Stenhousemuir 1 - 2 Dumbarton

John Beaton: gamechanger.

BEATON BY THE BETTER SIDE: the headlines in the morning papers will record Stenhousemuir's fifth loss in six matches after their defeat to Dumbarton, but they won't explain how great an impact referee John Beaton had on the game. While blaming the match officials in the wake of a defeat is the last refuge of a scoundrel, in this instance, I am prepared to lay a significant portion of blame with Beaton.

The referee sent off Ross McMillan and Kevin McKinlay within 30 first half minutes before goals from Alan Lithgow and Bryan Prunty secured victory for the Sons. Gary Smith's fine strike proved to be little more than a consolation of the hosts. Dumbarton ran-out worthy winners but they were aided and abetted by Beaton's atrocious performance. Along with the dismissals, the official made a number of highly contentious decisions and infuriated the home support throughout the match.

Stenhousemuir made a number of changes to the side that defeated East Fife a fortnight ago. Ross McMillan and Michael Devlin, making his second debut for the club, were drafted into central defence while Sean Dickson started on the left of midfield. Paul McHale and Alan Lawson dropped to the bench and Stevie Murray missed out through injury.

The opening skirmishes between the teams were tentative as both sides struggled to gain an advantage. After ten minutes, Pat Walker scuttled onto Bryan Prunty’s flick but as he moved in on goal, he made slight contact with McMillan and fell to the ground. Beaton could barely wait to pull the red card from his pocket. With both Devlin and McKinlay covering, it seemed an appalling decision - a yellow card would have sufficed. At half-time, a tracksuited McMillan returned to the pitch, not to confront the referee, but to review the incident with Warriors TV.

Irons, furious with the decision, was also dismissed by Beaton. He spent the remainder of the game prowling along the front row of the Norway Stand, barking orders at his depleted side.

Fans may recall a 1-1 draw between the two sides in November 2008 where Stenhousemuir's Kevin Motion and then Dumbarton's Gary Wilson were dismissed with ten first half minutes for reckless tackles. Many expected Beaton to follow suite and send off James Creaney after the wingback thrashed his forearm across Brown Ferguson’s face as the pair challenged for a high ball but remarkably, the Dumbarton player escaped censure. Andy Rodgers and Martin McNiff received bookings for their remonstrations while Ferguson, completely star-spangled, left the pitch with the aid of the physiotherapist. He was replaced by Paul McHale.

Stenhousemuir were reduced to nine men after 30 minutes. Kevin McKinlay had already been cautioned for a cynical trip on Walker several minutes earlier when he conceded a contentious corner kick. McKinlay was unhappy with the decision. McKinlay was angry. McKinlay threw the ball away in disgust. Beaton had little choice but to dismiss the fullback. It was nothing more than an act of mindless stupidity.

With two players missing, the Stenhousemuir side reconfigured themselves into a quasi-3-4-1 formation. Dickson was shunted into the left-hand side of defence while Rodgers was withdrawn to the right of midfield, but a goal was inevitable. It arrived six minutes later when Alan Lithgow rose the highest to direct Mark Gilhaney’s corner into the net.

Bryan Prunty: advantage.

Prunty should have increased the lead moments later after Walker’s fine centre found him in space, but Ally Brown blocked the striker’s shot. The former Airdrie United forward made amends in first half stoppage time, sending a crude shot spinning off Devlin’s shins and beyond the goalkeeper.

Beaton brought the half to a close and left the pitch to a volley of abuse from the home support. Fearing a rout, a number of Warriors fans left the ground during the interval.

The rout never materialised. Dumbarton, as would have been expected from any team with such an advantage, were content to keep possession and moved the ball around the pitch with relative ease, but only a combination of outrageous profligacy and marvellous goalkeeping prevented them from scoring. It is no exaggeration to say Dumbarton could have score eight or nine goals had it not been for Ally Brown. Once again, he was tremendous.

Stenhousemuir did their best to contain the visitors but understandably, offered little potency in attack. Rodgers tested Grindlay twice, the first with a low drive after galloping past two defenders, the second with an audacious chip from 40 yards, but the goalkeeper saved both efforts with ease.

It wasn’t until the introduction of Gary Smith that Stenhousemuir began to threaten. Replacing the tiring Eric Paton with little over 20 minutes remaining, the Motherwell loanee immediately brought physicality and strength to the Warriors attack. Playing predominantly with his back to goal, the young striker linked well with Thomson, McHale and Kean, who dropped into a deeper position.

On 76 minutes, Smith collected Thomson’s pass and showing excellent technique, touched the ball beyond his marker and smashed a superb shot into the corner of the net. Smith was outstanding during his brief spell on the pitch. Although the player must improve his aerial ability (he failed to offer a significant challenge to any high ball slung in his direction), his supporters may be correct – when the ball’s played into his feet, he looks "the real deal".

Smith’s goal roused the home support but Stenhousemuir were unable to find an equaliser and failed to trouble Grindlay's goal again.

