Francesc Fabregas

On the whole, the season has been a disappointment. Given the apparent size of our budget, we should have been vying to be the best of the rest with Annan Athletic and Forfar Athletic, not struggling to make the top four altogether. We had so many opportunities to catch up with an usurp Edinburgh City over the past few weeks but failed to take every single one of them. We took just five points from Cowdenbeath and were humiliated three times by Stranraer. It's not good enough. Our recruitment over the summer, where we put together virtually a brand new squad, was uneven. A curious mix of experienced SPFL players and non-league jobbers, the team was unbalanced and lacked quality in key areas. Too many players just weren't good enough for League 2. Our two goalkeepers were terrible. The manager changed his starting XI and tactics on a week-by-week basis; over the campaign, we used four different players at right-back and five at left-back. After the first quarter, with the team bottom of the table, there were legitimate concerns about the direction we were heading. This cannot be repeated next term. There was a lot to be frustrated about, but there are also a lot of positives. We lost one match in seven against Forfar and Annan, and generally gave a good account of ourselves against Kelty Hearts. The football could be entertaining, with players like Euan O'Reilly occasionally thrilling. Adam Corbett was recast from a half-decent central defender to a high-quality right-back, Nat Wedderburn was often a powerhouse in the middle of the park, and Tam Orr chipped in with 16 goals, a handsome return. Callum Yeats and Peter Urminksy were great signings in January and completed a strong, settled defensive unit. As such, I'm cautiously optimistic about our chances for 2022/23. Our immediate priority is to retain our key players not already signed up - Sean Crighton, Corbett, Wedderburn, Orr - and add smartly from there. I hope Stephen Swift has also spoken with Yeats and Mikey Miller about their plans going forward. There are others I'd like to see us hold onto but I wouldn't be too downhearted if they were moved on. We've got a large squad (21, I think?) but the manager appeared to trust about 14 of them, so it might make sense to go with a smaller group with greater quality. As Neilly says, recruiting a good goalkeeper is essential; it's trite to say but if we had someone like Urminsky available from the beginning of the season, we would have finished in the play-offs. David Wilson might be worth holding onto but only as a reserve. There are still a number of variables to be settled but next season's League 2 doesn't look as arduous as this year's. There will be no full-time teams like Queen's Park, or well-backed upstarts like Kelty Hearts and Cove Rangers; Fraserburgh and Bonnyrigg Rose look like decent sides rather than dominant ones (and I expect Cowdenbeath to survive the play-offs anyway); and there's nothing to fear from East Fife (and Dumbarton, for that matter). Every team will be looking to win promotion and Stenhousemuir should be the same; we could maybe even win it outright! Swift will be going into the new campaign with a degree of pressure, and rightly so. Another season like this won't be tolerated. I can't wait to get going again!

Aye, it's actually been a decent laugh, all things considered. I've gone through a range of emotions over the course of the season, downright despising the team and the management at the lowest ebb, to the point where I'm really looking forward to Saturday afternoons and watching Stenhousemuir play. I can't wait for the weekend's game against Stranraer! They're a likeable group of players, especially guys like Peter Urminsky, Adam Corbett, Callum Yeats, Nat Wedderburn and Euan O'Reilly, and I'm hopeful that we'll finish this campaign successfully. Even if it doesn't end with promotion, I've seen enough to suggest that if we can keep the core of the squad and sign smartly over the summer, we'll do well next season.

Two games left, two more chances to gatecrash the top four and win promotion. On Saturday, Stenhousemuir host Stranraer, a side we've failed to beat since January 2017. I've no idea why but they well and truly have our number, humiliating us twice this season already. We performed reasonably well in our last encounter, a 1-1 draw at Stair Park, but I think we were second best over the piece. I suppose, going into this game, we have it all to play for while the Blues are on their holidays, so they might not be quite as competitive as they have been previously but nevertheless: I am expecting a hard match. Stenhousemuir were excellent against Albion Rovers at the weekend and probably could have won by six or seven goals. They defended well, controlled the middle of the park and created a number of presentable chances. I wouldn't make any changes to the side that started that match: - Robert Thomson - - Euan O'Reilly - Adam Brown - Darren Christie - - Mikey Miller - Nat Wedderburn - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Peter Urminsky - A win's the only thing that will do at this stage. We have to rely on Edinburgh City slipping up on Friday night against Annan Athletic but I'm cautiously optimistic we'll see a positive outcome for the Warriors this weekend.

