Any one of David McKenna’s hat-trick of goals for Brechin City last weekend in their 6-0 success over Dumbarton was celebrated by Glebe Park goalkeeper Craig Nelson a lot more than the first goal the 24-year-old striker ever scored.
Back in April 2003, a 16-year-old McKenna came off the substitutes’ bench for St. Mirren in their home match against Ayr United with 72 minutes played and his side losing 1-0. He quickly announced his arrival as a senior player by scoring an equaliser 10 minutes later by lofting the ball over the advancing Somerset Park shot-stopper….a certain Craig Nelson.
McKenna said: “It was my first season as a professional and John Coughlin gave me my debut. To keep the Brechin connections going, our Assistant Manager Kevin McGowne was the St. Mirren club captain at that time although I think he was missing for that game.”
The striker went on to spend five years at St. Mirren and played in both the First Division and SPL for the Paisley Buddies with McKenna saying: “The time I spent there gave me a great beginning in football and a terrific platform for the rest of my career.”
During his time at St. Mirren, McKenna enjoyed a loan spell at Cowdenbeath where he was one of a trio of strikers that helped lift the Third Division title for the Blue Brazil in season 2005/06.
McKenna said: “Mixu Paatelainen was in charge there and he had been my Youth Team Coach at St. Mirren and that is how the move came about. There was big Armand One, Liam Buchanan and myself up front and it was a brilliant time.
“To be playing games regularly was great for me and I chipped in with a few goals and picked up a League winners’ medal as well.”
The experience picked up at Central Park has also helped Paatelainen in his career as he was this week named Manager of his native Finland.
The striker returned to a St. Mirren side that had won the First Division Championship and the experience he picked up with Cowdenbeath helped McKenna break into Gus MacPherson’s side.
McKenna explained: “The season we were in the SPL I played a good few times in games either as a starter or as a substitute. I was part of the side that played really well and got a 1-1 draw at Ibrox against Rangers that season when Richard Brittain scored a really good goal.
“I even got a few games in the centre of midfield during that time and that was enough to convince me I was definitely a striker. I was a fish out of water in midfield.”
A new contract was not on offer at the end of that season and McKenna decided to move to the First Division with Stirling Albion.
“Stuart Balmer, who I knew at St. Mirren, is a friend of Allan Moore, who was in charge at Stirling, and that is how we got in touch. I went part-time and worked in a bakery in Inchinnan so it was certainly a changing time in my life.
“Stirling had just been promoted and the season started well as we forced three draws with Partick Thistle, St. Johnstone and Morton, but things went a bit downhill after that.”
One bright spot during that season was the loan signing of striker Jay Rodriguez who moved up from Owen Coyle’s Burnley to Stirling with McKenna saying: “Jay came on for me as a substitute during a Scottish Cup game at Parkhead against Celtic. We lost that one 3-0 but it has been great to see how well Jay did in the Premiership last season and in the Championship this season.
“He is a really good player however, despite having him, Stirling ended up bottom of the table again at the end of season 2007/08.”
The following season Albion missed out on a promotion Play-Off place by three points to Peterhead with McKenna saying: “We drew too many games that season and left our push to get into the Play-Offs too late to make an impact.
“The following season, my third as a Stirling player, confidence was not too high in pre-season. We knew we had the makings of a good side and hoped that with a bit of luck, we could reach the Play-Offs but we were not sure about going for the title.”
After the first games in April, Stirling were sitting in one of the Play-Off places however, they were 12 points behind leaders Alloa Athletic with three games in hand but five wins in a six game spell played over a 14 day period saw Stirling hit the front.
McKenna was mainly being used as a substitute during the latter half of last season and that was his role in the epic second last game of the season when Stirling looked to have blown their chances of winning the League as they were three down at his former Cowdenbeath home.
“I came on when it was 3-1 and it was pandemonium when big Andy Graham scored right at the death to make it 3-3. That took us on to ironically Brechin where we needed a point to be sure of winning the title.”
It was a day of twist and turns with McKenna explaining: “Things started brilliantly as we went ahead early and then we heard that Alloa were getting beat. Things changed as we lost a goal and Brian Allison was sent off and then we heard Alloa were winning. We were only one goal away from losing it if Brechin scored again.
“Alloa won their game but we held on and won the title. The celebrations on the pitch at Brechin were fantastic and I am now the very proud owner of two League Championship medals.”
The Stirling promotion party was quickly broken up with McKenna keen to bring some freshness to his game as he explained: “I spoke to Allan Moore and he was not sure what was happening with him or whether I would be offered anything at Stirling. I was not enjoying being a substitute either so it seemed the right time to look elsewhere and start afresh.”
Brechin appointed Jim Weir not long after Stirling partied at their ground and Cowdenbeath won the promotion Play-Off between the clubs and Weir moved quickly to speak to McKenna.
The striker said: “It was great news for me as pretty soon after it was known that I was leaving Stirling, Jim Weir got in touch about joining him at Brechin.
“This has been a brilliant move for me and Brechin are a really well run club. There are a lot of good boys here and the training is excellent. I am now studying for a degree in social care at the James Watt College in Greenock, which my team-mate Craig Molloy is also studying for, but he is a couple of years ahead of me.”
McKenna is enjoying his new scenery saying: “We travel up to Perth and Kinross so the last thing you want training to be is dull. Believe me, you do not want things to be a slog after working or studying all day and then travelling to training but thankfully, it is not.
“We do a lot of ball work and the Manager joins in. He actually played against me last season when he was Arbroath Manager and I was at Stirling but I don’t speak about that one too often as beat them 4-3 with a last minute goal!”
McKenna is now looking to add three more goals to his existing tally of 13 to beat his best ever tally for a season of 15 that was secured during his days as a Stirling Albion player.
McKenna said: “I am not going to jinx myself any further than saying it would be great to set a new best ever target. If I get to 16, I will be delighted.”
The 24-year-old former St. Mirren striker paid tribute to his much sought after strike partner Rory McAllister saying: “Rory’s goal against Alloa the other night was unbelievable and some weeks he is simply unplayable in the Second Division. He is as good as any strikers I played with during my time in the SPL with St. Mirren and I would be very surprised if he was still at Brechin next season.”
For once it was McKenna that went away with the match ball last weekend and not McAllister after the 6-0 win over Dumbarton and it was a career first for the striker.
He said: “The Brechin physio Tommy Gilmartin recorded all the details on the ball and organised for everyone to sign it for me so it is an excellent souvenir. I had scored a few doubles but never a hat-trick before. I have given the ball to my wee girl and she is really enjoying playing with it at the moment.
“It was a good day all round against Dumbarton and we were due a big win against someone. The only surprise to some people may have been that it happened just a few days after we played St. Johnstone in the Scottish Cup.
“People may well have thought we would have been jaded going into that game but all the training we have done has paid off and it was good to carry that on against Alloa on Tuesday as well.”
McKenna and McAllister may just be the men to fire Brechin out of the Second Division with McKenna saying: “The League Championship looks beyond us at the moment as Livingston have a commanding lead and we have not secured a Play-Off spot yet. If we do, we will give the Play-Offs a right good go.”
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