Summer signing Cammy Williamson feels Stranraer fans are yet to see him at his best, despite starring for the Blues in the opening weeks of the season.
The full-back suffered an ankle injury against Ayr United in pre-season and missed the first three games.
However, since getting into the team, he has not looked back and been an important fixture in the new look defence.
A fortnight’s break for international duty allowed Williamson to edge ever closer to full fitness and he is hopeful there is still room for improvement.
He said: “Last weekend in the first half against Peterhead, that was probably the best I have felt.
“The East Fife game at Stair Park, I felt pretty good.
“But, towards the end of the game last week, I started to struggle a wee bit.
“I would say there is still more to come from me.
“The gaffer and the rest of the team have been pretty good in giving me time to rest.
“Just so I can get over the last wee hurdle and I managed to get some treatment through the physios.
“The break probably came at a good time.”
Starting his career at Motherwell, the 20-year-old moved on to Falkirk and made six appearances for the first team.
A breakthrough campaign at Annan Athletic saw him make 28 appearances for the Dumfries and Galloway side.
Williamson was one of the first players to join the Agnew era at Stair Park when he made the move from the east of the county.
The Galabankies are battling it out in League One but Williamson was won over by his future manager when they talked about the potential move.
Williamson said: “He was very honest with me and told me the way he wanted to play.
“He spoke to me about the group of boys and he told me that if I do everything I can then there is a place in the team for me.
“There is no reason why I cannot play every week and go and kick on from there.
“It seemed like a good place for me, personally, and I liked everything about it.
“He told me about the club, he told me his plans, who he was looking to get in and everything seemed right and suited me.”
The Blues have enjoyed a fruitful start to the league season with three wins and two draws from the opening five fixtures.
On Saturday, they travel to the familiar venue of Ochilview to face a Stenhousemuir side just three points behind them in the table.
Williamson was predicting a tough encounter but was hopeful the visitors would extend their promising early season form.
He said: “They have got experience there in Gregor Buchanan and Nat Wedderburn.
“It will be a tough test but we will go into the game believing we can win the game and trying to win the game.”
Last meeting
The second game of the Scott Agnew era brought Stenhousemuir to Stair Park at the end of April.
There was little between the two sides before some slack play allowed Dylan Forrest to square the ball to Matty Grant. Curtis Lyle managed to touch the shot onto the post but could not keep it out as the Blues led at the break.
The second goal came 10 minutes after the restart and again owed partly to defensive indecision. The ball broke kindly to Finn Ecrepont and he marked his final game in a Stranraer shirt at Stair Park by slotting it through goalkeeper Lyle’s legs.
There was one other moment to remember: Luke Watt collected a loose ball in the centre circle and beat Lyle all ends up, only for it to come back off the crossbar.
Stranraer: Scullion, Ross, Ecrepont, Watt, McIntosh, Brady (Robertson 80), Gallagher, Walker, Forrest (Hawkshaw 74), Grant, Hilton (Mitchell 86).
Not used: Malcolm and Downie.
Stenhousemuir: Lyle, Crighton, Corbett (Miller 60), Lowdon, Jamieson, Wedderburn, Forbes (Brown 60), O’Reilly (Speirs 67), Anderson, Yates (Orr 60), Reilly.
Not used: Yeats and Brennan.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 2 Stenhousemuir 0 (Grant and Ecrepont) at Stair Park on April 29, 2023
- Stenhousemuir 2 Stranraer 1 (Yates x2; Walker) at Ochilview Park on January 7, 2023
- Stranraer 3 Stenhousemuir 2 (Hilton, Grant and Gallagher; Yates and Orr) at Stair Park on November 12, 2022
- Stenhousemuir 3 Stranraer 1 (Sewell, Jamieson and Crighton; Hilton) at Ochilview Park on September 3, 2022
- Stenhousemuir 1 Stranraer 3 (Brown; Ross and Hilton x2) at Ochilview Park on April 23, 2022
Last five games
Stranraer
- WIN v Peterhead (H): 2-1 (Orr and Fleming)
- WIN v Clyde (H): 1-0 (O McDonald)
- DRAW v Bonnyrigg Rose (A): 1-1 (Lang)
- LOSS v Annan Athletic (A): 3-1 (O McDonald)
- DRAW v East Fife (H): 1-1 (Orr)
Stenhousemuir
- WIN v The Spartans (A): 0-1 (Berry)
- LOSS v Dumbarton (H): 2-4 (Aitken x2 (Pen x1))
- WIN v East Fife (A): 0-2 (Buchanan and Brown)
- LOSS v Rangers B (H): 1-2 (Lynch)
- DRAW v Peterhead (A): 0-0
Last time out
Stranraer v Peterhead: M McDonald, Robertson (Ross 82), Williamson, Girvan, McIntosh, Walker (O McDonald 73), Dolan, Forrest, Fleming, Armour (Hughes 84), Orr (Lang 73).
Not used: O’Connor.
The Spartans v Stenhousemuir: D Jamieson, Meechan, Buchanan, N Jamieson, Bilham, Wedderburn, Brown (Berry 89), Taylor (O’Reilly 79), Anderson, Kirkpatrick (Lynch 65), Aitken.
Not used: Sweenie-Rowe, Yates and Lyle.
Five facts
1. It was quite simple last season in the encounters between Stranraer and Stenhousemuir: the home team won. That was the first time it had happened since the mid-1980s.
2. Tomorrow (Saturday) marks the birthday of former Stranraer defender and manager Neil Watt. As well as playing more than 100 games for the Blues, he, of course, guided the club to back-to-back promotions from the fourth tier of Scottish football to the second. He turns 61 tomorrow.
3. Former Stranraer man Matty Yates has scored for both Stranraer against Stenhousemuir and for Stenhousemuir against Stranraer.
4. Yates scored a double in the second contest between the sides at Ochilview Park last but you need to cast your mind back to Boxing Day 2015 for the last time there was a hat-trick in a game involving the two sides. The Warriors actually opened the scoring through Ross Meechan before Stranraer scored three in as many minutes. Craig Malcolm levelled things before Jamie Longworth and then Sam McCloskey turned the game on its head. Malcolm would net two more after the break to complete his treble.
5. That goal was McCloskey’s only strike for the club. He made 26 appearances for the Blues, with the majority coming off the bench. His debut came at home to Brechin City in August 2014. The visitors led 2-0 that day through goals from Colin Hamilton and Craig Molloy before Stranraer bounced back thanks to goals from Adam Forde and then Stephen Stirling – who would go on to play for Stenhousemuir – direct from a corner. The Stranraer team that day was: Fahey, Rumsby, Pettigrew, McKeown, Robertson, Marenghi (Stirling 57), Aitken (Forde 46), Gallagher (McCloskey 88), Malcolm, Longworth, Winter. Not used: Longridge, Deazley and Tobin. McCloskey now plays for Troon alongside a number of former Blues.
Photos: Bill McCandlish