Beaton left the pitch accompanied by several stewards as the home support converged on the tunnel. In eight years supporting the Warriors, I have never seen the same level of rancour and resentment directed at a referee. His performance throughout the match was quite extraordinary. Petty, pernickety, and myopic, it was one of the worst pieces of officiating I’ve ever seen and one of the very few times I’ve believed a referee to have some sort of genuine grievance against the club and its players. At one point during the first half, he even booked Willie Lyle for kicking the goalpost.

Davie Irons: belligerent.

Although Beaton rankled throughout, both Kevin McKinlay and Davie Irons should take long, hard looks at themselves. McKinlay’s show of petulance was utterly pathetic, especially when his team were already handicapped. I hope he is disciplined by the club.

However: how can anyone expect the players to maintain a high level of discipline when the manager cannot be trusted to do the same? In almost every game this season, Irons has bickered and argued with officials. This was the first time he’s been sent to the stand this year and, to be honest, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. I was astonished by those that applauded him as he left the pitch. His consolatory pat-on-the-back for McKinlay as he trudged off the field of play was also quite incredible. The player deserved censure, not relief.

Despite the defeat, Stenhousemuir should be proud of their performance. Ally Brown, Iain Thomson and Stewart Kean in particular can take spirit from their industrious and tenacious showing, especially during a trying second half. That said, any doubt that the league was anything other than a two-horse race can surely now be eradicated. With both Cowdenbeath and Arbroath winning, the gap between the sides is surely too great to overcome, barring some form of major collapse. Stenhousemuir must ensure they finish the season in a playoff place.

A more pressing concern is the fact Dumbarton are now level on points with Stenhousemuir having played a game less. They travel to ninth-place Forfar tomorrow night and, should they avoid defeat, will overtake the Warriors. Given the level of support they have from Scotland's referees, nothing less would be expected from them. As one Dumbarton supporter joked on Pie and Bovril: “Our player of the year award must be heading the way of the referees, by far our most consistent performer all season.”

Stenhousemuir: Brown; Lyle, McMillan, Devlin, McKinlay; Ferguson (McHale 16), Paton (Smith 67), Thomson, Dickson; Kean, Rodgers (Campbell 72). Subs not used: Diamond, Lawson.

Dumbarton: Grindlay; Finnie, Nugent, Lithgow; Creaney (Graham 62), McNiff, Gilhaney, Agnew; Walker (Lamont 62), Prunty. Subs not used: Gastal, Borris, Kennedy.

Michael Devlin returns...

Michael Devlin: Jesus.

Michael Devlin will return to Stenhousemuir until the end of the season on an emergency loan deal from Hamilton Academical.

The 18-year-old defender previously played for the Warriors last year after joining the club on loan in mid-March. Devlin quickly became an important figure at the club and was arguably as vital as Eric Paton in helping Stenhousemuir avoid relegation. In a series of commanding performances, the unquestionable highlight was his last-minute winning header in a 2-1 victory over Ayr United.

Strong, mature and intelligent, the defender has a bright future ahead of him and is surely one of the finest young players in the SFL. His signing is certainly manager Davie Irons' most positive transfer this calander year.

With Martyn Corrigan expected to miss the rest of the season through injury, Devlin is likely come straight into tomorrow’s squad for the game against Dumbarton and partner Ross McMillan in central defence.

The club has also annnounced Grant Plenderleith's departure from Ochilview. The young forward has been loaned to Bo'ness United for the remainder of the season. Plenderleith spent the second half of last term on loan at the Junior club and, by all accounts, was a relative success.

I doubt the player has any future under Irons. Despite the manager praising the forward and declaring he would make a strong impact throughout the season, Plenderleith has rarely featuring in matchday squads and is often consigned to the stand. As discussed at length in previous articles, the decision to allow him to leave the club while limited replacements like Jamie Campbell are drafted in is still a source of consternation.

Regardless: I wish Grant the very best for the duration of his loan spell.

Fortunate Sons.

From the vaults: this must have been from the 2008-2009
season. It was one of the few photos that came up in a Google
search for "Stenny Dumbarton". BJO's just decked someone.

Before I begin today’s analysis of the forthcoming match between Stenhousemuir and Dumbarton, I feel as though I should prefix it with a warning. There’s something that isn’t quite right here. I generally pride myself on my knowledge of the teams and the players in the lower echelons on the SFL but on this occasion, I have a confession to make:

I don’t know much about Dumbarton.

Yes. I sound like Alan Shearer or Mark Lawrenson as they lazily sit astride the Match of the Day sofa, casting ignorant aspersions over players and teams I have little more than a base knowledge of, throwing around dunderheaded clichés and poorly thought-out, poorly constructed trivia and offering nothing more than hot air, arrogance and awful, awful shirts.

Yes. The reason I feel unqualified to discuss the current Dumbarton team is because I haven’t seen them in action since October. In the last meeting between Stenhousemuir and the Sons at Ochilview, the Warriors prevailed 3-1 with relative ease. A fine strike from Andy Rodgers and a Ross McMillan brace secured the victory. Dumbarton played poorly throughout the match, only flickering to life in the final minutes when Scott Agnew’s sweet freekick reduced arrears. They seemed unable to cope with the pace of the home side and failed to deal with even the most rudimentary set-pieces. Even early on in the season, it looked as though Dumbarton would spend the rest of the campaign gently bobbing around the bottom of the table and trying to stave off relegation.

