STENNY SIX-POINTER

If ever there was one, this is the proverbial six-pointer and a game that will go a long way to decide who gets automatic promotion to the Championship come five o'clock on the 2nd of May. If not entirely a must win game, it's definitely a must not lose encounter. We still have the postponed fixture against Peterhead away to contend with and at this stage of the season and with our campaign agonisingly unravelling in a tortuous manner, there are no guarantees that three points at Balmoor is a given. Ahead of this game, it's still in our own hands, a defeat removes that option.

Danny Devine missed the KDM Final through injury and although Chanka Zimba played in it, was on the park, he is suspended for this crucial League1 clash. A number of our players never turned up for the Final, some say they haven't arrived yet, but here's hoping they get that no show out of their system pretty quick. It's not up to me, but surely we need more grit and determination in midfield and we don't get that from Chalmers. What does Calum MacLeod and Ben Brannan need to do to get a game? Does Liam Sole not realise he needs to get his finger out and deliver the goods he often promises? Alfie Bavidge is a striker. Play him as one. Time to play our best XI from the start. If that means getting more out of David Wotherspoon then so be it. Is it time to roll back the years and get Billy Mckay on the park as well, although he was not in the squad at Firhill? Plenty of questions for Scott Kellacher to ponder, let's hope he has all the answers because defeat here could signal another season in the doldrums.

🦀 Sideways football, it's not for everyone 🦀

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Match/Ticket/Bus/Info

📺 LIVE on BBC Alba 📺

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Inverness CT 58pts	THE RUN IN	Stenhousemuir 60pts
STENNY v ICTFC - 📺	11th April @17:30	STENNY v ICTFC - 📺
Peterhead v ICTFC - 📺	14th April @19:45	STENNY - No ⛔ Game
ICTFC v Kelty Hearts	18th April @15:00	Cove v STENNY
East Fife v ICTFC	25th April @15:00	STENNY v Alloa
ICTFC v Accies	2nd May @15:00	Montrose v STENNY

With our season imploding somewhat, we never turned up for the KDM Trophy Final against Raith Rovers who deservedly took the win last Sunday 4-1.

• Last Six League1:

• D W D W D D

A disappointing no scoring draw at Kelty where we struggled to create enough clear chances and allowed the pack to close in again before a 3-1 home win over Montrose. With Stenny drawing and Alloa losing in midweek, we had a smidgeon of breathing space going into the home game against Cove but that was taken away by a goalkeeper. Balint Demus headed in an equaliser because we failed to put the game to bed when on top. A common theme throughout the season and one which Stenhousemuir took full advantage of by snatching a last minute winner. We bounced back in midweek with a good 3-1 home win over Peterhead with as bizarre an 'offside' goal as you will see gifting the Head their consolation. Zimba x2 & Alonge were our scorers in that one, three going on six. Zimba was Hero to Zero at Alloa scoring the equaliser before being sent off ten minutes later with the game ending at 1-1 and our last League1 game was a poor 1-1 draw under the lights v QotS where Ross Millen followed up on his saved penalty to bundle home and earn us a point. Onto the the KDM final and the only bright spark for us was Alfie Stewart's superb free kick. Alas we gave our opponents too much respect and too many opportunities to take the ball from us and for that we suffered badly.

Scott Kellacher with the copy & paste pre-match. A few struggling after last weekend. No specific players named so that should open up the tombola selection. Just a thought here. Is our squad too big for League1 and is that why we have this selection out of the hat rotation? With 22 or 23 to pick from that brings it's own headaches. If a club only has say 15 quality players then barring injuries and suspensions, there's your players for a more settled and consistent first choice. To be honest, I don't envy Kellacher's job, however it's time for the top XI to start at Ochilview.

Stenhousemuir's relentless drive for promotion continued last Saturday with a confident 3-0 win over Hamilton Accies with goals from Dunfermline's on loan Ritchie-Hosler, Ross Taylor and Greg Buchanan.

• Last Six League1:

• W D W W D W

They have been churning out results all season and have taken 14 points from their last six League1 fixtures, a run that has taken them two points clear of the Caley Jags who are hell bent on drawing their way into the Championship with their over cautious approach. It all started with a 1-0 win at Accies thanks to Olly Whyte's goal on the hour. A 1-1 draw followed at QotS where Nicky Jamieson's first half goal was cancelled out on the hour by Guthrie. Ross Taylor was the match winner at Peterhead with a last minute strike and he scored the opener in the next game against Kelty Hearts with Matty Aitken adding a late second in a 2-0 win. A surprising 2-2 draw with a battling East Fife after goals from Buchanan and Anderson had them cruising for all three points. The Fifers turned it round with two goals in a minute, the first from Nathan Austin baby. Last time out they scored an emphatic 3-0 win over Accies with Ritchie-Hosler, Ross Taylor and Greg Buchanan wrapping up the points which put them two ahead of the Caley Jags who will have a catch-up game to come against Peterhead next Tuesday.

