Football Season Guide

Stranraer coped admirably last season with financial difficulties that forced them into a fire sale of big earners in the middle of the campaign. With a team rather cobbled together in the second half of the season, they actually sustained a push for the play-offs before falling short. As such, there is a degree of optimism about their chances heading into the new season, although there are areas of weakness that still need to be addressed. Most notable of these is in the centre-forward position. Stephen Okoh, who was their only forward in the closing weeks of last season, has been released and replaced with Isaac Layne, who has shown potential in the past but has generally flopped wherever he has gone. They have improved down the wing quite substantially by signing Mark Lamont, a tricky player who can be somewhat erratic. Meanwhile, in adding Connor McManus from East Fife and Luke Donnelly from Queen’s Park, they have signed a strong central player who will replace Ryan Thomson, who has left for Dumbarton. With Kyle Turner already in that sector, Stranraer look good in the heart of the park. The defence has largely been remodelled, with Adam Cummins, David Brownlie and David Smith all arriving over the summer. Cummins and Brownlie performed well for Queen’s Park and Airdrie at this level last season, while Smith has joined up from Dumbarton. Max Currie in goal was one of the success stories of last season, and though not an elite keeper for this level, he showed he is competent. On paper, Stranraer’s squad has improved but a lack of firepower may count against them. Given the financial problems that they had last season, there must also be doubts over their ability to dip into the loan market in the months ahead, which many clubs use to significantly enhance their squad. Nevertheless, they look a competitive team.