Since the match however, the Sons have crept up the table and without anyone really noticing, they’ve snuck into the playoff spots. Alan Adamson’s side have quietly blindsided everyone and over the last eight weeks, they have transformed themselves from also-rans into genuine playoff contenders. Dumbarton have won their last three consecutive matches, beating Arbroath, Brechin and Airdrie and have amassed 28 points after 19 games. They’ve played one less game than Stenhousemuir and sit three points behind them.

Despite their lofty league position, their side looks, on paper at least, to be a workmanlike and functional one. Alan Lithgow is a solid, burly defender and Scott Agnew is a tricky player, offering guile and incision from central midfield but other than that, their squad is a mish-mash of unremarkable players cast-off from other SFL clubs and graduates from their U-19 squad. Other than the leggy midfielder Kevin Nicoll who misses out through suspension, Dumbarton have a full squad to call upon.

Des McKeown: a trendsetter.

As for Stenhousemuir, meanwhile, I can only say for certain that Martyn Corrigan (currently on crutches with a ruptured Achilles) and Stevie Murray (last seen leaving Ochilview in an ambulance with a dislocated elbow) will be absent from Saturday’s game. I speak with authority on this subject because I had to ask one of our players via Twitter. While the club’s official website readily provides information about the U-19s and their community programmes, there is never any news about first team's selection and availability.

When I first started following Stenhousemuir in 2004, access to this sort of information was readily available. Then-manager Des McKeown was always open and accessible about injuries and communicated through fans via his Dialogue with Des column on the club's website. Since McKeown’s departure, the fans have rarely been given the same level of communication with the machinations of the first team. Davie Irons is rarely available, regularly handing media commitments to his assistant, Kevin McGoldrick, while the otherwise excellent Warriors TV no longer provides post-match interviews.

Several months ago, I suggested the club introduce something similar to the old Dialogue with Des, something along the lines of Intimate with Irons (alliteration is always important in these instances) but the idea was met with indifference (some people bizarrely claimed that opposition managers would use these interviews as a base on which to set up their teams to beat Stenhousemuir). Fans are instead left to through pick through second-hand reports for information about the first team. “I was playing fives up at Ochilview last night and I saw...” or “I was speaking to one of the coaches and they told me...” is often how I regularly keep abreast of news coming from the club. While I appreciate the process of attending the Thursday night training session and writing and filing this information takes time and can only come from the work of dedicated volunteers, it’s frustrating to have to wait until 2.45pm on a Saturday afternoon to learn whether or not Eric Paton’s starting the match.

Alan Lawson: I have the feeling this picture may
have been Photoshopped at some point.

As for the way the team will line-up on Saturday, it’s pure speculation on my part. In an orthodox 4-4-2 formation, Irons will need to reconfigure his defence once again. Ross McMillan is set to return having missed the match against East Fife and will likely partner Kevin McKinlay in central defence while Iain Thomson, who deputised at the back in the win against the Fifers, is perhaps the obvious candidate to drop to the bench. Alan Lawson, the standout player from last fortnight’s win, and captain Willie Lyle should continue in the fullback positions. Ally Brown will probably retain his place in goal.

Meanwhile in midfield, Sean Dickson may replace Murray on the left flank, Brown Ferguson will play on the on the right, and Paul McHale and Eric Paton should keep their places in the middle of the park. Stewart Kean and Andy Rodgers will continue in attack. Loan signings Jamie Campbell and Gary Smith will probably make an appearance from the bench at some point.

Stenhousemuir have enjoyed reasonable success over Dumbarton at Ochilview over the last few years but Saturday’s game will be one of the Warriors’ biggest challenges this season. A win would re-establish the team’s playoff credentials and shrug off concerns about their current form; a defeat will allow could Dumbarton and potentially Airdrie and East Fife close the narrowing gap between the sides and ultimately put Cowdenbeath and Arbroath beyond Stenhousemuir’s reach.

My Dinner with Jackie.

Jackie McNamara: like Frost/Nixon, but better.

If you’ve been paying attention to the handful of posts on this blog over the last few months, you’ll have noticed that several articles have concerned themselves with the young players Davie Irons has brought to the club on loan. You’ll have noticed that instead of offering any comment or explanation on Stenhousemuir’s dismal slump in form over the Christmas period, this blog has focused on providing a withering analysis of Gary Smith’s 20 minute cameo against East Fife.

I’m sure you’ll be delighted to know today’s piece follows a similar pattern. As part of an assignment for University, I was tasked with reporting from a press conference at Firhill yesterday afternoon. Partick Thistle were unveiling of a new shirt sponsor following their previous backer's administration last month. The deal, I was told, was designed to plug the financial shortfall until the end of the season.

Before leaving for Firhill, I spent 15 minutes drafting a series of questions for manager Jackie McNamara and club captain Alan Archibald: are you happy with the new sponsorship deal? Will it allow you access to the resources to bring in new players? Do you have any opinion on Gary Bollan’s dismissal from Livingston? How do you think their players will respond to his sacking, is that likely to alter the way you approach the game? Do you believe your side can still launch a bid for promotion, or will you be spending the rest of the season consolidating?

