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Ross McAloone: A Tale of Redemption

Started on 12 February 2021 by ScottT
Latest Reply on 8 May 2021 by TheLFCFan
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ScottT's avatar Group ScottT
4 yearsEdited

Pre-Season Review: 2020/21


Following a five month hiatus, the players faced a pre-season like no other. The challenges following such a lengthy absence from the pitch were plentiful so it was increasingly important that we prepared for the upcoming campaign as best we could. The unique challenges we face this time around are only adding to those we already face. As a semi-professional side, we are unable to facilitate regular training sessions and therefore this meant we were, typically, limited to three sessions per week.

The club aren't in a financial position to be able to turn professional. It's unlikely that this will be feasible and financially possible for many years to come - it would take a miracle in order for us to be in a position to take that risk. We cannot jeopardise the future of the football club.

This naturally hands the advantage to the only professional side in the division, Queen's Park. For instance, Queen's Park are currently operating on a budget that is almost three times that of our own. Since taking the decision to ditch amateur status at the start in November 2019, they have invested heavily and have asserted themselves as the favourites for the title this year.

It certainly brings some perspective for us. Regardless, we had to make the most of our situation and looked to prepare suitably. In order to do this, myself and the coaching staff worked closely to discuss arrangements. We maximised our time on the training pitch whilst taking part in six friendlies with the first taking place at the end of August against Workington A.F.C. We also took part in a testimonial game for club legend Peter Watson against his former side and fellow League Two opposition, Albion Rovers.

With over three months before we took part in any form of competitive fixture and most clubs neglecting to take part in any friendlies at that time, we used July to ensure the squad were up to fitness but also as an opportunity to assess the squad. I was frequently liaising with my scouting team to identity players to strengthen the squad and I thought it was best to try to get business done early-doors.

By doing this, not only were we putting ourselves in a position to bring in players early and ensure we got their signature before any other clubs could muster their own interest, we were also giving ourselves plenty of time to get those players familiar with the surroundings of the club and the rest of the squad. We had time to coach them - alongside the rest of the squad - the foundations of an identity I wanted my team to have as a result.

Matt Yates, Shaun Struthers and Joshua Bradley-Hurst all arrived at the club pretty much off the bat.

Our focus was primarily on bringing in young talent who had been released from clubs in the Scottish Premiership. It was a cheap and affordable way to identify talent whilst also giving us a platform to build on moving forward.

Dominic Lavelle, a central-midfielder released by St Mirren was another example of this approach, whilst Ryan Hall and Nicky Buchan joined the club having never been on the books of a professional side.


The two sixteen-year-old's have potential in abundance and come with a low-risk factor given the low terms they agreed when signing two-year-deals.


We made two further signings. The first being the most experienced face we brought to the club. Greg Pascazio, previously on the books of Rangers, Montrose and most recently, Cumbernauld Colts, signed a deal until the end of the season to bring some further cover to the back four with his ability to play both centrally and on the right.

Another important factor that we considered when opting to bring Greg to the club was his experience. He brings a decent level of experience with him having played 41 games across two seasons for Montrose whilst still being fairly young at the tender age of 24.


Having yet to explore the loan market, we finally delved into our options and looked towards Carlisle - a local-based club in whom we have a good relationship with. We used this affiliation to bring in Jamie Armstrong, a 20-year-old capable of playing both out wide and centrally - primarily as a number ten - after he had signed a professional contract with The Blues last season.


There was only one departure to mention. Young striker Russell Currie completed a deal to join Edinburgh University on loan for the rest of the season. It's a deal which is beneficial for all parties concerned since Russell is quite far down the pecking-order with the signings of Yates and Struthers on top of Iain Anderson who was one of a number of players signed by Peter [Murphy] at the end of the last season.


Signings and the sole departure aside and having gelled without game-time, we went into our first match of our pre-season campaign against Northern Premier League Division One opposition in Workington A.F.C. We flattered to deceive in-front of a crowd of 115 and in a rather disappointing performance came out with a 2-0 defeat.

We quickly cast that defeat aside with victories against my former side Berwick Rangers and League One opposition in Montrose before narrowly losing out against Altrincham of the National League.

