Francesc Fabregas

Congratulations (once again!) to Gary Naysmith and Matty Aitken for winning the Manager of the Month and Player of the Month award respectively for January. The pair both won the award for December too. I've heard of managers winning the award in consecutive months in the past, but has a player? Regardless, it's an impressive feat and I hope they can maintain their outstanding form over the next four weeks.

I bought a PPV from Falkirk TV for this match. Other than a brief spell towards the end of the first half, the game was exclusively played out on Falkirk's terms. They thrashed Cove Rangers here, make no mistake, and the 4-0 scoreline very much reflects their overall dominance. There were so many elements I liked about the Bairns last night but I thought Tom Lang was the best player on the pitch - he kept Rurman Burrell quiet and looked assured whenever he was on the ball. The transformative effect he seems to have on this team cannot be overstated. Further forward, Brad Spencer was terrific and Callumn Morrison looked bright, scoring twice. Falkirk remind me a lot of the current Stenhousemuir team - they play in the same system with similar personnel - and John McGlynn's strategy of making his plan A better is paying dividends - a strong goalkeeper, centre-back and striker can go a long way indeed. Cove were miserable. Their strategy of contain and counter didn't work and you knew that after conceding the first, there was no way back into the game for them. Burrell grafted hard to little effect and Mikey Doyle was decent at right-back, but that was it. The first goal was a little unfortunate to have lost, as they'd done a reasonable job of smothering Falkirk, but after conceding the second, right after the interval, they fell to pieces; Gary Oliver's goal summed up how ragged they looked. Every time Paul Hartley stepped out of his technical area, he was heckled and barraged by the home support, to much amusement. After five years of appalling players, managers and off-field decisions, this season looks like blossoming into something very special for Falkirk. Fair play.

The closest Stenhousemuir have come winning a league title was in 2005/06. After the end of February, three-quarters of the way through, we were nine points clear of Berwick Rangers at the top of the table (albeit having played a game more) and 10 ahead of Cowdenbeath (who had two games in hand). It was an enormous advantage with such a small number of matches to go, yet we contrived to throw it all away and ended up finishing the season in third. The Warriors recorded 73 points that year, a club record, but had nothing to show for it, and it's a campaign that's always made me reflexively cautious about our prospects. I think everyone associated with this team is sanguine about our chances but has their feet planted firmly on the ground. I appreciate other supporters will look at the league table, look at the gap between first and second, and think: that's the season done. But all it takes is an injury to a key player or a poor run of form and all of a sudden for that unassailable lead to be whittled away and the title race to be blown wide open. For what it's worth, I've been following Stenhousemuir for 20 years and this is the most fun I've ever had.

And there we go, "Transfers Scotland" has deleted his tweet after Dumbarton's announcement. If their admin is reading this: you're pathetic and you're a worm. Retire, bitch!

No idea why anyone gives these ITK accounts the time of day, to be honest.

Hell yeah!

The word "if" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here!

A top-of-the-table clash lies in wait on Saturday as the Spartans welcome Stenhousemuir to north Edinburgh. The Spartans are in excellent form, winning their last four matches, and appear to have moved ahead of Peterhead and Dumbarton as the most credible threat to the Warriors in the title race. Stenny, meanwhile, have won 10 games in a row, an unprecedented run, and are 14 points ahead of their hosts. Despite this gap, this match has the feeling of a six-pointer: if Stenhousemuir win, it's difficult to see anyone else catching them, even at this stage; if the Spartans win, and can follow it up by winning their games in hand, they can drastically reduce that advantage and put themselves into contention. The Spartans have given us two difficult games already this season, and it took a large stroke of luck to beat them last time out at Ochilview. They're not a fantastic side, but they're probably the best team we've come up against in League 2, with strong centre-backs, legs in the middle of the park, and some tricky attackers. Cammy Russell and Rhys Armstrong are two of the best players in the division and are capable of causing us bother. Nevertheless, if we play to our capacity, we can win this. We've proved we're a good side so many times this season. Once more, the team picks itself: - Matty Aitken - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Mikey Anderson - Nat Wedderburn - - Kinlay Bilham - Nicky Jamieson - Gregor Buchanan - Ross Meechan - - Darren Jamieson - If our winning run's going to come to an end, it's probably going to come to an end at Ainslie Park on Saturday, but even so, I don't think we'll lose here. If we can come through this match unscathed, it's another huge step towards the title. Mon the Warriors!

Although we've yet to experience a major set-back - a loss of form, successive defeats, an injury to a key player - we have shown great resilience at points. We've had five red cards over the campaign and haven't lost, winning two and drawing three, and we've always seemed to fund a way to bounce back when we lose daft goals (the Spartans at home, Forfar Athletic yesterday). The spirit in this group of players is incredible.

Of course! I watched that interview! I think Marvin Bartley might actually have had a point about footballers away from training and their screen time, but absolutely no-one wanted to hear it when he's scratching for excuses to explain away his team's lousy form. (For what it's worth, I think it pales into insignificance compared to the George Galloway debacle - now that was a genuinely embarrassing moment for the club.)

