1. Tony Andreu (Dundee United)
“He’s worth his weight in gold,” spluttered Ray McKinnon somewhat excitedly about Tony Andreu after the attacking midfielder’s two goals sealed a 2-1 win for Dundee United over Greenock Morton. Now, with gold currently trading at £32,044 per kilo, and Andreu’s weight reportedly 72 kilos, that makes Andreu worth approximately £2,300,000 in McKinnon’s eyes. And here was us thinking Norwich paid through the nose at a cool million for his services in 2015. Considering United only have Simon Murray to scurry and scamper about up-front these days, Andreu’s goals will certainly come in handy, especially with a game this weekend against Hibernian. If McKinnon’s stuttering team can eke out a win, perhaps the fans, and more importantly the players, can start to believe that a promotion challenge isn’t a completely forlorn hope this season.
2. Shane Sutherland (Elgin City)
If you don’t often watch lower-league highlights, may we respectfully advise you to take a goosey gander at the recent efforts of Stirling Albion versus Elgin City, which is a one-stop-shop for everything you’d want to see in a seven-minute reel from that level. Dreadful defending, a soaking wet park, stupid goals, great goals, really long knee-slides, utter confusion, booing, swearing, huffing, puffing and swinging and missing. It’s a delightful treasure trove of wonders, and amongst it all, two exquisite finishes from Shane Sutherland as Elgin brushed aside their hosts 4-0. The game brought the curtain down on Stuart McLaren’s tenure as Stirling boss.
3. Jamie Insall (East Fife)
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, but maybe, just perhaps, we were a bit hasty in suggesting League One would be a two-horse race between Livingston and Alloa Athetic. As Alloa were tossing away a two-goal lead against Stenhousemuir, Livingston were enduring something of a pummelling at the hands, or rather feet, of the Methil magnifiques. East Fife raced into a three goal half-time lead thanks in part to another two goals from Jamie Insall, and while Livingston clawed one back in the 3-1 defeat, the margin could well have been greater. David Hopkins side lost the head in the second-half, eventually going down to nine men as they slumped to their second loss of the season. East Fife may just be one to keep an eye on this season.
4. David McCracken (Falkirk)
Most Falkirk fans would gladly have seen the back of David McCracken over the summer (insert release the McCracken joke here.) but the grizzly, gnarled veteran has come into his own in recent weeks, as Falkirk have started to climb the table. They’ve yet to really hit their stride though, as the 2-0 win over Ayr aptly demonstrated, with the Falkirk fans relieved, rather than delighted, with the three points. Despite the loss, Ayr fans can take heart from their side beating Hibs and matching Falkirk for large swathes of the match in successive weekends. If they can match those types of performances for the majority of this term, then they should remain just shy of the relegation fight.
5. Liam Smith (Raith Rovers)
There’s no getting away from it, Raith Rovers versus Dumbarton games are absolutely radge. Last season’s 3-3 draw, where Raith hilariously tossed away a three goal lead with ten minutes remaining, left us wide-eyed and slack-jawed, but it was almost repeated on Saturday as Raith roared away, only to be partly reeled in as the game reached it’s conclusion. The five goals means it’s now 68 strikes in just 17 games between the two, although it was a defender who was singled out as the game’s finest performer by Gary Locke, and who are we to disagree? Right-back Liam Smith arrived on a short-term loan from Hearts, as another injury crisis afflicted the Kirkcaldy club, and he slipped in seamlessly as Rovers put an end to a four game winless streak.
6. Jamie Hamill (Queen of the South)
Jamie Hamill has one of those faces you’d just like to punch. In fact, to be more accurate, he has a face which looks like it very often is, but the lumpen Queens full-back enjoyed arguably his finest 90 minutes to date in a Doonhamers jersey as the Dumfries side kept Hibernian at arms length in a disappointingly quiet first-versus-second Championship clash. The away side were the dominant force for the majority of the contest, even after they’d been hamstrung by the dismissal of Lewis Stevenson, but they could find no-way through an organised home defence. With games approaching against some of the so-called lesser lights in the coming weeks, Gavin Skelton’s side may be top for a wee while yet.
7. Ryan Wallace (Albion Rovers)
Airdrie’s shambolic season may be stumbling from one disaster to the next, but at least they could lay claim to not having lost a Monklands league derby at home for 70 years. Well, until Saturday that was, when Kevin McBride’s outfit were easily brushed aside by Albion Rovers in a one-sided local tear-up, which the Wee Rovers won by two goals to nil. Paul Willis and Mark Ferry provided the goals as Darren Young’s team created a small piece of history, but it was Ryan Wallace who was once again the fulcrum of all that was good about the performance as Rovers moved up to fifth. Still, at least Airdrie have an Elton John gig to look forward to.
8. Stuart Malcolm (Forfar Athletic)
Gary Bollan’s blemish-free brilliants continued on their merry way on Saturday, with a ground out 1-0 win over Clyde at Broadwood. Like Bollan’s Chevy Chase, it was anything but pleasing on the eye, but with Andy Munro and Stuart Malcolm providing rigorous ballast in the middle of the defence, Clyde were powerless to breach them. Clyde manager and Daily Record columnist Barry Ferguson spoke highly of his side afterwards, but the team looked short of ideas up front now that puppet-master Dylan Easton is no longer around. Clyde remain second, but Forfar have now opened up an eight point lead on them.
9. Craig Thomson (Stranraer)
On loan St Johnstone winger Craig Thomson scored his first two goals for Stranraer last weekend, and the jet-heeled wide player was again the toast of Stranraer town on Saturday as Brian Reid’s men made it three wins in four with a 2-0 win over Queens Park. It was Thompson’s cross which led to the opening goal, albeit Willie Muir reacted as if he’d just lifted a red-hot bowl of soup out of a microwave with his bare fingers, spilling it at his feet to allow Liam Dick to score the opener. Gus McPherson’s amateurs had little answer to the questions Thompson was posing them, especially in the first half where he had the freedom of the right-hand side of the Hampden Park pitch. Despite missing the big names of Willie Gibson and Christian Nade, the Blues are just starting to live up to their tag as play-off contenders.
10. John Herron (Dunfermline Athletic)
With Dunfermline Athletic and St Mirren both featuring risible back fours, there was always the possibility that Saturday’s live Alba offering could be a humdinger, but like those ambassador’s parties where the old-boy wheels out a platter of Ferrero Rocher, they truly did spoil us. Seven goals of varying quality, wavering between excellent and hilarious, Dunfermline eventually ended up 4-3 winner’s, after an extraordinary, topsy-turvy encounter. John Herron, on loan from Blackpool, did well in the middle of the park for the home side in a maelstrom of a match which was jam-packed with ridiculousness, excitement and froth, which left us with just one vexing question. How on earth did Kyle Hutton win last season’s player-of-the-season award for Queen of the South?
Written by Shaughan McGuigan