The club have opened the voting for Player of the Season: I went with Nicky Jamieson - I think he's been superb since he joined the club from Alloa Athletic, given the whole team some much-needed solidity and made everyone around him better. Big Nat Wedderburn would have been my second pick, and I might have been tempted to give it to Adam Corbett but he's only played regularly since December.

I think, over the piece, Ross Forbes has been a poor piece of business. He's been signed on a two-year deal on, you'd have to imagine, a decent wage, but we really haven't had value for money. He's got an exceptional left foot and can open up play with incredible diagonal balls but these good moments come around every five or six matches. Most of the time, he's mooching about the pitch in an undefined position, struggling to impose himself on games. Forbes can only really play as a deep-lying playmaker, but Nat Wedderburn has excelled there (with Mikey Miller and/or Mikey Anderson making up for his lack of mobility). We've tried him wide on the right and pushed high up just off the striker and nothing seems to suit him. His unwillingness to simply "run" is out of sorts with the rest of the team; the idea of having someone like Forbes in your squad is better than actually having him. He seems a bit of a misfit.

In the preview for the game against Albion Rovers on the club website, it was mentioned that Stephen Swift has spoken to a couple of players about new contracts for next season. Ross Forbes joined on a two-year deal, Nicky Jamieson and Euan O'Reilly have signed up for next season, while apparently Sean Crighton and Nat Wedderburn have options for another year. I'd like to think the manager has talked to Adam Corbett, Mikey Anderson, Tam Orr and Ross Lyon about next season, as well as Mikey Miller and Callum Yeats about their plans going forward (I'm sure Yeats signed a two-year deal with Queen's Park but I can't find any information online to confirm this). I'd like to see Robert Thomson stick around for another season and I'm sure he'd be back to his best with a good pre-season under his belt. Adam Brown might be worth pursuing with too.

I forgot to mention him in my previous post, but Nicky Jamieson was excellent again today and his tackle inside the box midway through the first half, nicking the ball of the toes of the Rovers attacker as he was certain to score, was wonderful. What a player!

That was the best performance from a Stenhousemuir side in about three or four years. From the first kick of the ball to the last, we annihilated Albion Rovers. The scoreline actually flatters them, as we passed up several excellent opportunities in the second half, and their penalty shouldn't have been awarded as the foul occurred outside the box. Everyone in maroon put in a tremendous shift today, especially Adam Corbett and Callum Yeats. Both players almost put in two of the best assists of the season - Corbett's through ball for Euan O'Reilly midway through the second half was stunning and should have led to a fifth goal, while Yeats' willingness to chase down a lost cause and curl a gorgeous cross in for Robert Thomson, who, again, should have scored, capped an energetic shift. That's the worst Albion Rovers team we've faced the godawful John Brogan-era side that pitched up at Ochilview for a League Cup group stage tie at the start of the 2018/19 season. They offered absolutely nothing and the two full-backs, Adam Fernie and Alfie Robinson, are two of the poorest players I've seen in the division this season. Fernie in particular was so out of his depth, I was surprised to see him last the 90 minutes - he was routinely pulled apart by the likes of Darren Christie before selling Cammy Binnie short for the fourth. With Edinburgh City drawing at Cowdenbeath, the gap between ourselves and the Citizens is now a single point. I'm going into next week's game against Stranraer with trepidation given how awful we've been against them so far this season but I do hope they'll go easy on us now they're secure in mid-table with nothing to play for. Play like we did today and we should beat them. I cannot wait for Saturday now!