As I walked from the city centre to Maryhill, I thought that the press conference might also provide me with the opportunity to ask the management about Shaun Fraser and Jamie Campbell, two of their youth players sent out on loan to Stenhousemuir. Fraser was fairly dismal in his three appearances, while Campbell has toiled and failed to impose himself on the side. Since Irons has failed to offer any sort of comment on how he feels either player assimilated into his current set up or how their introduction has benefitted the team and their bid for promotion, I felt obligated to at least press McNamara for his opinion on the two loan deals.

I arrived at Firhill’s Aitken Suite in the early afternoon and took my place amongst the small number of assembled press. One of them included an undergraduate student from the same course as mine (Dougie - your company was excellent). A banner with the words Just Employment Law (JEL) hung from the wall. Several shirts were draped over the top table with the JEL logo emblazoned across their chest. JEL will be the club’s new sponsors, then.

Aaron Sinclair: pictured moments after learning he would be
forced to don judicial garb for a PR opportunity.

Earlier in the day, one Thistle fan told me over Twitter to expect a press conference “with a twist”. The twist, it transpired, involved players Aaron Sinclair and Jonathon Black wearing barrister's wigs and judicial robes during the announcement. Both players looked quietly embarrassed as they flanked McNamara, Alan Archibald and a troupe of directors from the club and JEL while they took their seats at the main table.

After the new sponsorship was unveiled, McNamara, Archibald and the directors moved outside onto the Firhill pitch for photo opportunities. After a series of traditional photos (McNamara holding the shirt; McNamara posing with the directors), the photographers began to demand something slightly more unorthodox. They attempted to coax McNamara into a number of different positions with Sinclair and Black, still in their judicial garb. “Put your hands on their heads and play with the wigs, Jackie,” implored one photographer.

“I’m not comfortable with that,” replied McNamara sheepishly.

I spoke with Greg Brown, Thistle’s director and David McRae, MD of JEL about the sponsorship and the opportunity to extend the deal beyond the season. Both were friendly and open and happy to talk to me about the importance of securing the club’s short-term finances. I was then given the opportunity to speak with McNamara himself.

We returned to the Aitken Suite. McNamara spoke quietly in dull newspeak, his answers rarely rising above the mundane. For example, when asked about Bollan’s dismissal, he answered: “I don’t know about the ins and outs at Livingston. I’m just concentrating on my job here. I thought he did a good job when he was there and I wish him all the best.” In all honesty, it was the sort of thing I could have written without even interviewing him, picking his words from a stockpile of bland phrases spouted by footballers.

McNamara also spoke about his plans to bring a loan signing of his own from Hibernian (erstwhile Stenhousemuir loanee Sean Welsh) and his disappointment at his team’s inability to score and how he was going about addressing the problem. Then came my chance.

Jackie – can you tell about the guys you’ve sent on-loan to Stenhousemuir this season? Were you happy with the deals? How have they been performing? Are you happy with the reports you’ve had back about them?

“One’s went to Stenhousemuir, that’s Jamie Campbell, he’s played two games so far” he said. “Johnny Lindsay’s went away to Brechin to get experience. He’s not played yet, he’s not made an appearance.

“These two lads have got another year with us after this season, so hopefully they’ll come back with a wee bit of experience, albeit at a slightly lower division. It’s experience that’s valuable to us.

“They’re both at their clubs until the end of the season.

“We’ve got a few loan players in from the SPL - that helps us in the long-run and helps their teams as well. Hopefully we can get that benefit when they come back as well."

I tried to twist my line of questions to focus on Stenhousemuir and the two players he sent to Ochilview. What have the reports been like? Have you been pleased with what Davie Irons has told you about Jamie Campbell?

“Shaun’s only...” McNamara started before correcting himself. “Jamie’s only played two games, I think.

“The first game was against Ross County in the Cup,” he continued, incorrectly. “They got a doing and one of their players got sent off, so it’s been hard to judge him so far.

“I think once it all settles down for the run-in, it’ll be good for us to get them watched and see how they’re performing.”

I didn’t take my questions any further. There didn’t seem any point. McNamara didn’t really want to be there and I didn’t really want to keep him. In truth, it seemed like an opportunity missed.

Shaun Fraser: the real heart of darkness.

As I walked back to University to file my report, I felt quite angry with myself. I didn’t learn anything new about the players other than the length of Jamie Campbell’s loan agreement. I should have asked him about Shaun Fraser’s short spell with the club and if he felt the player benefitted from the experience; I should have found out more about his long-term plans for both Fraser and Campbell; I should have asked him about his relationship with Davie Irons and Stenhousemuir and if there are any plans to develop stronger ties between the two clubs in the future.

But I didn’t. Instead, I pitched my own series of anodyne questions and got back a series of anodyne answers in return. Reading back what I’ve written, I really have no right to complain about McNamara’s replies when my questions were equally as uninteresting.

