‘Variety is the Spice of Life’ in October for the ‘Loons’

After what has been an exceptionally busy three month period on the playing front for all William Hill League2 clubs, there is some respite in October with only four Saturday fixtures currently on the ‘menu’. However for all ten teams, the ‘Loons’ included it is a fixture list to relish with games in three different competitions to fulfil before the clocks shift and the dark nights descend.

For Stuart Morrison and his colleagues, the month begins with a trip north to Elgin on league duty this coming Saturday, the management and players no doubt keen to secure that first away competitive win of the season to date. As usual a full preview of the keenly anticipated contest with Alan Hale’s side will appear on the FAFC social media channels on Friday first.

Moving on seven days to October 11th and it is match day five in the KDM Evolution Trophy. On one of the two Saturdays allocated to games in the renamed and revamped Challenge Cup competition, the ‘Loons’ have on paper a home ‘cracker’ with League1 leaders Inverness Caledonian Thistle the visitors to the Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park. It will be actually be the first competitive game between the clubs in over twenty years, the last fixture in fact played in the Highland Capital in the very same tournament. Apart from sitting top of the SPFL’s third tier, this despite starting the campaign with a five point penalty carried over from last term, Scott Kellacher’s side are also in pole position in the thirty team table in the KDM Trophy, with a one hundred per cent record from their four games completed allied to a goal difference of thirteen in their favour. The Athies currently sit in sixth position and no doubt will be keen to glean some reward against the ‘Caley Jags’ as they seek a seeding berth in the knockout stages. Admission charges of £12/£6 will apply on the day with under 12’s £1, but as always must be accompanied by an adult.

Moving on the 18th of the month and it is back to league match action and with it a tasty home fixture against Clyde, a side we were unable to secure three points against last season in any of our four competitive outings. The ’Bully Wee’ have been on a good run of late and go into October sitting one point and one place above Jim Weir’s side in the league standings.

The tenth month of the calendar year then comes to a conclusion with our first and hopefully not last foray in this season’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup. The draw for the second round of the competition on Sunday past brought with it a trip to new pastures for the club, the Olivebank Arena in Musselburgh the destination for a clash with the current East of Scotland League champions Musselburgh Athletic. The ambitious East Lothian outfit then went on to lose out to West of Scotland League winners Clydebank in the two legged play-off in mid May the ‘Bankies’ securing the one available Lowland League spot. This term, the Burgh currently sit in second position in the East of Scotland Premier Division, tucked in behind Jeanfield Swifts, but they harbour a home record to be proud of, currently thirty games undefeated in various competitions! In the national tournament, they defeated East League fourth tier side Vale of Leithen 6-1 at Innerleithen in the preliminary round, before winning 2-0 against West of Scotland League2 side Bonnyton Thistle at Olivebank on Saturday past. They will without doubt provide a stiff test for the ‘Loons’ the date of the tie awaiting final confirmation. Of course Saturday the 25th is the most likely, but there has to be a slight chance that with only two non league sides at home to SPFL opposition that BBC Scotland will consider the game for Friday night live consumption, although the clash between the top two in the our own league Spartans and East Kilbride would probably be the bookies favourite in that respect. Hopefully the game itself and the dream of cup glory will attract a reasonable number of travelling fans and confirmation of match detail will be published whenever available.

Yes certainly a quartet of fixtures to relish as winter approaches!

A reminder of those matches;-

Saturday October 4th - SPFL2 - Elgin City - Away

Saturday October 11th - KDM Trophy - Inverness CT - Home

Saturday October 18th - SPFL2 – Clyde - Home

Saturday October 25th (prov) - Scottish Cup - Musselburgh Athletic - Away