Aye, we're really running out of time if we want to make top four, and this is the kind of game we need to win. On paper, it looks a fairly straightforward assignment - we're playing a down-on-their-luck side who have nothing to play for, and a side we've largely had the better of over the course of the season (I've long thought that Albion Rovers were our bogey side but I think that mantle might have been passed over to Stranraer). It's good to have Peter Urminsky back in the team, even if David Wilson has deputised well in his absence, but Tam Orr's return is hugely important and he really does bring energy and aggression to our forward line and dovetails well with Robert Thomson. Judging by the preview on the Stenhousemuir website, we have a full squad to select from, so let's go with: - Euan O'Reilly - Tam Orr - Robert Thomson - - Mikey Miller - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Anderson - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Peter Urminsky - I'm quietly confident of a home victory. Cowdenbeath at Central Park could be a tricky assignment for Edinburgh City and we must win if we want to get into the play-offs.

"The Philosopher" really is as thick as pig shit.

I still can't believe we didn't win yesterday. In the second half alone, we had nine superb chances to score - Robert Thomson's overhead kick that hit the post, his effort that was cleared off the line, four outstanding balls from Euan O' Reilly hung up at the back post, Ross Forbes' injury-time knucklepuck shot and Sean Crighton's attempt at the follow up - but we didn't take advantage of them and it's another missed opportunity. We've collected two points from our last five matches and time is running out if we want to overtake this faltering Edinburgh City side. I've long thought that we'll get promoted if we finish in the top four - we've won five out of seven of our encounters with Annan Athletic and Forfar Athletic this season and Dumbarton, who look likely to finish in ninth place in League 1, are a garbage outfit - but we've squandered so many chances to get into the play-offs! Let's hope that O'Reilly starts every game between now and the end of the season and James Lyon is never seen in a Stenhousemuir shirt again.

Aye, he had a bit of pace and was certainly game but just miles off it for the required level. He was too small and frail to make any real impact and would drift inconsequentially through matches (although it didn't help that we used him at wing-back at times, a position that didn't suit him). He might be a better player now than he was in 2019 but, after his short loan spell with us, I would have thought Caledonian Braves was about his standard. Good luck to him at Clyde!

Aye, it certainly skews your perspective - for instance, Forfar Athletic are the worst side I've seen us play so far this season but they're obviously a good side. The league table doesn't lie! I think we've given most of the sides in the division a decent go but we've been garbage against Cowdenbeath in three of those four encounters.

Frustrating is the right word. In our last three matches we: Lost a point through the concession of a 92nd-minute goal (albeit against the best side in the division) Failed to beat a team who played with 10 men for 74 minutes Needed a last-minute equaliser against the worst side in the SPFL who'd lost their previous six games Although we've narrowed Edinburgh City's advantage over us to just two points, we really are failing to take advantage of the opportunities presented to us and I do worry it will cost us. I appreciate there is still a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season but I do worry that the season could finish with a whimper. For the outlay on this group of players, I don't think that's good enough (although there are positives to take into the next season).

I bought a ticket for the game earlier today and I'm pumped for it. This is probably the biggest match in the country so far this season and I've got high hopes for it. My impression is that Airdrieonians are one of the most exciting teams in the SPFL right now and have the league's best player in Dylan Easton, but they've never quite been able to get over their poor start to the campaign or take advantage of Cove Rangers' infrequent slip-ups. Cove, meanwhile, seem to be a solid, experienced side that might lack the Diamonds' sparkle but are capable of running over the top of teams when it suits them. I'm going for a narrow home win!

That was, quite simply, the worst game of football I've ever been to in my life. I could write up my usual five-paragraph sad-act report but what's the point? A big opportunity missed. Dreadful, dreadful stuff all round.

With Edinburgh City losing to Stranraer, a win will take Stenhousemuir into fourth place. If we fail to take this very presentable opportunity, we do not deserve success this season.

On paper, this looks like a fairly straightforward assignment for the Warriors - we're taking on the worst club in the SPFL, a side who have lost their last six matches - but I've got a bad feeling about it! By all accounts, Stenhousemuir weren't tremendous against 10-man Edinburgh City last time around and chuck in our mediocre record against Cowdenbeath so far this season, and I worry that our campaign could come crashing down around us on Saturday. Anything other than a win would have serious implications for our push for a play-off place, even if Edinburgh drop points against Stranraer tomorrow night. Someone who was at last week's game will be better placed than me to pick a line-up but I'd be keen to persist with the 4-3-1-2 formation. It's served us well in recent weeks and I don't think there will be many changes from what we've seen previously (Stephen Swift has about 13 or so players within the squad he really trusts). Cowden have appeared to have improved under Mo Ross and other than the 3-0 defeat at Stranraer, have lost their matches by the odd goal. That can either mean they're going to lose in the same manner again, or they're not too far away from picking up a positive result. I hope it's the former but who knows! I think it'll be a draw.