Despite this, there are several positives I can take from yesterday’s press conference. While the conference itself may have been fairly low-key, the whole experience was worthwhile. Jackie McNamara may have been fairly dull, but it was a genuine thrill to interview one of the most underrated Scottish fullbacks of the last 20 years. Additionally, I learned the importance of pushing the line of questions that I wanted to ask and of being confident in myself. Remember: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. David Frost didn’t topple Richard Nixon by delicately skirting around the issues.

But, perhaps most pleasing of all, the finest thing to come out of the entire day, the most crucial thing I learned at from my first press conference, is the knowledge that we can all enjoy Jamie Campbell’s marauding runs down the right flank from now until the end of the season.

Gary Smith: all muscle, no hustle.

Gary Smith: welcome to Stenhousemuir.

Stenhousemuir's 1-0 victory over East Fife at Ochilview on Saturday was the club’s first in over seven weeks and arrested a dire run of form (four consecutive defeats in all competitions), the worst since Davie Irons took charge last December.

The match itself was fairly unremarkable (East Fife will count themselves terribly unlucky not to have taken something from the game – only wasteful finishing and adroit goalkeeping from Ally Brown prevented them from scoring), but it marked Gary Smith’s first appearance for the club.

Smith was brought to Stenhousemuir on loan from Motherwell for an initial one-month period. The striker has featured four times for the Steelmen's first team and spent a short spell on loan at Dumbarton last season, making seven appearances (his tenure with the Sons was unsuccessful: not only did Smith fail to score, but Dumbarton failed to win any of the games he featured in). The Warriors website says his signing "will add much needed height to our forward line and will hopefully help us get back to winning ways".

The news of Smith's signing was met with trepidation. Over the last three or four years, Stenhousemuir have recruited a handful of players on loan from Motherwell but not one of them managed to make a substantial impact at Ochilview. Adam Coakley’s sole performance came in a 4-0 home defeat to Albion Rovers and was perhaps one of the most ineffectual displays I’ve ever seen. Shaun Fagan was a thoroughly average midfielder and made four thoroughly average performances before skulking back to Fir Park while Darren Smith may have been a promising forward at some point, but he showed very little to suggest he was once a player of rich potential.

Furthermore, given that Irons’ loan signings this season have also proved questionable (Shaun Fraser was a dismal failure and Jamie Campbell has added little to Stenhousemuir’s midfield since joining from Partick Thistle at the turn of the year), expectations for Smith were set fairly low.

At Saturday's game, a group of four men were sitting behind me in the Norway Stand. I hadn't seen them at Ochilview before and they didn’t seem all that interested in the action played out in front of them - instead, they preferred to talk throughout the match about Rangers' transfer dealings and their impending tax case in thick Glaswegian accents.

Stevie Murray: sore yin.

With little over 20 minutes of play remaining, Smith replaced the stricken Stevie Murray (the winger left the ground in an ambulance after suffering a dislocated elbow). Tall and strapping, as Smith made his way onto the pitch I remarked: “Well, he certainly looks the part.”

One of the men sitting behind me heard what I had said and barked back: “Hoi – this boy is the part!” It dawned on me that the group must have been members of Smith’s family and friends.

The forward spent his time generally ambling around the pitch with little purpose. As East Fife pinned Stenhousemuir deep into their half, the home side became more and more panicky and began thumping long clearances to alleviate the pressure. Rather than offer a genuine aerial challenge to Steven Campbell and David White, Smith gently leapt in the general direction of any high balls with little or no conviction.

“They’re not playing balls into his feet! What’s all this long-ball pish? Get it into his feet!” shouted one of the party behind me. I looked incredulous. Regardless of the fact Smith may prefer the ball played into his feet, a player with his physique and athleticism should at least be skilled in winning aerial duels and tussling and scrapping with opposition defenders for possession. Having already played in the Second Division with Dumbarton, he should already be experienced in dealing with the gritty style of the league.

After all, this was presumably the reason manager Davie Irons opted to bring the player to the club. Stewart Kean and Andy Rodgers have both performed well this season but neither player poses a genuine physical threat to attack high balls (although with talented players like Murray, Eric Paton and Paul McHale, one might argue that Stenhousemuir really shouldn’t need to play long balls unless circumstance truly dictates it). If Smith cannot offer this additional dimension to the Warriors’ forward line, Irons would have been as well retaining Paul Quinn.

In the final minutes of the match, Kean’s doggedness caused confusion in the Fifers’ defence and the forward flicked the ball into the path of Smith. He galloped towards the goal and was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The crowd rose to their feet. Smith shaped to shoot but hit a tame effort straight into the arms of the sprawling Michael Brown. “He should have put the laces right through it,” grumbled one of the men behind me.

As the referee drew the game to its conclusion and the fans dispersed from the stands, a member from Smith’s party attempted to mitigate for his tepid showing. “He wasn’t at his best because he wasn’t on from the start,” the man said to another. “It’s difficult to come into a game and make a difference. Wait til next week when he plays from the start, then we’ll see.”

Scott Dalziel: it still just doesn't look right, does it?

