The Spartans completed their 36 game long inaugural season in SPFL 2 with a win in Methil against Dick Campbell’s East Fife.

With one eye on the impending play-off semi final first leg in midweek against Peterhead, Gaffer Dougie Samuel rung the changes with only Jamie Dishington, Ayrton Sonkur and Marc McNulty remaining in the starting XI that drew 2-2 seven days previously against, yup, Peterhead.

Player development continues to be a focus within the Academy Pathway programme, with four of the current Under 20s squad, Archie Wylie, Given Ndlovu, Niall Geany & Jake Cunningham eager to make their SPFL debuts from the bench.

With home advantage already secured, Spartans headed into the game with various permutations still in play in terms of who Tuesday’s opponents would be.

The opening fifteen minutes had a degree of end of season malaise about them, none more so than the actions of the Ball Boy who decided after pulling back the rusty steel door to check on the whereabouts of an Ayrton Sonkur wall clearing exit, that the ball had gone beyond the realms of probability of recovery.

Sean Brown warmed the hands of the travelling Spartan Army when he pulled out a fine turn and shot on the edge of the box.  He looked on as the keeper scrambled across his line to ensure it went wide.

East Fife then had the ball in the net however it was disallowed for handball.  Then it looked a stick-on for the opener seconds before the interval when Scott Shepherd had a glorious opportunity, only for Sam Newman to somehow recover, stick out his derriere and block the shot on his goal line.

HT: East Fife 0-0 The Spartans

A brace of changes at the break saw Kevin Waugh and Ayrton Sonkur stay in for first dibs on the soap on a rope and they were replaced by Kieran Watson and making his senior debut, Niall Geany.

Inspired substitution or otherwise, it took just 60 seconds after the restart for Spartans to take the lead.  James Craigen on hand in the box to put in the shot which may have suffered from a deflection before hitting the net but they all count.

Mason McCready needed to look lively in an otherwise uneventful opening half when he was forced into a tremendous stop to maintain the narrow lead.

Then, just ten minutes after the restart, the scores were level.  Momentum from the men in Methil saw them seeking another, however some resolute defending, including a crucial block by Geany kept the Fifers at bay.

A double change was to follow midway through the half and it offered further SPFL debuts for Archie Wylie (his first senior game) and Given Ndlovu.

There followed a couple of crazy moments afterwards with the home bench incandescent with rage at the refusal of a spot kick after big shouts rung out of the stand and technical area.  Meanwhile at the other end, Sam Jones was upended and Jamie Dishington’s free-kick went over the bar.

Dishington was then forced into a headed cleared from under his own crossbar to keep the scores all square as the home side looked to end their home campaign on a high.

With ten minutes left on the clock, Spartans made their final change, with youngster Jake Cunningham – yup, another SPFL debutant – slotting in at the back, replacing Jamie Dishington.

Fortune then favoured the brave as Mason McCready leapt for a deep cross into his box  and was clattered in the process.  It first looked like a “rub em or count em” scenario as he fell to the deck in some pain, however it transpired later the contact was more of a rib tickler instead.

The game looked as if it was heading for a share of the spoils in Methil however when Sean Brown’s pass split the East Fife defence who were higher than the octaves on a Jimmy Sommerville LP, pacey Archie Wylie latched onto the ball and raced towards the goal.

With the keeper advancing to the boundaries of this box, Wylie showed maturity beyond his 16 years, 11 months and 26 days to square the ball to Robbie Thompson to slide home into the empty net, scoring his first ever senior goal.

The travelling Spartan Army were on their feet, parents looked like they’d been peeling onions, it was a moment to saviour.

Spartans then played out the final five or so minutes with ten men as substitute Given Ndlovu went lame after a tangle of legs over on the touchline, forcing the youngster to hobble back to the sheds and with only Blair Carswell left on the bench, no changes were to be made.

FT: East Fife 1-2 The Spartans

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Sam Jones

Blair Henderson capped off a perfect week with the winner against Bonnyrigg Rose, just 48 hours after being nominated by his SPFL2 peers to feature in the league’s Team of the Year.

The talismanic striker featured in an unchanged starting XI that shared the spoils with Stranraer seven days earlier, with Spartans looking to secured three points that would seal their play-off place with two games left to complete.

Confusion rung round New Dundas Park as a golden globe dispensing several degrees of heat featured high in the blue Bonnyrigg sky.  A phenomenon previously unheard of in fixtures between the sides and cagoules were being wrapped round waists as the teams made their way out from the sheds.

Asides from the ball needing replaced earlier doors having had a proportion of its air already hoofed out of it, there were nice wee battles unfolded on the pitch, with Ayrton Sonkur and Kieran McGachie enjoying each other’s close attentions.

