SPFL awards: Jim McInally | Kris Commons | Niall McGinn

Twenty league matches were played out across Scotland at the weekend and league leadership changed hands in two of the Divisions. Long-time championship leaders Hamilton Accies were deposed whereas short team leaders in League 2 were seen off in what is an incredibly tight contest.
Niall McGinn celebrates after scoring for Aberdeen. Picture: SNSNiall McGinn celebrates after scoring for Aberdeen. Picture: SNS
Niall McGinn celebrates after scoring for Aberdeen. Picture: SNS

The new leaders in the Championship, Dundee, as well as League 2 table-toppers, Peterhead, are recognised by awards this week with positive contributions recognised by the other two table-toppers in the country Celtic and Rangers.

Fans of Aberdeen, Alloa, Morton, Stranraer and Albion Rovers will be pleased with the winners this week with St Johnstone probably spending longer reading about their Award winner than he spent on the park.

Good weekend for – Dundee

Kris CommonsKris Commons
Kris Commons
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The Dark Blues moved to the top of the Championship after defeating their Morton hosts 2-1 and Hamilton slipped up at home against Alloa. It is the first time this season that the Tayside men have been leading the way and manager John Brown is determined to prove those who doubted his team wrong.

Could this award mark the start of Dundee bouncing back up to the top flight?

Bad weekend for – Rory Fallon (St Johnstone)

Players are usually out to make an impression against a former side and striker Fallon did that when he came on against Aberdeen at McDiarmid Park with 20 minutes left and his side trailing 1-0.

Jim McInallyJim McInally
Jim McInally

He went back off again with 19 minutes and 9 seconds remaining after clashing with Michael Hector as they went for a high ball. The Dons players on the pitch who knew Fallon had hardly had time to say ‘Hi’.

Fallon did have competition for the award with Jimmy Nicholl getting a fair idea of the size of job he has to do at Cowdenbeath’s Central Park as his men blew a two goal lead to go down 3-2.

Also pictures of damage to seating at Fir Park make it a bad weekend for Celtic despite winning 5-0 at Motherwell. The club advised that ‘a small minority have again tarnished the great reputation of the club and our supporters on a night when our team produced such a fantastic performance.’

Team of the week – Celtic or Albion Rovers?

A common choice for football fans in Coatbridge and one that has been pondered long and hard over the weekend as Team of the Week was chosen.

Celtic built on their 7-0 win over Hearts in the William Hill Scottish Cup with a swashbuckling second half 6performance against Motherwell that saw Neil Lennon’s side secure a 5-0 win.

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The Rovers, fresh from their success over Motherwell just 6 days before Celtic’s victory over the Steelmen, defeated East Stirling 3-2 on Tuesday and then Stirling Albion 2-1 at the weekend.

For showing no sign of a hangover after their historic success the Award goes to Albion Rovers.

Manager of the week – Jim McInally (Peterhead)

McInally predicted the future a month ago after his side lost to Annan and slipped to seventh in the table. The former Morton and East Stirling boss said: “I am not getting too worried as we will climb the table once injuries clear up and we stop having players serving suspensions.”

Five games with four wins and a draw later the Blue Toon sit at the top of the table after knocking Clyde from their perch with a 3-1 success at Broadwood.

Premiership Player of the week – Kris Commons (Celtic)

Five goals in two games made it a fine week for Kris Commons. A hat-trick last Sunday at Tynecastle was followed by a double at Fir Park and you know that things are going your way when a shot from a team-mate is going across goal and you backheel it in and also when a goalkeeper makes a save and the ball lands at your feet.

It is sometimes all about anticipation and Commons was anticipating well at fir Park.

Premiership Goal of the week – Niall McGinn (Aberdeen)

Dons goalkeeper Jamie Langfield provided an assist with a throw out and McGinn did the rest as he scampered up the left wing before cracking home a fierce left foot high into the St Johnstone net.

Even the watching Sir Alex Ferguson would have been impressed at McDiarmid Park.

Championship Player of the week – Scott Bain (Alloa)

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The question of how long will Alloa hold on to manager Paul Hartley is often aired and the question of how long will Alloa hold on to goalkeeper Scott Bain will be getting asked soon as well.

Bain stood firm as the Wasps defeated Hamilton Accies and made a number of fine stops to help his side to a 1-0 win.

Championship Goal of the week – Dougie Imrie (Morton)

The Greenock side are having an awful season, however Imrie provided a fine moment for the Cappielow fans at the weekend. The summer signing from St Mirren cracked home a drive from just inside the box to give Morton hope in their game with Dundee.

Unfortunately for Imrie and his team-mates they went down 2-1.

League 1 Player of the week – Chris Aitken (Stranraer)

The midfield brother of manager Stephen showed his worth again by curling home a free kick to help the Blues to a seventh win in eight league games. ‘Tiff’ as he is commonly known is now the leading scorer at Stair Park which is good going when you consider the fine form that Jamie Longworth and Martin Grehan have been in as the Blues have climbed to an unexpected third place.

League 1 Goal of the week – Fraser Aird (Rangers)

The Canadian born attacker lashed home Rangers second goal in their 3-0 home win over Ayr United. Aird accepted a pass from Bilel Mohsni 40 yards from goal and ran at the Honest Men’s defence before sending home a low shot from 20 yards out.

League 2 Player of the week – Reece Donaldson (Peterhead)

Donaldson joined the Blue Toon a month ago on loan from Raith Rovers and he has helped shore up their defence. In the four games he has played Peterhead have only lost one goal but scored twelve when he has been on the park.

Donaldson helped the stats with his side’s third goal in their 3-1 win over Clyde.

League 2 Goal of the week – Barry Russell (Albion Rovers)

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Full back Russell slammed the ball home from 20 yards after a Gary Phillips cross had been partially cleared by the Stirling Albion defence.

Not bad going for the former East Kilbride Thistle player who opted to play despite carrying an injury that had seen manager James Ward rule him out last Thursday.

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