Contrast Smith’s contribution to that of Scott Dalziel. The erstwhile Warrior replaced an ineffectual Steven Hislop (just shortly before Smith made his debut, as it happens) and instantly brought a far greater degree of threat to East Fife’s frontline. Before the striker’s introduction, Iain Thomson and Kevin McKinlay repelled the Fifer’s attacks with little fuss, but Dalziel's muscular and bustling style of play caused a certain level of panic to the Stenhousemuir defence. His ability to challenge high balls and hold play up made his side infinitely more potent.

For me certainly, Dalziel’s departure from the club is still a source of disappointment. Following his transfer from Cowdenbeath in January 2008, the striker quickly became one of the most popular players at Stenhousemuir and his absence is still keenly felt, particularly over those difficult winter months. Hard-working, selfless and a genuine attacking threat, Dazzler would have been the ideal attacker to compliment the finesse of Rodgers and the tenacity of Kean. One wonders if more could have been done to retain him for another season.

Gary Smith certainly has the attributes to succeed at Stenhousemuir and despite his bloodless debut, I genuinely believe he can make a positive contribution to the team. What he (and his supporters) need to appreciate, however, is the nature of the football in the Second Division: it can be very, very ugly. Smith may prefer neat passes into his feet but he must realise that, for the best part, he’ll be forced to use his strength and physique to win long balls and bring his teammates into play. At least he's already achieved what the club website said he would do.

On Saturday, The Warriors travel to Albion Rovers. The last time the sides met at Cliftonhill, it finished in a 1-1 stalemate (it was a game Stenhousemuir should have won the game - Rodgers should have added to Murray’s opening strike before Larry Acqua’s late equaliser). Rovers are on a rotten run of form and have lost their previous five league fixtures. With Ross McMillan to return from injury and Eric Paton hopefully fully-fit after his sickness, Stenhousemuir should approach the match with a certain degree of confidence and will be looking to build on the weekend's victory.

Just as long as the ball's played into Gary Smith's feet, of course.

A-loan Again Or.

Jamie Campbell: from good stock.

Before Stenhousemuir’s dismal 3-1 defeat to Stirling Albion (I had started writing a report of the match but gave up – the whole thing felt pointless and deflated, like a lilo after a holiday), word spread amongst the crowd that manager Davie Irons had made his first signing of the January transfer window in Jamie Campbell, a young wide midfielder from Partick Thistle.

At this point, no announcement had been made on the club’s official website. Enquiries were quickly made into the player’s history and abilities and several Thistle fans were canvassed for their opinion. The 19-year-old made 18 appearances for the Firhill club last season, scoring once. Although fairly diminutive, the winger apparently possesses a decent technique and a fine burst of acceleration. The only reason he’s been sent on loan, I was assured, is because there are superior players ahead of him, namely Paul Paton and Paul Cairney.

Most fans rolled their eyes. Another loan signing? From Thistle? Again?! Christ...

Stenhousemuir fans were right to be wary. It was a disappointing debut from Campbell. There were rare occasions where he showed the odd flash of skill but on the whole, it was a lousy and ineffectual performance. His touch was heavy and he often struggled to find his teammates with simple six-yard passes. He looked unconfident and struggled make an impact in the game. There were at least two occasions when he beat an opponent but rather than swinging in a cross, he would check back and attempt to take on his opponent again. With 20 minutes remaining, he was withdrawn for Paul Quinn.

Campbell’s performance was no worse than that of Sean Dickson or Kevin McKinlay and while it would be incredibly harsh to label him a failure after a solitary game, there was very little to inspire confidence or suggest he’s a player capable of challenging for a starting berth on a regular basis. More likely, I can imagine him playing a handful of games before spending the remainder of his loan spell on the bench, forlornly kicking a ball around at half-time with the rest of the substitutes before quietly returning to Partick Thistle.

Despite his disappointing debut, Campbell looks far more capable than Shaun Fraser, Stenhousemuir’s first loan signing of the season. Fraser was also signed from Partick Thistle in a bid to bolster the Warriors’ attack and offer an alternative to Andy Rodgers and Stewart Kean. He was billed as a physical and muscular player and despite being far from the finished article, there was a raw talent concerned in him somewhere.

Shaun Fraser, in fact, was perhaps the most limited forward I’ve seen playing for Stenhousemuir. He was stocky, lethargic and lacked the necessary technique, awareness and intelligence to compete at even Second Division level. In three substitute appearances and little over 45 minutes of game-time, Fraser looked completely lost. After his final appearance in the 5-2 defeat to Airdrie, he spent the remainder of his loan spell on the bench, forlornly kicking a ball around at half-time with the rest of the substitutes before quietly returning to Partick Thistle.

Had Irons actually watched Fraser or Campbell before deciding to make them a part of his squad? Or did he simply sign them after a recommendation from Jackie McNamara? If it’s the former, then his judgement must be questioned – Fraser was hopeless (although it is too early to fully cast judgement over Campbell). If it’s the latter, then surely Fraser’s failure is an indication that McNamara is a poor judge of young talent and his recommendations cannot be trusted? The old adage “once bitten, twice shy” springs to mind in this instance.

