The Wee Gers endured another disappointing campaign which ended with a huge sigh of relief after securing their Football League status on the last day of the season. They had finished the 2015/16 season with a huge sense of optimism under manager John Coughlin, who had hit upon a winning formula with a 3-5-2 formation that was spearheaded by striker Blair Henderson, who had notched 17 goals. That optimism was soon punctured however when the out-of-contract Henderson opted to move to Stirling Albion instead whilst influential midfielder Finn Graham joined League One side Brechin City. Coughlin brought in defenders Kevin McKinlay and Lee Hamilton from Stirling Albion whilst striker Steven Thomson was an inspired signing from Lowland League side Musselburgh Athletic. They made a promising start to the season and were as high as third place before inconsistent results saw them slide down the table and into another relegation battle. They weren’t helped by a terrible disciplinary record with midfielder Michael McKenna red carded on a four separate occasions. Injuries to first-choice goalkeeper Kevin Walker saw teenage understudy Sean Brennan thrown into the action and he played a huge part in their survival with an injury-time penalty save in a crucial 3-2 win away at title-chasers Forfar Athletic at the end of March. The signing of striker Greg Rutherford as a free agent in mid-October was another important factor as he notched ten goals but it was the left-sided Thomson who stood out as the Wee Gers outstanding performer. He missed just three games and scored 13 goals, the last coming in a 3-2 win over Edinburgh City at Shielfield Park on the last day of the season which ensured they would be playing League Two football again next season. They had the worst defensive record in the division and will need to improve on that if they are not to be fighting against relegation again next time around.
