On the finish of one more totally shameful week for our high golf equipment on the continent — nicely, two of them no less than — it’s arduous to be too optimistic in regards to the state of our nationwide sport.
All over the place you look, it’s negativity. That’s comprehensible, after all, given what has transpired over the previous few days. However it doesn’t make it any much less miserable on the entire.
Not that Stenhousemuir supporters are feeling it, thoughts you.
It’s nothing however sunshine and rainbows at Ochilview lately, and with good cause. The Warriors are completely flying.
Final weekend’s 2-0 victory away at Queen’s Park prolonged their unbeaten begin to the brand new season to eight video games in all competitions and, in doing so, set a brand new membership file.
That got here simply six days on from dumping Motherwell out of the Premier Sports activities Cup to guide their spot within the quarter-finals of the match for the primary time.
Euan O’Reilly (centre) scored the winner as Stenny dumped Motherwell out of the cup
The followers have turn into so accustomed to watching their aspect make historical past of late that something lower than a victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the moment will probably be seen as an enormous disappointment.
Expectation is rising at Stenny. It’s frankly unbelievable that, simply two years in the past, the membership have been embarking on a fifth consecutive season within the fourth tier. But right here they’re.
Talking after final Saturday’s win at Lesser Hampden which despatched his aspect high, supervisor Marvin Bartley was fast to roll out the same old cliches.
‘This stuff imply completely nothing after three video games,’ he mentioned. ‘It’s about the place we’re when the season finishes.
‘It’s not rocket science. We have now to maintain working arduous. There’s a skinny line between confidence and complacency. We’ll stay on the proper aspect of that.’
Professionalism personified. However, beneath all of it, he have to be doing cartwheels.
It wasn’t too way back that he was being dropped proper within the brown stuff at Livingston halfway by final season, tasked with making an attempt to drag off a miracle and maintain them within the high flight. That was by no means going to occur.
Nonetheless, whereas outcomes didn’t enhance, performances definitely did. From the surface wanting in, the gamers appeared to purchase in to what the caretaker boss was promoting.
Sure, he was in cost when the membership’s destiny was sealed, however he shouldn’t have been held accountable and deserved the chance to attempt to get the membership again within the high tier on the first time of asking.
That he was requested to use for the everlasting place was seen as an insult by Bartley himself, who departed Livingston with a foul style in his mouth on the finish of Could.
Supervisor Marvin Bartley has bounced again from his Livingston disappointment in some fashion
It was one thing of a shock that he was shortly chosen to observe within the footsteps of Stenny’s greatest-ever supervisor in Gary Naysmith after he made the swap to Ayr United. However issues couldn’t have gone any higher.
To high a Premier Sports activities Cup group containing each Livi and Championship title favourites Partick Thistle was spectacular.
That Stenny have since accrued seven factors from the opening three league fixtures as nicely taking the aforementioned scalp of Motherwell means that this can be a group able to upsetting the apple cart this season.
The truth that they’re part-time makes difficult on the high finish considerably harder, however not inconceivable.
They solely have to have a look at how Arbroath went about it in comparable circumstances again in 2021-22. Beneath Dick Campbell, the Purple Lichties launched into a exceptional marketing campaign which noticed them push Kilmarnock all the best way to the final sport.
Two late objectives for the eventual champions to seal a comeback win within the penultimate fixture finally took it out of Arbroath’s fingers, with the membership settling for second earlier than being eradicated within the play-offs.
So why can’t Stenny purpose to copy one thing comparable?
A part of the explanation why Arbroath have been in a position to keep concerned within the dialog for thus lengthy was as a result of they’d constructed up momentum within the early a part of the season.
They merely saved ticking alongside and choosing up factors by some means, till individuals finally began taking them significantly. It’s a good blueprint for Bartley and his males to observe.
Sustaining Ochilview’s fortress standing would assist their trigger. Certainly, they misplaced simply as soon as at residence on their technique to promotion from League One.
Gary Naysmith took The Warriors from League Two to the Championship earlier than becoming a member of Ayr Utd
Groups definitely gained’t relish the journey. In the present day’s opponents know a factor or two about that, having taken only one level from their two visits final time period.
Caley aren’t simply right here to make up the numbers this season both, by the way. They too are undefeated, with three attracts to their identify going into this weekend.
At some stage one thing should give for each of the newly promoted golf equipment. However till that point comes, their respective followers may as nicely simply benefit from the trip.
As ought to the remainder of us, for that matter. Goodness is aware of we might do with a feel-good story or two.