Along with Colin Hamilton, the young fullback drafted in from Heart of Midlothian (after a promising start, his form dipped so badly he was dropped to the bench), the quality of the loan signings Irons has made this season is dubious and begs the question: are the likes of Shaun Fraser, Colin Hamilton and Jamie Campbell really better than our reserve and U-19 players?

Cast your mind back to Irons’ Meet the Manager session in July. At the meeting, he paid special tribute to Grant Plenderleith and Stuart Love. The manager claimed Plenderleith was responsible for winning his side six points last season after providing crucial assists and scoring in games against Dumbarton and Airdrie and said the young forward would make an impact throughout the season. Love, he declared, had an “excellent chance” of making it.

Seven months on, his words seem completely redundant. Plenderleith made a handful of substitute appearances at the start of the season but hasn’t played since the 2-2 stalemate with Stirling at the start of September. He hasn’t even featured on the bench since 1-1 draw with Albion Rovers the following week. Love, meanwhile, was shipped out on loan to East Stirlingshire. He has played twice for them.

The club’s chairman, Martin McNairney, must be a frustrated onlooker. At July’s meeting, he expressed his disappointment that, under previous manager John Coughlin, inferior players were being brought into the first team on loan from SPL clubs (namely Ally Love and James McLennan of St Mirren) while youngsters developed at the club’s youth academy were overlooked. McNairney also told the assembled audience how happy he was that Irons was prepared to give the U-19s a chance.

Stenhousemuir’s youth academy is generally considered to be one of the finest outwith the SPL. Several players have been sold to bigger clubs (brothers Colin and Jack Hamilton’s transfer to Hearts is probably the most notable) and a number have become important members of the first team – Gary Thom, Robert Love and Sean Dickson, for instance – but Irons (and his predecessor Coughlin) seems reticent to utilise them and prefers instead to bring in youngsters from other clubs. I cannot see the sense in it.

It also sends out a negative message to the academy players and coaches. What’s the point of producing players at U-19 level when players of the same age from bigger clubs are being drafted into the first team squad ahead of them? Grant Plenderleith may be technically limited but he’s an underrated finisher and there are few players in the division that possess his pace. I cannot understand why he isn’t on the bench at the very least, or why Jamie Campbell’s been signed and played ahead of him. And while Stuart Love may be slightly built, his positioning and movement is intelligent and elusive and makes him a far better option than the lumbering Shaun Fraser.

I want to clarify: I am not suggesting that Plenderleith, Love, Alan Lawson, Jack Hamilton and Michael Hunter et al are better than the likes of Eric Paton and Stevie Murray and will have an immediate and sustained impact on the first team, but I just cannot see the logic in bringing in young players on loan from more established clubs that are no better than the players were are producing at our youth academy.

Some loanees have been notable successes – in ten games, Gordon Lennon proved himself to be one of the classiest defenders to have played for the club after joining in January of 2008 from Partick Thistle; Hamilton’s Michael Devlin was crucial in helping the club avoiding relegation last year; but by and large, the loan signings brought in during my time watching the club make several unremarkable performances before silently drifting back to their parent clubs. In the grand pantheon of Stenhousemuir players, there are few that will remember the contributions from Adam Coakley, Shaun Fagan, Alan Gilbride, Paddy Mailey or Stephen Connolly.

Jamie Campbell may yet prove to be a shrewd acquisition (and I sincerely hope he can make a positive contribution while he’s at Stenhousemuir) but by judging him solely on Monday’s performance, his signing seems quite pointless.

Stenhousemuir 3 - 0 Albion Rovers

Stewart Kean: hairy.

The statistics make for wonderful reading. In their last three home matches, Stenhousemuir have scored 11 goals, conceded none, and still remain unbeaten. Albion Rovers were the latest side to come undone at Ochilview.

Last time the sides met, Larry Acqua’s late header secured a point at Cliftonhill. There would be no such dramatics this time around. In a strong second-half showing, Stenhousemuir were clinical and efficient.

In atrocious conditions, Stewart Kean opened the scoring before the hour-mark before Andy Rodgers’ brace put the game beyond Rovers. Rovers, who had generally competed well throughout the game, were undone by three outstanding examples of ruthless finishing.

Without extending into the realms of hyperbole, the weather was perhaps the worst I’ve ever seen at a football game. The wind swirled and fluttered across the pitch, blowing rain into the stand and the terracing behind the goals. When kicked against the gale, the ball would hold up and gave no indication as to which direction it would drop.

At one point, the nets billowed like the sails of a galleon on a storm-tossed ocean.

Throughout the first half, the Warriors tried (and ultimately failed) to take advantage of playing with the wind behind them. Stevie Murray, Eric Paton and Kevin McKinlay all tested Derek Gaston in the Rovers’ goal but he dealt with their efforts with little fuss. Despite these drives from distance, Stenhousemuir’s general play was laboured and unimaginative.

All too often, Kean and Rodgers were forced to scrap for long balls punted from the defence against the lumbering Todd Lumsden and Mick O’Byrne, while Paton and Murray, normally so influential, were on the periphery and were rarely involved.

