The Highlanders endured a nightmare end to the season as a downward spiral saw them miss out on a place in the play-offs. The 2015/16 campaign ended in bitter disappointment following a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Clyde in a two-legged play-off semi-final and was followed by the loss of midfielder Dylan Easton to Clyde during the close season. Experienced manager Jim Weir pulled off a coup however by re-signing striker Shane Sutherland from Peterhead whilst retaining the services of playmaker Brian Cameron and leading goalscorer Craig Gunn and they made a positive start to the new season. They were the nearest challengers to Forfar Athletic until the beginning of winter and then remained well-placed behind Arbroath until their form collapsed at the start of spring. They had been unable to repeat their incredible form at Borough Briggs but improved on the road and earned a fourth round Scottish F.A. Cup tie with local Premiership rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle which they narrowly lost 2-1 at Borough Briggs. The Highlanders conceded a 93rd minute winner to lose 1-0 away at Stirling Albion at the end of February and failed to win any of their last dozen league matches. Seven points from a possible 36 saw them slip from third to fifth place in the table and miss out on a play-off place by just a point to Montrose. The loss of Shane Sutherland to a serious knee injury proved to be crucial, as he finished as leading goalscorer with 24 goals in all competitions, and was voted player of the season. Brian Cameron had another outstanding campaign with 16 goals from midfield but Weir’s disappointment at their failure to finish in the top four was clear and has raised questions about his future at the club. He accused a few of his long-standing players of losing their edge and feels it’s time to bring a freshness to the club.