What's the "Gamergate interview"? I haven't heard of this before.

The club announced earlier this morning that Mark Ferrie, Marley Sweenie-Rowe and Zak McKay have all departed. I wish the three of them well for the future.

Congratulations to Euan O'Reilly on his 100th appearance for Stenhousemuir. O'Reilly is one of my favourite players at the club and one of the most destructive wingers in the division on his day. He's a thoroughly nice guy too and I'm proud he's representing my team. Also, the camaraderie amongst this squad is terrific too. Whenever we score, all 10 outfield players celebrate together, and it's heartening to see. I'm a big mark for players celebrating in front of the Norway Stand and big Nicky Jamieson running towards the support yesterday, while Ross Meechan and Adam Brown fist-pump, was the high point of the game. What a group!

Once again, the players and management deserve enormous credit for this current run of form. Ten victories on the bounce is incredible, truly, and every week this team is making history. This is the most fun I've had following Stenhousemuir FC in my 20 years and I hope in ends in success. The Warriors were the better team for the majority of the game and deserved the victory. Other than a wobbly period at the beginning of the second half - a period which coincided with the introduction of Euan Mutale's speed and unorthodox style - the Warriors enjoyed long spells of what I'd call "sterile domination", where they were on top and in control without really creating openings further forward. Other than a Matty Aitken flick that went over the bar and a shot from the edge of the box that Marc McCallum scrambled wide in the first half, we didn't offer too much in open play, but it ultimately didn't matter because we're so good from set-pieces. Adam Brown's dead-ball delivery was flawless and Gregor Buchanan and Nicky Jamieson thumped home two well-taken headers to win the game - it feels as though every time we have a set-piece, we're going to score from it. Both centre-backs were outstanding yesterday and they've played an enormous role in our current run. Elsewhere, Ross Meechan turned in a strong performance at right-back, Nat Wedderburn got through a power of work in the middle of the park and Matty Aitken was a typical handful up front. The rest ranged from "quite good" to "good", but everyone worked hard and grafted to see the game out. Forfar are a poor side and I couldn't quite believe they scored - Stuart Morrison's well-timed finish from a deflected cross was the only positive moment from the whole match - but it was cancelled out 60 seconds later when Jamieson put us back in front. There's a relentless and an inevitability about this team. Our new recruits made worthwhile contributions too - Bradley Rodden, wearing number 80 (?), looks like a handful and Kyle Jacobs had some nice touches here and there, albeit fleetingly - and I'm looking forward to seeing them over the second half of the season. What's happened to Forfar? I can't quite believe they're in ninth but, based on today's showing, they're in a miserable place. They looked flimsy and unimaginative and other than Morrison's goal and an Andy Munro half-chance at the end that went wide, they didn't offer much at all. It doesn't help when Munro seemed keener to wind up the home support than concentrate on the game itself (and it was very satisfying to see him give it big licks at the equaliser then immediately concede the winner). There weren't many positives to take from this game and Mr Raymond McKinnon's days are surely numbered. A word on the referee - I thought he had a poor game and made a number of questionable decisions. Wedderburn was booked for an innocuous trip in the middle of the park but minutes later, Matty Yates tugged back an opponent, conceding a foul, but avoided a card. It was the same indiscretion, so why did one result in a yellow card and other not? The referee should have sent off Kinlay Bilham for a two-footed lunge on Munro midway through the second half. It was a 50/50 challenge but Bilham recklessly threw himself into it and could have seriously hurt Munro; he was fortunate not to have been dismissed. Elsewhere, I felt Aitken was fouled a number of times but the majority went unpunished. Results elsewhere went in our favour and we're in a great position at the top of the table. Next week's game against the Spartans is likely to be the most difficult we'll encounter this season. They're having a fabulous campaign, well above expectations, and although we've beaten them twice already, they've been tough matches and we did well to win them. If we can get through it unscathed and go on to have a strong January, I fancy us very strongly.

Bradley Rodden played well today when introduced in the second half and I look forward to seeing what he can bring to the team. Thank you.

There are a lot of rumours that we've signed Bradley Rodden, a 27-year-old attacker, from Alloa Athletic.

Fair play to Marry Aitken - I didn't expect much from him and I was a little confused when Gary Naysmith talked about so highly, but he's doing us a very good turn at the moment. He's scoring a lot of goals and he's integral to how the team plays.

I'm not enough of a statto to know this kind of information but I think it might have been Gretna in 2004/05 - they won 14 games on the bounce over the latter half of the season, having won 13 games in a row earlier in the campaign. Rangers won 11 consecutive games in 2012/13 (and that was part of a 20-game unbeaten streak). All three runs were in the old Third Division. Unless anyone knows any better, Stenhousemuir's nine wins in a row could be a League 2 record. Regardless, it's an incredible feat and everyone should be delighted with it. It really is boom time!