Rovers, meanwhile, adapted far better to the conditions. John Gemmell performed with diligence as a loan striker and linked well with his teammate. Scott Chaplain and Ryan McStay sat deep and patrolled the small pockets of space in front of their defence, preventing their hosts from shooting from distance.

Gaston did his best to waste as much time as possible, taking his time over his goal kicks. At one point, he even stopped to tie his laces, much to hackles of the home support. It was frustrating to watch but, in the circumstances, entirely understandable.

Before the referee drew the first half to a close, Rovers looked the most likely to take the lead. O’Byrne came close to scoring following a corner and Gemmell flashed a low drive wide from the edge of the area. The Warriors seemed the more grateful of the two sides for the interval.

I remember in the wake of a defeat at Dumbarton several years ago in similarly blustery conditions, John Coughlin commented, In these conditions, people will think the wind will blow the ball into the net for you. It won’t.

Was it arrogant to expect Stenhousemuir to have taken a lead into the second half? Should we have expected them to have approached the game with more intent?

My friend sitting next to me remarked that the Warriors will have no option other than to play football in the conditions. We can’t play those long balls anymore, he said. We’ll have to go out and knock it around a bit when we come out.

Soon after the restart, Stenhousemuir flexed their attacking muscle. Iain Thomson shuttled the ball out to Murray on the flank and the winger’s clipped cross bounced in the area but beyond Kean and Rodgers. Shortly after, the pair combined, but the former Morton forward failed to test Gaston. The passages of play were the best they had mustered in the whole game so far.

Rovers, like Stenhousemuir in the first half, could not use the wind to their advantage. Their long balls behind the Warriors’ defence often drifted beyond their attackers and out of play while McKinlay, dropping deep to sweep behind his defence, performed his task with relish. Despite this, Rovers seemed the more likely of the sides to take the lead.

It was of some surprise then, that the home side struck first. With the hour mark approaching, Andy Rodgers beat Mick O’Byrne to a high ball and slid a cute pass into the path of Stewart Kean. The striker’s low shot was drilled beyond Derek Gaston, clipped the inside of the post and bounced over the line. The forward was smothered by his team-mates in celebration.

Stenhousemuir extended their lead 20 minutes later. Paton’s corner swirled into the area and Rodgers rose above O’Byrne and clipped the ball into the net. There may be some debate if O’Byrne actually had the final touch, but Rodgers spun away with his arms aloft.

Rodgers’ second put the game beyond doubt. The ball was chipped forward and hung up in the wind and unsure of its direction, Lumsden, O’Byrne and Kean all challenged for it. The ball hit Kean’s back before dropping into the path of Rodgers. The forward steadied himself and thrashed in a shot from 20 yards. It was utterly sensational.

John Gemmell thought he had reduced the deficit in stoppage time with a header but his goal was disallowed by the stand-side linesman for some apparent infringement.

The referee’s final whistle brought a palpable sigh of relief around Ochilview and arguably the hardest-won three points so far this season. Were Stenhousemuir good? Were Albion Rovers bad? Who knows? The weather rendered any such discussions an irrelevance. Some players adapted well to the conditions, some didn’t. Nothing more.

Stenhousemuir will be pleased with the performances of Ally Brown, Kevin McKinlay and Martyn Corrigan. The goalkeeper performed admirably in horrid conditions and kicked well into a strong wind while his central defenders dealt admirably with the majority of the Rovers attacks.

The return of Paul McHale is another cause for celebration. McHale last played in the 3-1 victory over Cowdenbeath and until his injury, the midfielder was arguably the club’s best player. He replaced Brown Ferguson in the closing stages of the match and moved the ball around with his usual intelligence and composure. His return is greatly welcomed.

Most impressive of all is the burgeoning strike partnership between Andy Rodgers and Stewart Kean. In previous articles, I had written that there was a genuine hope that the pair would develop a strong understanding but now, they have blossomed into two of the most lethal strikers in the league. Their movement and positioning is the best I’ve seen at the club since Paul McGrillen and Colin Cramb.

Rodgers in particular is arguably being the most clinical striker the club have signed since Des McKeown brought in the well-travelled Cramb from Hamilton. His second goal, in keeping with his hat-trick against Annan last week, was quite sublime.

Stenhousemuir now travel to East Fife next week. The Methil club currently sit five points behind them in the league in fourth place and the Warriors haven’t beaten them at New Bayview side since Scott Dalziel’s strike secured a 1-0 win in early 2008.

The Warriors have performed poorly on their travels, winning once. East Fife’s home record is unremarkable and with the returning McHale and Rodgers arguably in the finest form of his career, Stenhousemuir can be quietly confident of a positive result in Fife next week.

Stenhousemuir: Brown; Lyle, Corrigan, McKinlay, Dickson; Ferguson (McHale 86), Paton, Thomson, Murray (Hamilton 88); Kean (Quinn 90), Rodgers. Subs Not Used: McCluskey, McCafferty.

Albion Rovers: Gaston; Reid, Lumsden, O'Byrne, Donnelly; Love (Reilly 79), McStay, Stevenson, Lawless, Chaplain; Gemmell. Subs Not Used: Travers, Marriott, Gilmartin, Scott.