SPFL awards: Alloa | East Fife | Airdrie

Louis Longridge: Championship player of the week. Picture: SNS

Alloa manager Barry Smith chalked up an important success in a game against Falkirk to receive the ‘Good Week For’ accolade with Bairns’ striker Phil Roberts picking up an Award in the same game however it is unlikely that manager Gary Holt will be handing it over to him.

Positive Awards are also going in the direction of Methil, East Fife, Inverness, Dundee, Hamilton, Glasgow and once again Berwick!

Good week for – Barry Smith (Alloa)

The former Dundee manager won his first game in charge of his new side at Recreation Park. Smith’s Wasps had lost 7 home games in a row ahead of facing Falkirk on Saturday however they recorded a 3-0 success to dent the Bairns’ promotion hopes.

With Cowdenbeath, Morton and Raith Rovers all losing Alloa are nearly safe.

It was also a good week for the Human League. When a song from the eighties can still earn you royalties due to football fans it really is Money for Nothing as opposed to Don’t You Want Me.

Bad week for – Phil Roberts (Falkirk)

Players frequently disappoint their managers however very few are as publicly named for doing so as Roberts was at Alloa on Saturday. The striker got himself needlessly booked just after the start of the second half when he clashed with the home side’s Michael Doyle.

The one-time Arsenal and Inverness Caledonian Thistle front man was obviously looking for an early bath and after another quarter of an hour of being petulant he got his wish when he again got involved with Doyle.

Holt branded him a ‘coward’ after the game – not sure how much of Roberts will be seen between now and the end of the season.

Team of the week – East Fife

John Travolta and Olivia Newtown-John were indulging in some Summer Loving the last time Dunfermline beat East Fife at East End Park. That record was due to go on Saturday as an out of sorts and relegation threatened Bayview side visited the promotion seeking Pars.

Manager Gary Naysmith had been so fed up with his players after last Saturday’s 5-0 defeat from Ayr United he ordered them in for extra training this week. His approach worked as the Methil men secured a 2-1 win that keeps their unbeaten run going and also moved three points further away from bottom of the table Arbroath.

Manager of the week – Gary Bollan (Airdrie)

Airdrie thumped Forfar 5-1 at the weekend to continue their charge off the foot of the League 1 table.

Bollan has earned 19 points from his side’s last 10 games and he is making what looked like an impossible task when he took the job last autumn possible.

The Diamonds are now 7 points clear of bottom spot and whilst Bollan may not win the Manager of the Year Award, the job he has done so far at Airdrie is a good one.

Premiership Player of the week – Billy McKay (Inverness Caledonian Thistle)

McKay was the villain last week as Inverness Caledonian Thistle lost the Scottish League Cup on penalties however this week he is the hero. The Highlanders had gone more than nine hours without scoring a goal and McKay ended that with the winner against Partick Thistle.

His header from Ross Draper’s knock on was the only goal of the game as Caley won for the first time in 6 matches.

Premiership Goal of the week – Nadir Ciftci (Dundee United)

Ciftci added another goal to his growing collection this season with a stunning strike at Tynecastle in what turned out to be the winner in his side’s 2-1 success.

The Tannadice striker picked up a pass on the left hand of the Hearts box and skipped past two challenges before sending home a fierce left foot drive from 20 yards.

Championship Player of the week – Louis Longridge (Hamilton Accies)

Longridge scored two and made two as the Accies kept the pressure on Dundee at the top of the Championship by seeing off Morton 4-3.

Longridge made the first goal for Jason Scotland and the scored with a header and shot. Morton had come back on every occasion, however they could not come back a fourth time after Longridge had opened the door for Mickael Antoine-Curier to make it 4-3.

Championship Goal of the week – Eddie Ferns (Alloa Athletic)

Ferns had only been on the pitch for a few minutes when he showed Falkirk defender David McCracken a clean pair of heels forty yards from goal. The Alloa man kept on closing in on Graham Bowman’s goal before unleashing a fierce drive from a tight angle to break the deadlock.

League 1 Player of the week – Liam Buchanan (East Fife)

Buchanan gave his former club Dunfermline a reminder of his talents at the weekend as he led East Fife’s front line in their 2-1 win at East End Park.

It was Buchanan who was fouled at the start of the second half to give East Fife the chance to level from the penalty spot. He took responsibility for the spot kick and sent it home.

Buchanan may just be the man to keep Gary Naysmith’s side safe this season.

League 1 Goal of the week – Jamie Bain (Airdrie)

Airdrie were already one goal to the good against Forfar when Bain decided it was time for him to score his first goal of the season.

The home grown Diamond let fly from 25 yards and Darren Hill in the Loons’ goal may just have got a glimpse as it flew past him. Not a bad way to open your account.

League 2 Player of the week – Eamonn Brophy (Queen’s Park)

The on-loan Hamilton Accies 18-year-old made it three goals in three games for the Spiders with his double against East Stirlingshire on Saturday. The striker helped turn a losing position into a winning way by half time and hopes of getting off bottom spot are now being aired at Scotland’s oldest club.

Brophy’s arrival has perked up a Queen’s Park attack that has now scored nine times in the last three games after just 23 goals in their previous 27 outings.

League 2 Goal of the week – Lee Currie (Berwick Rangers)

In what is fast becoming the Lee Currie award the Berwick Rangers midfielder has earned another Scotsman Weekly Website Award for another stunning goal.

The former Hibs player had already put his side 2-0 ahead of Clyde at Shielfield when he curled a 25 yard free kick to seal the points and seal another Award from our good selves.

SPFL awards: Alloa | East Fife | Airdrie | Berwick