Scottish League One: Three things we learned
Let’s look at the three talking points in another week of action as clubs enter the second quarter of the league campaign…
Heartbreak for Edinburgh as Pars triumph with last-gasp winner to return to the summit
Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 FC Edinburgh
FC Edinburgh were knocked off top-spot as a 89th minute own-goal from Liam Fontaine allowed Dunfermline to return to the league summit in a narrow victory at East End Park.
The win for the home side means they are reenthroned as league leaders with two wins on the spin for the first time since early August. James McPake’s side will aim to go four points clear on Tuesday evening as they travel to Hamilton to face second-bottom Clyde, before they visit Montrose in Angus on Saturday.
Defeat for Alan Maybury’s men ends their three-match unbeaten run and status as league leaders. Next up for the Citizens is a home fixture this weekend, where they will welcome Airdrieonians to Meadowbank as they seek a return to winning ways.
Dunfermline Athletic manager, James McPake said: “The overriding thought from me is delight for the players. We deserved to win that game all day long and in the end we got the goal, defended really well and got the three points.”
FC Edinburgh manager, Alan Maybury said: “It’s just frustration. We worked our socks off, our shape was good. We limited them [Dunfermline], okay, they had more of the ball, but that doesn’t mean you dominate the game. I thought we defended quite well, we were comfortable, it’s just disappointing to lose an unfortunate goal. But, we should be proud of how we did.”
Barjonas and Agyeman seal back-to-back wins for Kelty at the expense of Clyde
Kelty Hearts 2-1 Clyde
Kelty Hearts picked up their second home victory in a week with a solid three points over Clyde.
Jamie Barjonas broke the deadlock after a goalless first period in the 51st minute and Alfredo Agyeman doubled the Maroon Machine’s advantage five minutes later. Jordan Allan pulled a goal back for the Bully Wee shortly after the hour, which ultimately proved to be a consolation for the visitors.
Victory for the Fife side highlights their upsurge in results of late as they secure their fourth win in six league matches- albiet, all of them at home. It also means John Potter’s charges cut the gap between the bottom two to six points.
However, for the Bully Wee, defeat leaves them marooned in ninth-place, two points in front of Peterhead. The statistics also make for dire reading, with the club’s seven-match losing run the worst on record since 2011.
It only gets harder for Danny Lennon’s men as they welcome league leaders Dunfermline to New Douglas Park on Tuesday night, before Queen of the South visit on Saturday. Meanwhile on the same day, Kelty take the trip to face third-place Falkirk.
Kelty Hearts manager, John Potter said: “I thought we deserved the win. We were okay first-half, I felt we could’ve been better. However, we started the second-half really well. We got a couple of goals, couple of opportunities, obviously, they [Clyde] scored, but I thought we were relatively comfortable.”
Clyde manager, Danny Lennon said: “We had chances, good chances, and that’s the difference, you have to be ruthless, you’ve got to be ready. I thought we competed well, right throughout the game. What we do have here, as much as the poor run of results we are on at this minute in time, are a group of guys that are committed to the cause.”
Diamonds stuttering form continues as buzzing Wasps have top four in their sights
Alloa Athletic 2-0 Airdrieonians
Second-half goals from Luke Donnelly and Ross MacIver in the 54th and 87th minute respectively secured the three points for Alloa Athletic as they got the better of Airdrieonians in Clackmannanshire.
The defeat stretches the Diamonds’ winless run to four matches, as they slip to sixth, while the Wasps leapfrog their opponents into fifth-place, two points below the promotion play-offs.
For Airdrie supporters, watching their club sitting top of the league will feel like a long time ago, as recent form sees Rhys McCabe’s side three points behind fourth-place Montrose, ahead of Saturday’s visit to the capital to face Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, buoyed by one loss in their last six games, Alloa have the opportunity to climb into the dizzy heights of third with victory away to Falkirk on Tuesday evening, before their trip up north to face Peterhead at the weekend.
Alloa Athletic manager, Brian Rice said: “We go out on Tuesday night with the desire not to get beat. I don’t talk about runs, next week, I talk about the next game. The boys will enjoy tonight, but we need to prepare for a tough game.”
Airdrieonians player-manager, Rhys McCabe said: “I don’t think we deserved to win the game. We harp on about the basics of football and how the pattern and style of play go out the window, if you don’t play the basics well. I’ll be brutally honest, we didn’t deserve anything. You need to dig in, roll your sleeves up and too many of us didn’t do that today.”
Results:
Montrose 1-1 Falkirk
Queen of the South 2-0 Peterhead
Scottish League One: As It Stands