Summer signing Kyle Fleming is prepared to put in extra work to ensure he remains part of the Stranraer team.
The midfielder made his comeback last weekend at Forfar Athletic after suffering ligament damage in his left knee in training.
The blow saw him cheering on the team from the sidelines for about eight weeks from the beginning of October.
Now, having been patient in his comeback, he is looking to do what he can to ensure he is back in the starting line-up for the foreseeable future.
He said: “Hopefully, it is behind me now.
“On Saturday, I had to warm up a bit early and do a bit of extra stuff.
“I’ll probably need to do that over the next month or two to keep strengthening it and rehab and stuff just so it does not happen again.
“The next day, everything was sore – apart from the knee!”
Being injured is not something the former Annan Athletic and Albion Rovers man has grown accustomed to.
Already, he has clocked up more than 100 career appearances and does not turn 22 until next year.
He said: “I have been quite lucky.
“I was saying to the gaffer that since I started playing senior football four years ago, I have never missed a game through injury.
“I remember walking off the pitch at training and saying to the manager that if it was a game I would have just played on.
“I did not realise until the next couple of days that I could not walk, that it was anything major.
“It turned out I had to be patient and come back.”
The Blues had to come from a goal down to secure a point at Station Park last weekend.
Olly McDonald’s deflected free-kick ensured the game finished 1-1 at a ground where Stranraer have had not had the best of results in the past.
Saturday brings another away trip as Scott Agnew’s side venture to the New Douglas Park home of Clyde.
The previous meeting saw McDonald pop up with another crucial goal as the full time whistle loomed.
Fleming said: “That’s probably been one of the highlights of the season.
“It was a tough game as well and we had to stick together.
“We will need more of the same this Saturday.
“We know it will be another hard game.”
Last meeting
A late, late goal from Olly McDonald gave Stranraer all three points against Clyde at Stair Park.
Stranraer had come close in the first half when Tom Orr broke through and squared the ball for strike partner Ben Armour. Unfortunately, his aim was off and he sliced the shot wide of the right post.
Orr should have opened the scoring when Conor Scullion was woefully short with a backpass. Orr attempted to round Jack Leighfield but the goalkeeper made the block with his feet.
Clyde had the ball in the net after the break when Ji Stevenson blasted beyond Martin McDonald – only for the offside flag to rule it out.
Armour then had the ball in the net at the other end but it too was ruled out and it looked as if the game would finish goalless. That was until Kyle Girvan flicked on a free-kick and McDonald netted from close range.
Stranraer: M McDonald, Robertson, Williamson (Hughes 69), Girvan, McIntosh, Walker (Lang 64), Dolan, Forrest, Fleming, Armour, Orr (McDonald 76).
Not used: Ross and O’Connor.
Clyde: Leighfield, Grant, Dunachie, Hynes, McCulloch, Lyon, Cuddihy, Stevenson (Duncan 89), Scullion, Mulvanny (Cameron 78), Malcolm.
Not used: Parry.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 1 Clyde 0 (O McDonald) at Stair Park on August 26, 2023
- Clyde 1 Stranraer 0 (Goodwillie (Pen)) at Broadwood Stadium on July 13, 2021
- Clyde 3 Stranraer 3 (Goodwillie x3 (Pen x1); Elliott x2 and Allan) at Broadwood Stadium on January 4, 2020
- Stranraer 3 Clyde 0 (Cummins, Robertson and Stewart (Pen)) at Stair Park on November 2, 2019
- Clyde 6 Stranraer 1 (Goodwillie x5 (Pen x3) and Smith; Hilton) at Broadwood Stadium on September 14, 2019
Last five games
Stranraer
- DRAW v Forfar Athletic (A): 1-1 (McDonald)
- LOSS v Airdrieonians (H): 0-1
- LOSS v Stenhousemuir (H): 0-3
- LOSS v Peterhead (A): 3-2 (Armour and Own goal)
- WIN v Elgin City (H): 3-1 (Forrest (Pen), Grant and Dolan)
Clyde
- WIN v Jeanfield Swifts (H): 2-0 (Scullion and Dunachie)
- LOSS v East Fife (H): 0-4
- DRAW v Forfar Athletic (A): 1-1 (Young)
- LOSS v The Spartans (H): 1-2 (Grant)
- WIN v Musselburgh Athletic (A): 2-3 (Young, Rennie and Leslie)
Last time out
Forfar Athletic
Lineup v Forfar Athletic: Budinauckas, Robertson, Williamson, Girvan, Ross, Hawkshaw, McDonald (Walker 89), Forrest, Fleming, Grant (Dolan 75), Lang.
Not used: Strachan, Sneddon and Downie.
Clyde
Lineup v Jeanfield Swifts: Leighfield, Grant, Dunachie, Hynes, Lyon, Craig (Leslie 46), Forbes (Cameron 59), Stevenson (McCulloch 89), Sula, Scullion, Rennie (Carswell 87).
Not used: Gunn, Mulvanny, Malcolm and Parry.
Five facts
1. Former defender and assistant manager Lee Mair will mark his 43rd birthday on Saturday. Starting his career at Dundee, Mair would go on to play more than 400 games during his career. Ten of those came for Stranraer with the last coming at Somerset Park on Halloween 2015. The hosts would win 3-1 thanks to goals from Robbie Crawford, Jamie Adams and Jordan Preston, with Scott Robertson scoring for the Blues.
2. In years gone by, Stranraer would travel to Broadwood Stadium for their games against Clyde. However, the Bully Wee are currently groundsharing with Hamilton Academicals. Stranraer’s last visit to New Douglas Park came in the summer of last year. Goalless at the break, Hamilton would go on to 5-2. Andy Winter, Andy Ryan and Lewis Smith scored for the hosts alongside a double from Matthew Shiels. Paul Woods scored twice from the penalty spot for Stranraer.
3. Stranraer’s most famous trip to Broadwood Stadium did not involve Clyde either. After defeating Berwick Rangers (2-0), Clyde (2-1), East Fife (1-0) and Greenock Morton (3-0), they faced St Johnstone in the final of the Scottish Challenge Cup. In front of a crowd of 5,522, Danny Griffin’s own goal was enough to give the Blues the win.
4. Travelling fans will need to cast their minds back to May 1998 for the last time they picked up three points away from home against Clyde. Alan Lansdowne’s effort 10 minutes from time was the difference. The visiting team was: Matthews, Black, Campbell, Knox, Watson, Johnstone, Lansdowne, McAulay, English (Friels 78), Kinnaird, Young (Crawford 81). Not used: Duffy.
5. If selected against Clyde, Scott Robertson will make appearance number 350 in a Stranraer shirt. In total, 331 of those appearances have come from the start.
Photos: Bill McCandlish
