SPFL weekly awards: Dumbarton | Alloa | Hearts

THE third weekend of 2014 may have seen a couple of postponements, however there was more than enough action, drama and goals for the Scotsman Weekly Awards to be awarded to worthy winners (and one unfortunate loser).

Former Hibs captain Ian Murray is flying high with Dumbarton. Picture: SNS

Colin Cameron picks up an award in his first week at Berwick Rangers and there are also awards for players or managers from Hearts, Dumbarton, St Johnstone, Ross County, Falkirk, Airdrie and Clyde.

The Award that no-one wants, ‘The Bad Week For’, goes to Alloa who are probably hurting enough already at losing manager Paul Hartley after two and a half successful seasons at Recreation Park.

Good week for – Colin Cameron

A week past Saturday former Scottish internationalist and Cowdenbeath player/ manager Colin Cameron was a trialist for Burntisland Shipyard and this Saturday he secured his first win as player / manager of Berwick Rangers.

The 41 year old made an instant impact as his new side with him playing from the start scored after just 14 seconds against Stirling Albion. That was just the first goal in a 4-0 success over the promotion seeking Forthbank side.

Bad week for – Alloa

A 5-1 defeat at home to Dumbarton that saw the Sons take on the mantle of the best part-time team in Scotland from the Wasps was followed by the unexpected resignation of manager Paul Hartley.

Under Hartley Alloa have won one title and been promoted twice with this season looking like being a success as well as they sit 10 points clear of Cowdenbeath in the race to avoid relegation issues and are in the next round of the Scottish Cup.

However a five game winless run has seen Hartley depart and Alloa need to start again under someone new.

Team of the week – Hearts

The award could have gone to Celtic for making it 10 Premiership wins in a row or Dumbarton for their performance in the 5-1 Alloa success or even Queen’s Park for their first home of the season (ironically at Airdrie) but it is going to Hearts.

In a game that had pretty much everything including dubious penalty calls, a good old fashioned ‘rammy’, a couple of sending offs and a defender playing in goals the Tynecastle side showed great fight at St Johnstone.

Trailing 3-1 to the Perth side at McDiarmid Park, Hearts roared back to grab a point with Danny Wilson heading past Tam Scobbie in the home goal.

The gap at the bottom remains 21 points and Hearts are still at a negative points total but no-one can deny the espirit de corps that was shown on Saturday.

Manager of the week – Ian Murray (Dumbarton)

Three wins in a row have lifted Dumbarton from looking at one set of play-offs to another. The Sons now occupy fourth place in the Championship table and that is their highest placing in Scottish football since September 1995.

That season ended in disaster as Dumbarton were relegated with just 10 points. If this season ends in a success then expect Murray to take over Paul Hartley’s mantle as most sought after young manager!

Premiership Player of the week – Stevie May (St Johnstone)

A second hat-trick of the season for the Perth youngster as St Johnstone drew 3-3 with Hearts. Okay two goals were penalties and the third goal was probably the scrappiest goal ever but May has undoubtedly got something about him.

Will he be around to compete for a Scotsman Weekly Award come February?

Premiership Goal of the week – Filip Kiss (Ross County)

Two games and four goals for Ross County’s new hero from Cardiff City, on loan midfielder Filip Kiss and now two Awards as well.

Last weekend he was the Scotsman Weekly Awards Premiership Player of the week and this week he has won the Premiership Goal of the week.

Kiss had already opened the scoring against Dundee United and new recruit Yoann Arquin had added a second before the Slovakian curled the ball high into the net from 25 yards,

Championship Player of the week – Jordan Kirkpatrick (Dumbarton)

Kirkpatrick made one and scored one as Dumbarton cruised past Alloa at the weekend and the former Hamilton Accies youngster looks to be coming of age at the Sons.

He is not scared to attack teams with his pace and trickery and his signing of an extended contract last week will have been welcomed by Sons fans.

Championship Goal of the week – Mark Millar (Falkirk)

It was going to take something special to brighten up the clash between Cowdenbeath and Falkirk on a cold and wet January day.

Millar provided that 7 minutes from half time when he broke the deadlock with a fine drive from 25 yards.

League 1 Player of the week – Grant Adam (Airdrie)

Three times a Diamond goalkeeper Adam marked another debut for Airdrie by repelling all of Dunfermline’s attacks as his bottom of the table side won 1-0 at East End Park.

Adam is Airdrie’s seventh goalkeeper of the season and is the first to keep a clean sheet but he had to work hard to do it.

League 1 Goal of the week – Caolan McAleer (Airdrie)

On-loan Partick Thistle player Caolan McAleer scored his first ever senior goal on Saturday and it was a cracker. The former Linfield player struck the only goal of his side’s game at Dunfermline with a fierce drive from 25 yards that flew past his Firhill team-mate Ryan Scully who is on loan with the Pars.

League 2 Player of the week – John Sweeney (Clyde)

Clyde skipper Sweeney steadied the side for his side after a run of 4 games without a win as they defeated in-form Annan 1-0 at Galabank. Sweeney is never going to win prizes for goalscoring or flashy pieces of skill however when it comes to dependability and being there to help his team-mates out he stands out.

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

Currie was brought back to Shielfield recently for a second spell by former manager Ian Little and it looks like a good piece of business.

The midfielder put the icing on new boss Colin Cameron’s cake when he struck the fourth goal from over 20 yards out to round off a 4-0 win over visitors Stirling Albion.