Stenhousemuir bounced back from relegation at the first attempt under manager Brown Ferguson as they return to League One via the play-offs.
Ferguson was given the chance to make amends after the Warriors finished bottom of League One in 2016/17 and he was absolutely ruthless over the summer with 26 players allowed to leave the club. Only two players survived the cut in right-back Ross Meechan and striker and leading goalscorer Colin McMenamin.
He built his new side around the spine of goalkeeper Chris Smith, defenders Michael and Ross Dunlop, midfielders Harry Paton and Mark Ferry and striker Mark McGuigan. Paton joined on loan from Hearts, which was extended in January and he was outstanding in the middle of the park.
McGuigan joined from Stranraer and made an immediate impact as the plundered the goals which took the team into the play-off places. Ferguson grew increasingly frustrated as his side’s inconsistency however as they failed to keep pace with title-chasers Montrose and Peterhead.
They even looked like missing out on a play-off place with just three wins from their last 12 league matches but they did enough to finish the season in 4th place in the table. McGuigan bagged a brace in the second leg of their play-off semi-final against Queen’s Park at Hampden Park and they beat Peterhead 2-1 on aggregate in the two-legged final to seal promotion back to League One.
One of the keys of the Warriors’ success was being able to rely on a settled side with left-back Ruaridh Donaldson and the Dunlop brothers playing all 36 league matches. McGuigan finished as leading goalscorer with 23 goals and was voted as player of the season. If Ferguson can keep the squad together then there’s no reason they shouldn’t prosper in League One next season.
