cinch Championship – Cove Rangers v Arbroath (Saturday – 3:00pm)
An intriguing clash at Balmoral Stadium, as the Championship’s lowest-placed clubs face off.
Since first gaining entry to the SPFL in 2019, Cove Rangers have had a near flawless ascent to the second tier. Romping to the L2 title in their first season, and taking the L1 crown at their second attempt, the momentum has just kept building and building. Though, this season it seems as though things have taken a wee bit of a dip. The untimely departure of manager Paul Hartley meant that the summer brought about change in Aberdeen, with Jim McIntyre taking over the helm. With just one win from their opening seven league fixtures, there are improvements to be made. Having kept hold of the majority of last season’s title-winning squad, including goal machine Mitch Megginson, the Toonsers will be more than confident in their abilities to turn the season around and make a positive impact in their maiden second-tier campaign.
After last season’s promotion near miss, 22/23 was always going to be a tough season at Gayfield. However, not many would have predicted the Lichties to be bottom of the table after the opening seven fixtures. Much like this weekend’s opponents Cove, Arbroath have only picked up one league win so far. Scoring goals seems to be the main issue. Last season, a lot of the Lichties’ firepower came through attacker Michael McKenna, with the No 8 scooping both the top scorer and Player of the Year accolades. But, the goalscoring hot streak seems to have cooled quite significantly, with just one league goal in six appearances for McKenna. Couple this with the loss of key players such as James Craigen, Jason Thomson & Nicky Low, and it feels like it could be a real season of transition for Dick Campbell’s side. There’s more than enough talent in the squad to get them out of the mire and they beat Morton in their last league outing a fortnight ago.
cinch League 1 – Dunfermline Athletic v Peterhead (Saturday – 3:00pm)
Top versus bottom in L1, with the Blue Toon travelling to East End Park to face the league leaders.
James McPake’s Pars are the only club yet to taste defeat in SPFL league action this season. Derby rivals Falkirk gave Dunfermline their biggest test last time out, but the Fife side managed to grind out a hard-fought point and maintain their undefeated record. The Pars have a lot of quality throughout their team, with most players having previously tasted success at a higher level. But the key for Dunfermline this season has been the work ethic and hunger shown by these players week in, week out. Whether playing against a fellow promotion rival, or a team lower down the table, McPake’s side battle from the first whistle to the last to ensure that they pick up maximum points. They will be full of confidence going into Saturday’s match and will fully expect to add another three points to their tally.
The Blue Toon have found this season a real struggle. Sat bottom of the L1 table, with just a single victory under their belt and coming off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Elgin City in the SPFL Trust Trophy, the outlook isn’t great for Jim McInally’s side. Having scored just six and conceded 19 in the league, the issues are plain for all to see – not scoring enough goals and conceding too many. The departure of several integral members of last season’s squad, including captain Scott Brown and midfield general Gary Fraser, as well as injuries to Hamish Ritchie, Russell McLean and Andrew McCarthy has seen the necessity for a large overhaul of the Peterhead ranks. Signings like Paul Dixon, Ryan Dow and Ola Adeyemo are all sensible ones, but some of the squad are young and inexperienced. In a cutthroat division such as L1, balance is key, and while there are certainly talented players on the Blue Toon books, it looks as though they might struggle to consistently pick up positive results this season.
cinch League 2 – Forfar Athletic v Dumbarton (Saturday – 3:00pm)
The runaway league leaders travel to Angus to face the division’s ninth-placed side at Station Park.
It has been a difficult start to the campaign for the Loons, who find themselves just two points off the foot of the table with eight games played. A position which seems difficult to process after last season’s second-placed finish. Forfar have managed to keep hold of the majority of last season’s squad and made a few shrewd additions to boot. But, for some reason things just haven’t quite clicked yet at Station Park. With nine goals in eight games, Gary Irvine’s side seem to be lacking that goalscoring touch up top. Attackers Matthew Aitken and Stefan McCluskey were bang in form last season but have only managed three league goals between them (all coming from Aitken) this season. This weekend’s fixture will provide the Loons’ toughest test. But, with Dumbarton suffering their first league defeat last week, Forfar will be confident that they can pick up all three points.
Dumbarton’s 100% record went up in smoke last week in a five-goal thriller at Stair Park. Paul Woods’ 89th minute penalty for Stranraer saw the Sons taste league defeat for the first time. While the result will have been hard to take, Dumbarton have been by far and away the division’s premier side in 22/23, sitting with a seven-point gap at the top of the table after just eight games played. When looking at the Sons squad at the start of the season, many would’ve had them down as title challengers, but not many could have predicted their lightning quick start. The attacking talents of Declan Byrne, Ally Love & Ryan Wallace have been a nightmare for L2 defences. While a rearguard including Gregor Buchanan, Ryan McGeever and, arguably the division’s best shot-stopper Brett Long has shipped just six goals (three in the defeat to Stranraer). Saturday’s trip to Angus will be viewed as the perfect opportunity for the Stevie Farrell’s men to reassert their dominance on the division.
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