Stranraer finished the season comfortably clear of the relegation zone, which given they were in trouble for a long portion of the campaign was a strong achievement.
Manager Stevie Farrell had a tight budget to work with and, therefore, a small squad, but though they were troubled by a handful of niggling problems throughout the campaign, they rode through the problems impressively and finished five points clear of ninth.
It was not a campaign without issues, as they started rather slowly but managed to keep on the coattails of the main pack thanks to a drip of home victories. Thereafter, their survival effort was largely based around a couple of good runs, one of which saw them take 10 points from four games and another later saw them win three in succession, including vital successes over Forfar and Raith.
Survival owed much to the arrival of a handful of excellent loan signings, with Iain Cameron vital in their attack as he contributed an impressive 10 goals, offering a strong aerial threat. Alistair McCann in the midfield, meanwhile, was a strong foil for Kyle Turner, who was once again Stranraer’s outstanding player of the campaign. Turner, though, is destined to leave at the end of the season.
Defensively, there were questions asked of the team, though their record actually matched up well with the majority of clubs in the league. That was largely tactical as they did not play in a gung-ho manner but rather used a more measured approach to their game. It underpinned their success.
While Farrell’s side were not dashing, they were functional and effective – it was the only way they could secure their survival. They are likely to face similar challenges next year, but with numerous key players set to depart, the difficulty level is set to increase for the manager and the club.