Victories against Albion Rovers in Peter Watson's testimonial game and Bonnyrigg Rose were separated by a pleasing performance against Northern Irish side Cliftonville albeit ending in defeat.


We now look forward to the League Cup that begins in just under a week's time with a trip to St Mirren. We will then host Airdrieonians of League One before we begin our League Two campaign away to Cowdenbeath on 17th October. The League Cup will return in November after a handful of League Two clashes with games against Stenhousemuir and Dunfermline Athletic.


Comments

James: Perhaps not quite what you were expecting when the oldest player signed was just 24. :D You're absolutely right about the potential to generate cash with younger clubs and for a club like Annan that don't have too much in the coffers, it's certainly an idea to try to generate players they can sell on for profit.

Jack: Absolutely. He has the essentials nailed down and that is often enough to be a star in the lower divisions. Hopefully he can justify our support.

Spurs1882: Me too. I think he complements Yates very nicely.
I remember Greg Pascazio from earlier editions of the game, him and Luca Gasparotto used to develop into very solid players. Your tactic of identifying players to bring in will be very interesting to follow, and at the very least: you're saving a lot of these lads from a very tough decision of what to do with their lives. Would love to see a few older Scottish players sign on in the future, like a Kevin Thomson [albeit a much cheaper version!] or something like that to help guide them too.

Fingers crossed that Ross can kick off his tenure with a few wins!
A decent preseason aside from the defeats to Workington and Altrincham, but Ross is still trying to get the wheels in motion at Annan. A positive start nonetheless for a new, young manager.
ScottT's avatar Group ScottT
3 yearsEdited

Squad Overview: Annan Athletic 2020/21

Goalkeepers
Joshua Bradley-Hurst | 18 y/o (10/01/2002) | GK | Scottish | /
Wage: £80 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2022 | Value: £750

Jordan Pettigrew | 20 y/o (09/10/1999) | GK | Scottish | /
Wage: £50 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £875

Alex Mitchell | 29 y/o (21/03/1991) | GK | English | /
Wage: £150 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £700


Defenders
Ryan Hall | 16 y/o (02/10/2004) | D(R) | Scottish | /
Wage: £30 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2022 | Value: £1,400

Matty Douglas | 22 y/o (17/01/1998) | D(R) | English | /
Wage: £110 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £600

Greg Pascazio | 24 y/o (10/04/1996) | D(R) | Scottish | /
Wage: £45 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £850

Tyler Fulton | 24 y/o (31/01/1996) | D(R) | Scottish | /
Wage: £50 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £1,200

Steven Swinglehurst | 28 y/o (23/10/1992) | D(C) | English | /
Wage: £150 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £950

Peter Watson | 34 y/o (20/04/1986) | D(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £200 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £140

Cammy Clark | 20 y/o (24/10/2000) | D(L) | Scottish | /
Wage: £20 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £525

Mark Docherty | 32 y/o (15/05/1988) | D(L) | Scottish | /
Wage: £150 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £1,000


Midfielders
Aaron Splaine | 24 y/o (13/10/1996) | M(R) | Scottish | /
Wage: £50 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £1,700

Owen Moxon | 22 y/o (17/01/1998) | M(C) | English | /
Wage: £150 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £350

Dominic Lavelle | 19 y/o (05/08/2001) | M(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £50 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2022 | Value: £3,400

Lewis Hunter | 23 y/o (26/05/1997) | M(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £110 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £925

Kyle Fleming | 18 y/o (25/02/2002) | M(C) | Scottish | /
On loan from Dundee FC
Wage: £0 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £1,900

Nicky Buchan | 16 y/o (09/07/2004) | M(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £45 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2022 | Value: £3,500

Jack Purdue | 20 y/o (20/11/1999) | AM(R) | Scottish | /
Wage: £190 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £2,100

Jamie Armstrong | 20 y/o (05/10/2000) | AM(R) | Scottish | /
On loan from Carlisle United
Wage: £0 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £4,100

Aidan Smith | 23 y/o (11/05/1997) | AM(L) | Scottish | /
Wage: £130 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £1,900

Nathan Ferguson | 23 y/o (05/05/1997) | AM(L) | Scottish | /
Wage: £130 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £2,200


Attackers
Shaun Struthers | 20 y/o (10/01/2000) | ST(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £40 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £725

Matt Yates | 18 y/o (14/06/2002) | ST(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £170 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2022 | Value: £4,000

Iain Anderson | 28 y/o (09/07/2002) | ST(C) | Scottish | /
Wage: £75 p/w | Expiry Date: 31/05/2021 | Value: £825


Comments

James: He once had a lot of potential, that's right. Unfortunately it just never worked out for him. Keep reading and you may get your wish eventually with regards to signing more experienced players!

