look would also be a fine fit to play the Sheriff of Nottingham in any upcoming Robin Hood reboot, but a football manager? Hmm. Admittedly, Alloa haven’t lost too many games under his steely gaze, but they haven’t won many either, with this 1-1 draw with The Spiders the fifth draw of his nine game tenure, leaving the one time leaders now a distant fourth. This was another fine point for Queen’s Park, though, who now sit just three points behind Goodwin’s goons. Defender Bryan Wharton was in imperious form as they stretched their unbeaten run to six league games.
10. Kyle Wilkie (East Fife)
It was a winning start to Barry Smith’s East Fife tenure but, more importantly, he attended the post match shenanigans with the biggest, thickest tie we’ve seen this side of 1976. That wasn’t the only unusual aspect of this match as Peterhead midfielder Kevin Dzierzawski, whose been known as that since he arrived on these shores in 2013, listed as Randy Dzierzawski. Whatever the reasons, we approve. The Fife were helped in part by a Peterhead side who are a pale shadow of the team which went 19 league games unbeaten last term. They certainly had no answer to Kyle Wilkie, who put in his best performance of a lacklustre season to date as East Fife ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. Based on this match, East Fife should perhaps be looking up the table, whilst Peterhead should be doing the opposite.
Written by Shaughan McGuigan