SPFL Team of the Week

Craig Fowler from the @terracepodcast selects his latest SPFL Team of the Week in a 3-5-2 formation, with Liam Boyce of Ross County the star man.

Goalkeeper – Zander Clark (Queen of the South)
It wasn't a great week for goalkeepers, with very few stand-outs across the four leagues. Special mention to Radoslaw Cierzniak, who put in a match-winning performance against Hamilton but it came in the same week as his error in the Dundee derby. Similarly, Scott Brown won Aberdeen two points with an injury-time penalty save against Kilmarnock, though he did concede the spot-kick in the first place. In the end, Zander Clark got it for his part in successive Queen of the South clean sheets in two tough games against Rangers and Falkirk. His save in the latter match from Bairns prospect Kevin O'Hara was enough for him to stand out from the crowd.

Defender – Shay Logan (Aberdeen)
Two games and another two solid performances from Aberdeen's Mr Consistent. Derek McInnes's decision to sign the full-back on a permanent basis following his loan last year has to be considered one of the signings of the season. In a tense 1-0 win over Inverness CT he managed to outshine his opponent on the flank, Graeme Shinnie, when all eyes at Pittodrie were on the left-back who is joining Aberdeen in the summer. He followed that up by helping the Dons claim a 2-1 win at Rugby Park by showing off his defensive strengths - a side to his game which has improved tremendously since his initial arrival in the North East.
 
Defender – Jordon Forster (Hibernian)
Solid, if unspectacular, against Dumbarton in midweek, it was his display in the Edinburgh derby which really made him a shoo-in for this team. It was arguably his best game in a Hibs shirt as he made a number of crucial blocks and tackles. His denial of Genero Zeefuik when the striker looked set to level the scores came at a crucial juncture as Hearts were beginning to exert some pressure. The away side's attempted comeback fizzled out after that, though Forster did perform another excellent tackle to halt a Sam Nicholson run into the penalty box.
 
Defender – Lewis Kidd (Queen of the South)
This is not a back three you would pick to keep any clean sheets in an actual game - we're lacking a bit of height and strength - but in this hypothetical squad there's no way the BT Sport Man of the Match from Queen of the South's tremendous 3-0 victory over Rangers can be left out. He got an assist for the first and was responsible for the shot which Lee Wallace inadvertently turned into his own net for the second. Contributing to both attack and defence from the wing-back position, the youngster never put a foot wrong and he's demonstrated the improvement in his overall game since the beginning of the campaign. An injury in the first half of Sunday's victory over Falkirk was not reason enough to keep him out of this select XI.
 
Right midfield – Danny Carmichael (Queen of the South)
The midfielder put in an absolutely tremendous performance against Rangers in Thursday's 3-0 win. Full of running, he was dangerous in attack, pressured Rangers when not it possession, and was a huge reason the hosts were able to stun Stuart McCall's men, who had been playing so well before their trip to Palmerston. Granted the sponsor’s Man of the Match award, he then helped Queens to another crucial victory, this time over Falkirk, which has put the club on the brink of a play-off place. Considering Falkirk's form around the turn of the year, it's a remarkable achievement they have been able to cling on to fourth spot, with three huge victories over Hibs, Rangers and the Bairns in the space of eight days.
 
Centre midfield – Iain Flannigan (Alloa Athletic)
His inclusion is not just for the superb free-kick which opened the scoring against Dumbarton, though the quality of that strike did give him the edge over his fellow midfield partners Graeme Holmes and Kevin Cawley, even if the latter conjured up a pretty sweet finish of his own. Flannigan was both committed to the cause and incisive. His creativeness allowed Alloa to carve open several chances in a one-sided victory which, coupled with Livingston's come-from-behind win at Cowdenbeath on the same day, makes the Championship relegation battle a three-way scrap once more.
 
Centre midfield – Kieran Millar (Stenhousemuir)
Odd to include a player from a losing team, but then for 85% of their trip to Cappielow, relegation-threatened Stenhousemuir were much the better side against title-chasing Morton. Millar was a large reason for that. The midfielder never stopped moving, constantly making crucial interceptions to break up Morton attacks, while also getting up the other end to help support the front players as the underdogs built up a 2-0 lead. In the end Stenhousemuir's fragile confidence came back to haunt them with one goal (scored in the 78th minute) causing the landslide which ended in a 3-2 defeat.
 
Centre midfield – Scott Allan (Hibernian)
Travelling to Dumbarton on the back of three successive defeats, with an Edinburgh derby coming up, Hibs really needed a strong performance from their talismanic midfielder. Alan Stubbs' side still found it difficult against a stubborn opponent, but Allan was back to his creative best, pulling the strings in the centre of the park in a crucial 2-1 win. His display against Hearts four days later demonstrated the tenacity in his game. With so many other players shining for Hibs he didn't stand out quite as much, but by no means was his performance any less impressive.
 
Left midfield – Greg Stewart (Dundee)
There were a number of players who excelled in Dundee’s first derby win in 11 years. The McGinn brothers (Paul and Stephen) both had great games, Paul McGowan did a power of running, Kevin Thomson dictated play from the holding midfield position, and Paul Heffernan turned back the years with a shift in the lone striker's role. However, the result would not have been possible were it not for the match-winning qualities of Stewart. He scored the first (admittedly it was a bad error from Rado Cierzniak, but if you don't buy a ticket for the raffle etc) and then set up the next two. His rise to prominence with Dundee, having never played full-time football prior to his summer move from Cowdenbeath, is one of the feel-good stories of this season.
 
Striker – Liam Boyce (Ross County)
There was very little chance he was going to be left out of this team after scoring all four of Ross County goals (including a hat-trick) as they registered two huge wins within a week to continue their incredible run and inch closer to Scottish Premiership survival. Boyce struggled to hold down a place in the County side prior to the January window. Then his partner-in-crime Craig Curran arrived and the pair, along with County, have not looked back. Both work incredibly hard, setting the tone for the whole team. And while Curran is the little buzz-bomb, Boyce brings technique and an aerial presence. Despite his up-turn in form, goals were still hard to come by. Until this past week, that is. Star man!
 
Striker – Lyle Taylor (Partick Thistle)
Unlucky to be omitted from the starting XI in Thistle's defeat at Celtic Park, since his dynamism could have caused some problems on the large Parkhead pitch, Taylor staked a claim for a regular starting spot with both goals in the 2-0 win over Motherwell. This was arguably the striker's best display since returning to the club in January as his movement caused the visiting back-line all sorts of problems in the second half. He scored twice and could have netted a couple more as Thistle showed their mettle to stand up to the challenge, when a defeat could have meant them getting sucked back into the relegation battle.