Jack: All about looking to get the foundations in place and testing the waters. As you say, a positive start with a good few results - the one against Montrose was particularly pleasing for the team.
A lot of the lads on bigger wages leave a bit to desire to be honest, though there's no doubt that Peter Watson and Alex Mitchell are worth the money they're on. I'm a bit surprised that Mitchell isn't first-choice to be honest, as he looks the pick of the bunch. I didn't think there'd be a Scot on the game with 15 passing, so Dominic Lavelle was quite a surprise! There's a solid foundation to the squad, and I'm intrigued to see how Ross sets his team up in order to get the best out of everyone.

I was just reading up on Kyle Hutton, was shocked to see he's in non-league Scottish football these days! Could he be a potential target!? We want Craig Gunn too ;) As the NRA would say: No Gunn, No Party ;)

Club Overview: Annan Athletic


Basic Information

Name: Annan Athletic Football Club
Location: Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Club Status: Semi-Professional
Nickname: Black and Golds / Galabankies
Founded: 1942
League: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two

Chairman: Philip Jones
Manager: Ross McAloone

Club Facilities

Stadium: Galabank
Location: Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Capacity: 2,504 (500 seated)
Under Soil Heating: No
Roof: No
Surface Type: Synthetic (New Type - Soft)

Corporate Facilities: Average
Training Facilities: Below
Youth Facilities: Poor
Junior Coaching: No Junior Coaching
Youth Recruitment: No Youth Recruitment

Club Rivals

Derbies
None

Fierce Rivals
None

Other Rivals
Gretna 2008 (Local), Berwick Rangers (Local)

Club History

Trophies Won: 7
League Competitions
East of Scotland Premier Division x4 (1990, 2000, 2001, 2007)

EoS D1 x1 (1988)

South of Scotland Football League x2 (1984, 1987)

Last Five Seasons:
19/20: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two | 7th
18/19: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two | 4th
17/18: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two | 7th
16/17: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two | 3rd
15/16: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two | 5th

Club Heroes

Legends
Chris Jardine

Icons
Colin McMenamin, Ryan McGuffie, Davie Irons, Peter Watson

Favoured Personnel
Peter Weatherson, Tommy Muir, Steven Swinglehurst

Club Records

Highest Attendance: 2,517 (vs Rangers, 15th September 2012)
Lowest Attendance: N/A

Biggest Win: 18-0 (vs Newton Stewart, 3rd May 2004)
Biggest Defeat: 1-8 (vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 24th January 1998)

Most League Appearances: 298 (Peter Watson)
Most League Goals: 21 (Peter Weatherson | 2015/16 Ladbrokes Scottish League Two)

Comments

James: I agree. There are some players that I think Ross would be open to moving on but it doesn't seem to be feasible at the moment. Watson's knowledge and experience is vital to the club. Mitchell will be adept competition for Bradley-Hurst, I definitely favour him to Pettigrew who is actually seen as the better options (going by * ratings, an example as to why these aren't gospel). Dominic has the basics nailled and if he can work on a few other elements to his game, he'll be a fantastic player.

Hutton is a decent looking player in fairness. Perhaps he could join at a later date? You'll have to see. There's a lot of decent players in the Highland/Lowland divisions. Craig Gunn is a great player, an Elgin legend, but I can't see a way in for him over Yates and Struthers ;)
Now it seems that most of your best players are the youngest ones out of the lot which bears well for the future. You'll have a challenge on breaking Annan's biggest win, though! :P

A Guide: Ladbrokes Scottish League Two 2020/21


Dates
17/10/2020 - 01/05/2021

Number of Teams
10

Number of Matches
27 games* (teams play each other three times)

*Due to the delayed start to the season

Match Squad Rules
The squad must have no more than two players who are on trial.
Triallists are allowed to play in no more than three matches.
Triallists can play in matches between 01/07/2020 - 31/03/2021.
Under-21 players are automatically eligible to play in all matches.

