Stenhousemuir get the first chance to pressure Partick Thistle
A preview of all five Scottish Championship matches on MatchDay 13, from the top two and a meeting of fourth and fifth to the two sides on seven points.
By Harvey Watkins,
Stenhousemuir go first on MatchDay 13, at Ochilview Park on Friday night, and the order matters. They sit second on 23 points, two behind Partick Thistle with a game in hand. A win over Livingston would take them to 26 and leave the leaders needing to answer against Greenock Morton at Firhill the following afternoon.
The case for Stenhousemuir rests on the table rather than the recent run. Two wins, a draw and two defeats in their last five is respectable, but three goals scored in that spell is a modest return for a side this high up, and they have conceded six. Livingston, sixth on 17, have the same record over five games with more goals at both ends: five scored and four conceded. Stenhousemuir won the most recent meeting 1-0 away to Livingston, which suggests they can handle a tight game against this opponent, though one result is not much to build on.
Partick Thistle have the strongest recent form in the division: four wins and a draw from five, ten scored and two conceded, and a goal difference of plus 11 that is comfortably the best in the league. Morton arrive ninth on seven points with two wins and three defeats in five, and lost 1-0 at home to Partick last time. If Stenhousemuir win and Partick draw, the pair would be level on 26, with Partick's goal difference far healthier. A Partick defeat in that scenario would leave Stenhousemuir a point clear.
Fourth against fifth at East End Park
The other match with a direct bearing on the upper half is Dunfermline against Inverness. Inverness are fourth on 19 and only Partick match their four wins from five, with nine scored and two conceded in that run. Dunfermline are a point behind with a game in hand and unbeaten in five, although three of those were draws and they scored only four goals. The last meeting finished 0-0 in Inverness, and both sides' recent defensive records point towards another close game. An Inverness win would take them to 22, above Raith Rovers if Raith fail to win, while a Dunfermline win would lift them to 21.
Raith Rovers travel to Gayfield
That puts some weight on Raith's trip to Arbroath. Raith are third on 21, but their last five have been uneven: two wins, a draw and two defeats, with five scored and six conceded. Arbroath are eighth on 11 with one win in five, three goals scored and nine conceded, and a goal difference of minus 11. Raith won the most recent meeting 4-0. The gap between the sides is clear on paper, but Raith's own form does not suggest a side running away with anything.
Seven points apiece at the bottom
Greenock Morton and Queen's Park share the foot of the table on seven points, Morton with a game in hand and Queen's Park with the league's worst goal difference at minus 13. Queen's Park visit Ayr United, who are seventh on 12 and won the last meeting 2-0 away from home. Ayr's run of two wins, a draw and two defeats, scoring five and conceding four, is ordinary, but Queen's Park have one win in five and have conceded eight. Arbroath, only four points above the bottom two, will have an interest in both results.
My view is that Friday's match carries most of the round's significance, and Stenhousemuir's lack of goals makes it less straightforward than their position suggests.