cinch Championship – Ayr United v Dundee (Friday – 7:45pm k.o.)
The BBC Scotland cameras travel to Somerset Park this evening for what is sure to be a tasty fixture between two of the Championship’s in-form teams.
After a bitterly disappointing 8th place finish last season, the Honest Men have made a bright start to the 22/23 campaign. Lee Bullen’s team lead the division and are yet to taste defeat, having picked up 2 wins and 2 draws in their opening 4 fixtures. Impressive away victories against Queen’s Park and Cove Rangers showed off the team’s best characteristics. Hunger, work-rate and resilience are the hallmark of this United side. Bullen has recruited well in the summer months. Notably, after the departure of last season’s main goal threat Tomi Adeloye, a striker was the number one priority. Ayr seem to have landed on their feet when finding Adeloye’s replacement. New number 9, Dipo Akinyemi has hit the ground running, bagging 4 goals in his maiden 4 league fixtures. He will be keen to add to his tally this evening against the Dee.
This evening’s match is a huge opportunity for Gary Bowyer’s side. Hotly tipped for the title this season. A win at Somerset would see Dundee jump to the top of the pile ahead of the rest of the weekend’s Championship fixtures. A huge incentive. Coming off the back of a well-earned, but probably disappointing 0-0 draw with Morton, Dundee will be keen to get back to winning ways and lay down a marker in the title race. For large spells of last Saturday’s match Morton looked the more likely to score. Manager Bowyer will be hoping that creative outlets such as Josh Mulligan and Paul McMullan can provide the spark to unlock the Ayr rearguard. Forward Zak Rudden will also likely be relied on to rediscover the red-hot goalscoring touch which he showed so regularly in spells with Partick Thistle & Falkirk.
cinch League 1 – Falkirk v Queen of the South (Saturday – 3:00pm k.o.)
Familiar opponents are set to meet in unfamiliar territory on Saturday, as Falkirk welcome Queens to FK2 for the first third tier face-off between the sides since 1980.
It’s been a whirlwind summer of change at the Falkirk Stadium. Yet, this seems to have been the story nearly every summer for the past 3 or 4 years. After another season of underperforming and underwhelming in L1, the Bairns look to be back on the right track. The appointment of John McGlynn as manager is a shrewd one, with McGlynn already having tasted promotion from the third tier on two occasions as Raith Rovers boss. Marry this with an array of sensible signings and an impressive showing in the Premier Sports Cup group stage, and it looks like the Bairns may finally be on an upward trajectory. Coming off the back of back-to-back wins for the first time in a year, Falkirk will be confident that they can continue to build momentum with a home win over Queens.
21/22 was a season to forget in Dumfries, as the Doonhamers finished bottom of the Championship and were subsequently relegated to League 1. Though, Queens will be optimistic about their chances of bouncing back at the first time of asking. Fan favourite and local hero Wullie Gibson has taken over the managerial helm in a player-manager capacity. Not only has Gibson managed to retain a core group of talented players, but he has also added some real quality additions to the side. The re-signing of fan favourite Gavin Reilly gives Queens one of the most exciting attacking line-ups in the division, as he joins talented young forwards Lee Connelly and Ruari Paton. Queens were at their very best at Balmoor last Saturday, comfortably disposing of Peterhead with a 4-1 victory. Though an away trip to Falkirk will likely prove to be a far sterner test.
cinch League 2 – Bonnyrigg Rose v Stirling Albion (Saturday – 3:00pm k.o.)
Saturday will see the first ever league meeting between the Rosey Posey and the Binos at New Dundas Park.
Bonnyrigg Rose have looked right at home in L2 in their opening four fixtures. With 2 wins, a draw and a loss Robbie Horn’s team are on course to be extremely competitive in a division where it is incredibly difficult to pick out a clear favourite for the title. Continuity will likely be the Rose’s main strength. Manager Horn has opted to primarily stick with the same squad which tore through the Lowland League and dispatched of Cowdenbeath in the play-offs last season. The squad is an extremely tightly knit unit, with many players having been at NDP over an extended period. However, the potential ace up Bonnyrigg’s sleeve may be the signing of Kevin Smith. The experienced SPFL forward has already made his mark, bagging 5 goals in all competitions so far this season. A victory over Stirling on Saturday would be a huge statement of intent.
On paper Stirling have one of the strongest squads in the division. Players such as Dale Carrick, Aaron Dunsmore, Adam Cummins and Robert Thomson have all proved themselves to be capable of playing at a higher level than L2. Back-to-back league wins against Stenny and Annan showed off the Binos’ greatest qualities, particularly their array of attacking and creative talents. Darren Young’s side currently sit in 4th place, level on points with Saturday’s opponents. If this is to be the season where Stirling finally return to the third tier, it is matches like this where they must be picking up points on a regular basis. While a trip to a raucous New Dundas Park could be a daunting prospect, Stirling have to head into the match with the belief and confidence that they not only can, but will compete and come away with something to show for their efforts. If they can find a way to supply Carrick and Thomson with chances at the top end of the park, Stirling have a real chance.
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