Substitution Rules
5 from 9 (max of 3 stoppages)

Disciplinary Rules
One match ban after six yellow cards (until more than eighteen games are played).
One match ban for first red card.
Two match ban for second red card.
Three match ban for third red card (etc.)

Transfer Windows
14th July 2020 - 5th October 2020
6th October 2020 - 31st October 2020 (loan players only)
3rd January 2021 - 31st January 2021
1st February 2021 - 28th February 2021 (loan players only)

Promotion
Top team wins promotion to Ladbrokes Scottish League One.
Teams placed 2nd - 4th qualify for League One/League Two play-offs.

Relegation
Bottom team qualifies for the Relegation Play-Off.

Comments

Jack: It certainly does. It speaks volumes for Ross' early recruitment too. ;) I think we could be waiting some time for that record to be broken, if it ever does!

October 2020


St Mirren (p)1-1 Annan Athletic | League Cup Group G | Morias (90+2), Buchan (47)
Annan Athletic 0-2 Airdrieonians | League Cup Group G | Roy (24, 74)
Cowdenbeath 1-3 Annan Athletic | Ladbrokes League Two | Hamilton (23), Docherty (pen, 13), Hunter (73), Struthers (76)
Annan Athletic 2-1 Stranraer | Ladbrokes League Two | Smith (5), Yates (9), Victoria (52)
Stirling Albion 1-0 Annan Athletic | Ladbrokes League Two | Ryan (pen, 62)

The season-opener couldn't have been much harder for us as we travelled to St Mirren of the Scottish Premiership in the League Cup. The hosts played what I would consider to be a full-strength side as we did battle at The Simple Digital Arena.

After a first-half in which we limited our much stronger opposition, we looked to play a bit more offensively in the second-half in a bid to catch The Buddies out. It worked. Sixteen-year-old Nicky Buchan, on his debut nevertheless, unleashed a scorching effort from 25 yards out to give us the lead very shortly after the break.

Our job was to remain resolute. And we did until Junior Morias showed his class in stoppage-time to take the game to penalties where albeit after having the chance to win the shootout following a miss from within the St Mirren ranks, it would be Danny Finlayson to save the day for Jim Goodwin's men and earn them an additional point.

We would then go on to lose our second game in Group G as Ally Roy netted a brace to separate ourselves and our League One opponents, Airdrieonians.

This would take us into our first game in League Two as we travelled to Cowdenbeath. Aaron Splaine's corner prompted a foul on Shaun Struthers in the area leaving David Dickenson with no choice but to award a penalty. Mark Docherty would convert.

Cowdenbeath responded adeptly however and hit-back to level just before the quarter of an hour mark. We lacked much in the way of creativity and the game seemed to be petering out in the second-half until the hosts were reduced to ten men when Cian Kavanagh was sent-off for a second bookable offence.

From there, we used our man advantage expertly. Both Lewis Hunter and Shaun Struthers found the net in quick succession to give us the start we wanted to begin the new season.

Galabank welcomed Stranraer in our first league game in-front of our home support this season. Aidan Smith and Matt Yates, both opening their account for the season in the process, netted within the opening exchanges of the game to give us a cushion early-on.

Joao Victoria pulled one back for the visitors in the 52nd minute but we defended astutely for the remainder of the game to hang on for another three points.

However, the final game of the month would end in disappointment as we came crashing back down to earth with a 1-0 loss against Stirling Albion. Andy Ryan's penalty was enough to separate the two sides after ninety minutes in an otherwise close encounter.


It's early-days in League Two but we find ourselves in third after three games with six points to our name. We trail Stenhousemuir and Brechin City who both have seven points apiece with no side able to win all three of their games. The clear favourites for the title, Queen's Park, occupy fifth following a 2-0 loss against Stranraer to conclude the month.

Albion Rovers sit bottom having yet to claim a single point with losses against the top-two and Queen's Park to begin their season.


