While the Premiership still has three more rounds of fixtures to go, the rest of the SPFL clubs rounded off their regular campaigns last weekend, and as ever, there was drama right to the last.
It was Caley Thistle who ended up in the relegation play-off spot in the Championship, Annan edged out Stirling Albion to secure survival in League One, and at the very bottom of the pile, Clyde completed their great escape and consigned Stranraer to the dreaded 42nd place.
The Stair Park side, the third oldest in the country, have been part of the senior set-up for almost 70 years, but there is every reason to believe that run could be about to end.
They kick-off the pyramid final this afternoon against East Kilbride, and the runaway Lowland League champions have to be seen as favourites to win through. Having built the club up in recent seasons, and with decent SPFL experience in their squad, the K-Park club have a winning mentality, and will clearly fancy their chances.
Their ambitious manager Mick Kennedy – well known to Dons fans for his highly publicised time in charge of Darvel – will be determined to make the step-up, and recent history is on his side.
🎟️ Our final tickets for Saturday's Pyramid Play-Off Final First Leg will be on sale tomorrow morning from 10am.
Tickets can be purchased exclusively from @Ross_Commercial K Park Training Academy
⚠️ We fully anticipate that these will sell out fast so make sure not to miss out. pic.twitter.com/gIV13eF3jI
— East Kilbride FC (@officialEKFC) May 9, 2024
The last four pyramid finals (it was not played in 2019-20 because of Covid) have been won by the Highland or Lowland League sides; Cove Rangers, Kelty Hearts, Bonnyrigg Rose and The Spartans all emerging to claim their places, and the success they have since enjoyed spells out why the play-offs have been such a welcome addition to our game.
Cove have been the best example, securing two titles and a campaign in the Championship; Kelty also won League Two, and Spartans are attempting to gain promotion in their first season, taking a 2-1 advantage to Balmoor for today’s second leg. Only Bonnyrigg have struggled, finishing eighth both years and just avoiding the shootout on each occasion.
Contrast that with the fates of the sides who dropped down.
Of the five, only Brechin City have even looked like reclaiming SPFL status, losing to Spartans on penalties in last year’s semi-final, and narrowly missing out on the Highland League title to Buckie Thistle in 23/24.
The four clubs relegated to the Lowland League are miles away from a return, and in the season just completed, Albion Rovers finished ninth – 35 points behind East Kilbride – Cowdenbeath 10th, Berwick Rangers 13th and East Stirlingshire 14th. It is going to take a massive effort for any of those to become genuine promotion contenders.
All of which heaps even more pressure on to Stranraer ahead of this afternoon’s first leg. If they lose out overall, we may never see them back in the SPFL.
The Championship and League One play-offs are all finely balanced. I would expect Hamilton and Caley Thistle to emerge in the former, but find the other two difficult to call.
Stirling Albion can be a decent team, and if they hit form, they should overcome Dumbarton’s single-goal advantage, while Spartans have been a bogey team for Peterhead, losing just one of their six previous encounters.
I will be at Balmoor this afternoon, cheering on the home side, and hope they reach League One, setting up local derbies with Cove Rangers next season.
A welcome return to form
Apparently out of nowhere, the Dons have suddenly found form and put together their best run in the Premiership all season.
Of course, it might not be entirely unconnected that the upturn in results has come in the wake of Neil Warnock’s departure!
It has arrived too late in the campaign to make it anything approaching a successful one, but it is to be welcomed nonetheless, and six without defeat is no mean feat. Even more impressive has been the sequence of four clean sheets – only Celtic have achieved that in the top-flight this season – and setting aside the Scottish Cup semi, they have found a defensive solidity previously lacking.
The aim will be to extend that even further, and to finish with a flourish, giving Jimmy Thelin a better-placed team to take over when he arrives in the summer.