Such was the game unfolding in front of them, many were engrossed in their mobile devices at action elsewhere.  A dangerous game with the ball being launched like missiles across the ground.

In terms of action itself, it was in limited supply as this gritty game of attrition lived up to some level of expectations between two clubs who had progressed via the Pyramid system.

Aside from an Ayrton Sonkur v Ross Gray tete-a-tete in front of the vocal home support in the stand, there was little to enthuse the locals, meanwhile a Cammy Russell free-kick close to the interval failed to clear the wall. 

HT: Bonnyrigg Rose 0-0 The Spartans

Could the second half offer something to write home about?  Well, it started with an exchange between the two goalies – of the long banger version as the ball swapped ends in quick succession.

There was some concern for Angus Mailer who required treatment on the hour mark when an accidental knock to the head suffered in a post challenge collision left the Rose man stricken on the ground.  Cammy Russell who was involved in the unfortunate exchange was first on hand to ensure his opponent was safe before he was attended to ahead of thankfully being able to walk to the changing rooms unaided.

Neil Martyniuk came close to opening the scoring with the head however he looked on in wonder as Blair Carswell dived full length to collect at the base of the post.

Bonnyrigg’s aerial presence continued to be a challenge, this time it was seasoned campaigner Keiran McGachie who got in between two defenders but his header crashed off the face of the bar before being launched to safety.

Spartans made a change with Danny Denholm replacing the industrious Rhys Armstrong.

Cammy Russell then saw his free kick float over both wall and bar as the game trundled its way into the final ten minutes with the stalemate stamp ready to be dipped in the inkpad.

Then, with five minutes left on the clock, the deadlock was broken.

Blair Carswell’s long ball up the park was involved in a bit of header tennis infused with collisions.  Blair Henderson brushed off his man, he let it bounce and from some 30 yards, his half-volley was missile-esque and whizzed past Paddy Martin who had little chance.

A wonder strike from the Spartans man, his 21^st in all competitions this campaign, and 62^nd in just 92 appearances.

Meanwhile at the other end, another clean sheet for ‘The Cat’ Carswell, his 11^th of the season that boosts his Spartans career total to 104.

FT: Bonnyrigg Rose 0-1 The Spartans

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Kieran Watson

Injury hit Spartans were without defensive trio Kevin Waugh, Jordan Tapping and Callum Booth for the visit of Forfar Athletic whilst there was a return to the bench for Blair Henderson after recovering from a nasty ankle knock sustained at Clyde.

Forfar came into the match on the back of an impressive 11 match unbeaten run and with the tag of draw specialists having totalled 15 in 30 games.

With the threat of a pleasant afternoon breaking out overhead in the capital, James Craigen looked to make hay whilst the sun was shining as he went on an early run towards the Café end in search of an opener.  He appeared to be manhandled on the way however there was nothing on offer from the match official and play swung instead towards the direction of Pilton Avenue.

Danny Denholm was then clattered by Morrison in the middle of the park, much to the Spartans player’s frustration and it earned the Forfar man a yellow card that was to prove costly later in the game.

Blair Carswell required treatment midway through the half after taking a bit of shoe leather to the scone after bravely coming out to smother the ball at the feet of a pressing Forfar fellow.  After a check up from the neck up, The Cat was back on his feet and Mason McCready resumed his spot on in the technical area.

A speculative long-range effort ahead of the oranges from Munro saw the Forfar man look on as the ball continued to rise as it headed towards Carswell’s goal and sailed over the bar.

Half Time: The Spartans 0-0 Forfar Athletic

The second half burst into life ten minutes after the break when Forfar’s Morrison was sent to the sheds after picking up a brace of yellows cards, much to the player’s bemusement as he headed for first dibs on the showers.

The numerical advantage took just eight minutes to bear fruit when Spartans were awarded a penalty after Cammy Russell put on the burners to race into the box, out-foxing Nditi who clipped the heels and the man in the middle didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot.  Mark McNulty stepped up and duly converted to break the deadlock.

With the game deep into injury time, Forfar launched one final attempt to rescue a point.  Henderson and Nditi, who was in the provisional Tanzania squad for the recent Africa Cup of Nations, came together in the box with the Forfar man going down in instalments.

Nothing was on offer from the match officials, much to the bemusement of the visiting bench who vented their frustrations.  Seconds later the final whistle echoed around the ground and as the Spartans support celebrated a hard-earned victory, the visitors continued their discussions with the officials in the centre circle. 