I think this might have been brought up on our most recent matchday thread but it's probably more appropriate for discussion here: three players' agreements are up very shortly - Marley Sweenie-Rowe, Mark Ferrie and Zak McKay. Sweenie-Rowe and Ferrie are both on loan while McKay signed a short-term contract in October. Both loan players should probably return to their parent clubs. Sweenie-Rowe hasn't impressed me at all and might benefit from a loan even further down the food chain a little closer to Dundee, while Ferrie has barely played and I can't imagine it's been a worthwhile experience for him or for Motherwell. Given Aitken's form at the moment, it's difficult for another striker to get into the starting XI, but even when he has featured, I haven't seen enough from him (he looked alright against Elgin City, right enough). I reckon I've seen McKay for a total of 10 minutes across a handful of appearances but he seems like a decent, low-cost, low-maintenance squad player and is worth keeping on for those attributes alone.

Stirling Albion won the division last season with 73 points (winning 21 matches, drawing 10 and losing five).

There's no chance Stenhousemuir will keep this winning streak going but it's much more likely to come to an end next weekend at the Spartans, a team we've squeaked by twice, than here, in my opinion!

Happy new year! I wish you all a rich and prosperous 12 months. League leaders Stenhousemuir - who have won their last nine matches! - welcome a faltering Forfar Athletic to Ochilview. In the summer, I thought both sides would enjoy successful campaigns. but only the Warriors are enjoying themselves at the moment - it just has not worked out at all for the Loons, who find themselves in eighth place with 17 points. Their team seems unbalanced, there's a lack of quality in attack and Mr Raymond McKinnon is hanging onto his job by the skin of his teeth. I thought McKinnon was the best manager the club could have hoped to appoint but after a promising start, he's lost the faith of the support and I'm surprised he's still in situ. Stenny haven't been fantastic in their last three matches but they are still winning. The team for this game effectively picks itself, with Edin Lynch injured and Ross Taylor suspended. Kyle Jacobs is available but will probably have to make do with a place on the bench as Mikey Anderson and Nat Wedderburn continue to thrive in midfield. Other than Jacobs and James Berry, we don't have many options to change things so let's hope this XI can do the business: - Matty Aitken - - Euan O'Reilly - Matty Yates - Adam Brown - - Mikey Anderson - Nat Wedderburn - - Kinlay Bilham - Gregor Buchanan - Nicky Jamieson - Ross Meechan - - Darren Jamieson - Given both teams' recent form, you'd have to fancy Stenhousemuir to get the three points here (with Matty Aitken sticking one away for good measure). Forfar are down on their luck and will be without principle striker Josh Skelly, sent off against East Fife last weekend, and don't appear to have a credible alternative. All signs are pointing towards a home win - if Stenny take it seriously, they'll do the business here.

We're going into 2024 top of the table, with an 11-point gap over Peterhead in second place, and we've won nine games in a row. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime run of results and will probably never be as good as this again. It's brilliant following this team right now.

A low-quality game of football but another remarkable victory for Stenhousemuir - nine wins on the bounce is incredible and everyone associated with the club should be delighted with the first half of the season. Although Stenhousemuir didn't play well - for long spells, the ball was carelessly leathered about - it was still a fairly comfortable afternoon all in. Even after Ross Taylor's dismissal, I was fairly sanguine we'd come through unscathed because Clyde were so insipid and offered nothing going forward. It was only at the death where we looked ragged and gave away a poor goal, but there was not enough time for the home side to build on it. I was surprised to see Kian Leslie played through the middle and not on the flank; he barely got a kick all afternoon. The wing-backs didn't offer a lot (and Ross Lyon was especially poor) and the midfield, although competent enough, got pushed around by Nat Wedderburn and Mikey Anderson. I still reckon Clyde will be fine come the end of the season but they have a lot of work to do - with results elsewhere going against them, this was a hard weekend. Some players did well for Stenhousemuir, others didn't. Matty Aitken was superb up front and turned in his best performance for the club. His two goals were well taken but his hold-up play and workrate were exceptional throughout; Stuart Carswell had a difficult afternoon trying to contain him. Anderson was terrific in the middle of the park and his run to set up Aitken's first goal was the highlight of the game. Euan O'Reilly was good on the left and had Lyon on toast. Gregor Buchanan defended well when called upon. Ross Meechan and Adam Brown, both reinstated to the starting XI, weren't great and I expected better from both. Taylor really let everyone down with his red card. It was a ridiculous tackle, completely thoughtless, reckless and malicious. We all know he has a petulant streak but this was completely over the top. Against a better opponent, we could have thrown away the match, and we were fortunate the Clyde didn't have the wherewithal to take advantage. It's something he needs to curb. Nevertheless, we're 11 points clear at the top of the table going into the second half of the campaign. We're doing very well just now and I hope it continues.

I suppose Clyde's immediate concern is avoiding the bottom spot (and given the calibre of player they're bringing in, coupled with Elgin City's general wretchedness, you'd have to fancy them) but there's no harm in looking towards the next 18 months - with the right manager in the dugout and the right players on the pitch, there's no reason why you wouldn't fancy them to challenge for promotion in 2024/25.