🏆 Gary Naysmith has been named Glen’s League 1 Manager of the Month for March 2026. Can't argue with that given the unbeaten run the Warriors are on.

• Ross Taylor had to come off injured against Accies or was that just a precaution. Has an eye for a goal out of nothing.

• Ritchie-Hosler on loan from Dunfermline has given Stenny an extra dimension.

• Olly Whyte and Matty Aitken are big threats in front of goal.

• At the back Nicky Jamieson and Greg Buchanan are as solid as a rock.

• 🏟️ Ochilview Park

• 🏆 William Hill League One

• 📅 Saturday 11 April

• 🕑 17:30

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Stenny	32	22	60
2	ICTFC	31	32	58
3	Alloa	32	15	50
4	QueenS	32	6	46
5	P'Head	31	-9	42
6	Monty	32	-13	41
7	Cove	32	-5	31
8	E Fife	32	-26	31
9	Accies	32	8	25
10	Kelty	32	-30	23

I don't give a feck if I sound like a broken record. The decision was wrong and on the day it cost us two points. The bottom line is it needs to be addressed by the SFA or the SPFL whoever is the governing body for the referees.

We would not hear the end of it had it happened in an old firm derby in a title decider.

We were not discriminated against or cheated unless you count Anderson falling as being cheating. We were undone by incompetence.

I am not a prophet, that's a hypothetical question about Tuesday, have you seen it yet?

Let's all play by the rules then there's no issue if we get a penalty given against us, or for us for that matter.

This one really is on the referee and his bosses.

4 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

The decision was wrong

In your opinion, Fine. That’s why we love the game, everyone has one.

bc

Edited April 13Apr 13 by big cherly

4 hours ago, tm4tj said:

I don't give a feck if I sound like a broken record. The decision was wrong and on the day it cost us two points. The bottom line is it needs to be addressed by the SFA or the SPFL whoever is the governing body for the referees.

We would not hear the end of it had it happened in an old firm derby in a title decider.

We were not discriminated against or cheated unless you count Anderson falling as being cheating. We were undone by incompetence.

I am not a prophet, that's a hypothetical question about Tuesday, have you seen it yet?

Let's all play by the rules then there's no issue if we get a penalty given against us, or for us for that matter.

This one really is on the referee and his bosses.

We got a penalty against Queens which was wrong. Thankfully we didn’t lose the game because of it. Swings and roundabouts.

Nothing wrong with QotS penalty. Have another look and tell me again. Mckay was pushed in the back. If not he scores.

Tell Scott Kellacher that.

Somebody needs to make them accountable or the same mistakes will go on and on and on. This is how they learn.

We move on and lessons still not learned and we won't be the only suckers that suffer at the hands of incompetence.

@PaulChalk4

👀

ICTFC boss Scott Kellacher expects THIRD referee apology this season over StenhousemuirFC penalty – but says ‘title race is still in our hands’.

It's no just me, trust me

I'm all for the 'we should have taken advantage when we were on top' stuff, but these massive and flagrant rule discrepancies are endemic in our game, especially at the lower level.

If we want to get better refereeing we need to out of this league, but to get out of this league we need better refereeing. Catch 94!

Be better in Bar94

I wouldn't hold out much hope for better refs in the championship btw.

Fwiw, I found it very telling that Scott says he's not complaining just because we dropped points, he mentioned seeing one of the worst ever decisions in a 3-1 against Peterhead but I can't think of what decision that was because the game was well won by then.

Last thing I will say on here ref refs is that, even in a premiership game on Saturday, a ref gave a controversial decision (well according to Marvin Bartley) that ended up being very costly to Livingston in their fight for survival.

Let's hope for better tomorrow night!

Celtic supporters claim Steven Maclean as the VAR referee who recommended the penalty for Hearts on Saturday seem to think he wouldn't know a penalty if he saw one. When asked about this Josh Meekings said 'not that old chestnut again. When the ball smashed into my hand, sorry face, it happened so quickly it was only a few Celtic players who thought my hand, sorry face, was in an unnatural position. Thought we beat Falkirk fair and square in the final. We did not complain when Carl was sent off for a last man challenge some 100 yards from the goal line.....'

So get every player motivated to beat Peterhead tonight and move on.

On 4/12/2026 at 11:00 PM, CaleyTennis85 said:

Oh and he was raging about the decision, I could tell by the way he stormed over to the Alba interview that he was furious! I was too, let's hope it doesn't cost us the title 😡😡😡.

If we don’t end up winning div 3 title it won’t be down to a penalty award to Stenny. Far simpler more fundamental repeated causes I would proffer.

bc

Edited April 14Apr 14 by big cherly

1 hour ago, big cherly said:

If we don’t end up winning div 3 title it won’t be down to a penalty award to Stenny. Far simpler more fundamental repeated causes I would proffer.

bc

It's easy enough to say, but it might be a fact yet.

If my granny had wheels she would have been a bike...

I just think a game of this magnitude deserved a decent ref. Thats all.