Full Time: The Spartans 1-0 Forfar Athletic

Attendance: 411

Malt and Hops Man of the Match: Danny Denholm

Spartans and Clyde shared the spoils for the third time this season with the final meeting between the sides ending in a 0-0 stalemate at a blustery New Douglas Park.

The theme from Rocky bellowed out the PA as the SPFL 2’s in-form side looked to deliver a knock-out blow in their bid to move off the basement against Douglas Samuel’s play-off hopefuls.

Opening exchanges saw the ball move around like the shan £1.99 fly-away fitba you got as a kid back in the 80s with both sides struggling to get it under control in the hoolie.

Indeed, the first match ball had enough early on in the game as it made its way up the tunnel after a 50-50 involving Blair Carswell left it devoid of its full compliment of air.

A half chance for Spartans after a quarter of an hour played saw Bradley Whyte played in however his inviting cross whizzed along the face of the goal with no takers.

Mark McNulty was then played in but as he looked to set up a shot, the stand-side assistant raised his flag to deny the Spartans striker from opening the scoring.

Jamie Dishington was up next as the visitors looked to forge an opening however his header from a Cammy Russell corner was collected under the crossbar by Brian Kinnear.

With half time on the horizon, Spartans had one final opportunity to break the deadlock with a fine one-touch move up the park and Mark McNulty forced Kinnear into a fine save.

HT: Clyde 0-0 The Spartans

Ian McCall’s side came out of the traps and it took a lively Callum Booth to take the sting out of a cross swung into the box and prod it back legally into the grateful arms of Blair Carswell.

It was Booth once again, along with Carswell who were to perform heroics to somehow combine to prevent the ball from getting over the line as Clyde pressed hard, working the wind that seemed to be swirling in their favour after the interval.

Spartans made a double swap with a quarter of an hour left on the clock with Sam Jones and Danny Denholm swapping for McNulty and Armstrong.

Both sides huff and puffed in the hoolie looking for what proved to be an elusive winner and a point each was deemed sufficient for the respective troubles.

FT: Clyde 0-0 The Spartans

Malt & Hops Man of the Match: Kieran Watson

It was a share of the spoils at Ochilview where Spartans and Stenhousemuir played out a stalemate in this top of the table SPFL 2 clash.

Douglas Samuel made three changes to the team that faced Bonnyrigg Rose on Tuesday night, including Jamie Dishington who returned following becoming a father for the first time earlier in the week.

The game was merely a minute old before Cammy Russell felt the force of Nat Wedderburn’s mountaineering up his back offering the first infringement of the afternoon.

An early opportunity for the tourists saw Blair Henderson head a Cammy Russell in-swinging corner narrowly over the bar as the talismanic striker sought to add to his 100^th SPFL in midweek.

Stenhousemuir, who had won the previous three encounters between the sides, were next to threaten.  A cross into the Spartans box saw Matty Aitken tumble to the ground during a challenge from Rhys Armstrong but any appeals for a penalty were quickly brushed aside.

Cammy Russell’s effort shortly after was deflected wide with the goalkeeper stranded and from the resultant corner, Ayrton Sonkur’s shot was cleared on the line by some part of the Stenny man on the post’s person.

HT: Stenhousemuir 0-0 The Spartans

Darren Jamieson between the Stenny sticks was tested after the break when Rhys Armstrong’s cross was met by Cammy Russell who got his foot round the ball and sent a powerful shot down the throat of the keeper.

With more appeals than seen at Camelon Sheriff Court last week, Stenhousemuir were once again aggrieved at another non-award of a spot-kick, this time when Mikey Anderson went down in the box whilst being the meat in a Spartans defensive sandwich.

Spartans made a double change midway through the half when Bradley Whyte and Marc McNulty were replaced by Danny Denholm and Sam Jones.

It was almost the ideal introduction from Danny Denholm who latched on the ball, edge away from Gregor Buchanan on the initial footrace before recovering to do enough to send the ball behind for a corner.

Mikey Anderson then charged down a Blair Carswell clearance but thankfully th.e deflection saw the ball whizz away behind out of harms way

Sam Jones then cut inside before unleashing an impressive effort from a quick turn and shot that just cleared the bar.

The hosts were then frustrated once again when a long-range attempt was caught in the wind and it looked at first glance that Blair Carswell had fisted the ball over the bar however the outcome was, thankfully, a goal kick.

Josh Laing entered the fray as the game edged towards its conclusion, swapping spots with Rhys Armstrong.

There was a heart in mouth moment when the hosts launched one final attempt to break a resolute Spartans defence only for Nat Wedderburn to fire over the bar from close range.

FT: Stenhousemuir 0-0 The Spartans