Despite our heroic efforts against St Mirren, we currently find ourselves bottom of Group G behind fellow League Two opposition Stenhousemuir in fourth, who have played a game more. The Warriors overcame Airdrieonians on penalties following an initial 1-1 draw to claim an additional point and sit on two points.

During October, the club also announced they had agreed a deal with Rangers for The Gers to become our new senior affiliates alongside Sky Bet League Two side Carlisle United. The deal enables Annan to loan players from Rangers with no obligation to paying any fees alongside an annual fee of £28,100 being paid by Rangers to Annan.
The cup was always going to be a tough ask, but the league is where the focus needs to be anyway. A solid start from the lads, and if they can continue this type of form: you could be onto something! Becoming an affiliate of Rangers is a great deal for the club too, and you'll now be able to get some quality young players in for no cost at all! The £28k is certainly quite helpful too :D
I can't imagine the cup was ever on the cards with that group. With the cup losses taking up the majority of those losses this month, it makes for a great start to life in management for Ross.

McAloone Praises Quinn


21st December 2020

Annan Athletic manager Ross McAloone has lauded praise upon defender Aidan Quinn after his impressive start to life at Galabank.

Quinn penned a three-year-deal with Annan after completing a move from League One side Montrose on a free transfer at the beginning of October.

Since his arrival, the 22-year-old has been a regular feature in McAloone's starting eleven having started in all nine of the club's Ladbrokes League Two games this season - often alongside club stalwart Steven Swinglehurst with the pair having formed an impressive partnership at the heart of Annan's back-four.

After a 2-1 victory against Queen's Park at the weekend, Annan lead the way at the summit of League Two. The Black and Golds sit two points clear of second-placed Stenhousemuir and three ahead of Queen's Park despite having one of the lowest playing-budgets in the division.

Having only played five senior games prior to his move to Galabank, McAloone was gushing in his praise for the young Scottish defender.

"Aidan has been an absolute star so far this season. I've been thoroughly impressed with how he has conducted himself and adjusted to the team so quickly.

His very first game was against St Mirren and he was one of the best players on the pitch that day. To play so impressively against a very strong Premiership side in one of your first games in professional football, that was sublime. I knew that he was the real deal from that point onwards and he's proven me right with every game that he plays.

He's got all the tools to be a fantastic player. His ceiling is a lot higher than playing in the fourth-tier, I'll tell you that now. He's learning all the time and he's learning from some equally fantastic players in Steven [Swinglehurst] and Pete [Peter Watson] that can only help him."


Quinn commented on his manager's praise, stating, "It's pleasing when you have the full support of the gaffer and it gives me confidence knowing that he backs me. I'm always looking to improve but I'm really happy with how I've performed so far.

I just have to keep my head down and keep going now. I can't afford to get too hyped up in how I've started here. We have a job to do and we're playing very well at the moment. I want to ensure I do my part in maintaining our good form."


At the other end, Shaun Struthers has been another recruitment success for Annan with the striker having bagged his eighth and ninth goal of the season in a 3-2 victory against Elgin City at the start of the month whilst Matt Yates has restored the faith shown in him lately after a slow start to his career at Galabank.

The former Rangers and Hibernian forward netted both goals in the victory against Queen's Park.


Comments

James: Absolutely. The League Cup was a write-off and the attention will be solely on the league from now on. Although who knows what the Scottish Cup could throw up since we're still involved in that competition. The affiliation with Rangers could prove to be a very useful partnership to have in the future and the financial benefits will be felt too.

Jack: Certainly a bright start that has enabled the team to really build on the early momentum gathered.
Oooof, I love a CB that can play up front too! Quinn's attributes are awesome, and surely it's only a matter of time before a bigger club tries to take him off your hands. He's locked in for the foreseeable future though, so hopefully you either get a decent fee or a sizeable sell-on clause if that does happen. For now: I'll just enjoy his performances for Ross!
Certainly one of those that you want up for corners when they come around!

I’m glad he’s had a good start and I hope that his development is something that rings around the entire squad under Ross with a lot of young players in that team.