So it's come down to this. Our upcoming match against Edinburgh City will be our most important in the season so far and will be decisive in the battle for the final play-off place. If we win, we'll overtake our opponents and move into fourth; lose, and we have a six-point deficit to overcome with seven games remaining. This is the very definition of a six-pointer! I thought our team deserved something from Kelty Hearts on Tuesday night - while they were obviously the better side, we defended so well and turned in one of our most disciplined performance of the season - and I wonder what toll the game will have taken on us, both physically and mentally. Our players looked exhausted and to lose in such a manner could be demoralising; I hope that isn't the case and we're able to put the same degree of effort in on Saturday, given what's at stake. Providing everyone is fit and available, I can't see any reason to change too much from the same personnel and system that started on Saturday. The only alterations I would make would be Adam Brown in for Ross Forbes in behind the forwards and, if he's back at Ochilview, Peter Urminsky to return in goal (David Wilson was fine in his last two performances but Urminsky is simply a better player). I was hugely impressed with the midfield three on Tuesday - who knew that Mikey Anderson was such a good footballer! - Tam Orr - Robert Thomson - - Adam Brown - - Mikey Miller - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Anderson - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - Peter Urminsky - I've seen us play Edinburgh twice this campaign, both times at Ainslie Park, and I didn't think they were great. They're a tidy, technical team but they seem a little soft. I think they can be got at. A point isn't the worst result in the world but anything less than that is a disaster. Home win!

I've seen people describe this game as a "free hit" for Stenhousemuir but give our recent form, I'd like to think we have a decent chance to taking something from this match, especially given the fact we could go into fourth place with a win. Kelty Hearts are a very good side and will win the championship with ease but they don't appear to be as fluent as they were earlier in the campaign if their recent scorelines are a sufficient barometer. I said in the Stirling Albion matchday thread that Stephen Swift can perhaps overthought his personnel and tactics at times and I hope he'll keep it simple and revert to the successful 4-3-1-2 formation that saw him win the Manager of the Month for February. Adam Brown deserves to start after his winning goal at the weekend, and I'd suggest it's at the expense of Ross Forbes, who was rotten when he came on. I'd also keep Euan O'Reilly and Darren Christie on the sidelines - O'Reilly seems out of sorts and might not even be fit for the game, while Christie always seems to be better coming off the bench. Go with: - Tam Orr - Robert Thomson - - Adam Brown - - Mikey Miller - Nat Wedderburn - Mikey Anderson - - Callum Yeats - Sean Crighton - Nicky Jamieson - Adam Corbett - - David Wilson - We'll have to play to capacity and hope that Kelty have an off-day if we're to get the better of them but why not! Good luck to all concerned tonight.

What about the 2-1 win over Ayr United in March 2011? The Big Easy with an injury-time free-kick paced right onto Michael Devlin's head to win us the game. https://www.stenhousemuirfc.com/match/stenhousemuir-fc-v-ayr-united-2/

I could kiss you! I will kiss you!

Magic! Always found it strange we used Vimeo when a lot of our counterparts used YouTube. The platform wasn't very robust and the highlights were difficult to watch on a mobile device. Start with Peterhead 0-3 Stenhousemuir, please!

Maybe a question for @CEMSFC to answer - what happened to the old Stenhousemuir highlights from around the 2010 era? They used to be hosted on the old club website but after its redesign a couple of years ago, the links to the pages no longer work. I was looking to watch back some of Eric Paton's greatest moments from the 2010/11 campaign but I've no idea where I can find them. I've got a feeling it might be on Vimeo but I can't be so sure. Some great games from around that era. I want to watch them again!

Congratulations to our manager, Stephen Swift, for winning the League 2 Manager of the Month for February, and to big Nicky Jamieson for collecting the League 2 Player of the Month. Well deserved!