November 2020


Annan Athletic 2-0 Albion Rovers | Ladbrokes League Two | Struthers (16, 33)
Annan Athletic 0-2 Stenhousemuir | League Cup Group G | Hopkirk (30), Biabi (61)
Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 Annan Athletic | League Cup Group G | O'Hara (58)
Stenhousemuir 1-1 Annan Athletic | Ladbrokes League Two | Hopkirk (56), Struthers (50)
Annan Athletic 4-3 Edinburgh City | Ladbrokes League Two | Struthers (21, 54, 83), Ackroyd (85), De Vita (57), Henderson (pen, 59), McGill (90+5)

November opened with a pleasing 2-0 victory over bottom of the table Albion Rovers before we returned to conclude our League Cup group stage campaign with games against Stenhousemuir and Dunfermline Athletic.

A disappointing defeat against our fellow League Two opponents meant we would finish the group bottom of the pile irrespective of our final game against Dunfermline. In that game, we certainly upped our performance without any pressure on our shoulder against a side playing two divisions above us. Mark O'Hara's tidy finish inside the area proved to be the only goal of the game.

We returned back to League Two keen to avenge our defeat to Stenhousemuir with a trip to Ochilview Park. Shaun Struthers' terrific start to life in an Annan shirt continued as he poked home the opening goal of the game. However his effort was quickly struck out by David Hopkirk's equaliser as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Struthers would end the month with a hat-trick to his name as we ran-out 4-3 winners against Edinburgh City in a thrilling game at Galabank. The visitors struck back from 2-0 down to level the game but Struthers completed his hat-trick before Sam Ackroyd, a recent arrival from Sheffield United, added a fourth on his debut from the bench. McGill's late strike wasn't enough for City.


December 2020


Elgin City 2-3 Annan Athletic | Ladbrokes League Two | Lyall (89), Burroughs (90+2), Struthers (32, 90+5), Yates (90+6)
Brechin City 1-2 Annan Athletic | Ladbrokes League Two | Barron (89), Yates (63), Buchan (69)
Annan Athletic 2-1 Queen's Park | Ladbrokes League Two | Yates (15, 66), McGlinchey (59)
Nairn County 0-2 Annan Athletic | William Hill Scottish Cup 1st Round | Quinn (33), Ackroyd (52)

An astonishing late flurry of goals led to an incredible ending at Borough Briggs as it seemed we were heading for defeat before Shaun Struthers and Matt Yates turned the game on its head in the fifth and sixth minute of stoppage-time.

There was less excitement at Glebe Park but another important victory followed thanks to Yates and Nicky Buchan.

Queen's Park were next in perhaps the biggest date of the season to date with both sides fighting it out at the top of League Two. Matt Yates, who has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in form since Sam Ackroyd was brought to the club to provide competition for positions, grabbed a brace to cancel out Michael McGlinchey's strike and ensure we recorded nine points from a possible nine to see out the year.

We still had one game left to play before we could welcome in the new year, though. A Boxing Day trip to Nairn County of the Highland League in the First Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup resulted in a comfortable 2-0 victory as our rotated eleven coasted into Round Two to book a clash against Championship side Queen of the South at Palmerston Park.


With just a solitary defeat to our name, we lead the way at the top of League Two with an impressive 22 points to our name after nine games. Stenhousemuir and Queen's Park narrowly trail in second and third-place, respectively.

Davie Irons has claimed successive Manager of the Month awards for his team's recent performances as The Warriors' only loss this season came against Queen's Park at the end of November. Since, they have coasted to victory against Brechin City, Stranraer and Elgin City.

Stranraer occupy the final play-off berth at this present moment in time with a four point advantage on Stirling Albion with the top four seemingly opening a slight gap between themselves and the chasing pack.

Albion Rovers remain bottom with just three points - coming in a 3-2 win against Cowdenbeath - to show for their efforts. Cowdenbeath and Brechin City are ahead of them on seven with the latter of the two failing to record a single point since their 1-0 win against Albion at the end of October.

Comments

James: Who doesn't! It's a staple of lower-league football. I was very surprised to have him offered to the club - firm believer that he will prove to be a great asset.

Jack: Definitely and at this level, set-pieces are often the go-to for a source of goals. The whole team are certainly impressing at the moment.

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