Hello and welcome back to another edition of Warriors Weekly. There was a table topping derby for our women’s team over the weekend, whilst our men’s side took on Forfar Athletic looking to get back on form. Read all about that and more below!

Forfar Athletic vs Stenhousemuir

Swifty made a change to the shape in order finally get the season up and running.

Nicky Jamieson took place in the middle of a back 3 along with Dan Higgins and Sean Crighton.

Nat Wedderburn and Ross Forbes took the midfield positions with Mikey Miller and Callum Yeats wing backs.

Will Sewell and Matty Yates lead the line with Adam Brown in behind.

The hosts had the better of the opening 5 minutes as both teams tried to suss each other out. The 3 man defence holding firm though and restricting Forfar to long range shots.

10 minutes played and still no clear opening from either team. Forfar have had the best of the opening counter and the visitors have really yet to find their feet. The Warriors have tried a few balls over the top, but each time the home defence have managed to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal kick.

The Warriors had a glorious chance to take the lead on 13 minutes. Matty Yates managed to get on the end of a Ross Forbes through ball. He expertly headed down to an on rushing Will Sewell. The first time shot was destined for the back of the net but for an on-rushing Marc McCallum in the home goals with an excellent save. Best chance of the match and indiction of what The Warriors can do.

It was almost a role reversal just a few moments later. Will Sewell this time heading down for Matty Yates, but the home defence cleared before the former Stranraer man could make contact.

18 minutes and the game has it’s first corner. A deep in swinger was hit by Forbes and just missed by Jamieson.

GOAL: Just a moment later, same combination, different outcome. Forbes again whipped in a dangerous corner and this time Nicky Jamieson made no mistake and nestled his header in the back of the net. FORFAR ATHLETIC 0-1 STENHOUSEMUIR [Jamieson 20 minutes] 

The big defender ensured the score stayed 1-0 just a few moments later with a fine block in his own box.

28 minutes into the match and the game is stopped with Dan Higgins down with a headknock.

Unbelievable defending by the visitors after the restart. A fine point blank save by Brennan was followed up by another last ditch block, this time by Crighton and then another by Nat Wedderburn.

38 minutes gone and another last ditch block by Crihgton keeps The Warriors 1 up.

GOAL: A deadly breakaway saw Forbes control the ball and pass out to Matty Yates. He drilled the ball into Sewell and the striker ran at Andy Munro who couldn’t keep up. The striker saw his left footed shot nestle in the back of the net. FORFAR ATHLETIC 0-2 STENHOUSEMUIR [Sewell 41 minutes]

The half was played out with not much more goal mouth action. The hosts maybe disappointed not to have scored and only some spirited defending has stopped them.

HALF TIME: FORFAR ATHLETIC 0-2 STENHOUSEMUIR

The hosts came out strongest in the second half and dominated the opening 10 minutes. However, it was the hosts that had the first good attempt of the half with Adam Brown picking up the ball from Will Sewell, but firing a tame shot towards the keeper.

SUBSTITUTION: Scott Walker replaces Callum Yeats at left back with 35 minutes to play.

Forfar continue to push and look for a goal, but they have no ideas on breaking the stubborn visiting defence. The defence know the answers before Forfar are even asking the questions.

SUBSTITUTION: 2nd change for The Warriors with Mikey Anderson replacing Forbes in the middle of the park.

Into the final 25 minutes and The Warriors have sat back a bit. Some neat play from Miller and Yates secured a corner which was knocked wide by Jamieson. Anderson, Sewell and Yates also combining well to break open the home defence.

SUBSTITUTION: Final change for The Warriors has Will Sewell replaced by Tam Orr with 20 minutes to go.

Tam Orr is causing a nuisance and was fouled 30 yards out. Matty Yates stepped up and driven free kick was eventually met by Orr who was flagged as offside.

BOOKING: Matty Yates picks up a yellow card after a confrontation with Roberto Nditi

Last season’s top scorer had a great chance to put the game to bed 15 to play but his shot was straight at McCallum.

BOOKING: Mikey Miller fouls just outside the box on 85 minutes and picks up a booking.

GOAL: The resultant free kick is driven against the post and Roberto Nditi was first to react at the back post to tap in an empty net. FORFAR ATHLETIC 1-2 STENHOUSEMUIR [Roberto Nditi 85 minutes]

Taht set up a nervy final 5 minutes for the visitors who were desperate to hold on.

FULL TIME: FORFAR ATHLETIC 1-2 STENHOUSEMUIR

A much needed win for Stephen Swift’s side who take the 3 points back down the road.

The Warriors move up to 6th after their 2nd win of the season.

WarriorsTV spoke with Stephen Swift and Nicky Jamieson after the match. You can also find the highlights HERE!

Nicky Jameison’s performance on Saturday was awarded with a spot in the SPFL Team Of The Week. Well in Nicky!

We’re back at Ochilview this weekend as we take on Stranraer. The Blues currently sit 5th in the league, above the Warriors by goal difference. Stranraer have picked up 1 win and 3 2-2 draws so far, with 1 defeat and will be looking to close the gap on Stirling who sit 4th. The 4 meetings last season ended in 3 wins for Saturday’s visitors and 1 draw.

Admission for Saturday’s game is set at £14/9/5 with tickets being available through the Fanbase app. You can also pay at the gate.

You can also find the matchday guide HERE!

Eva Ralston has played her final game of the season. Eva scored 3 goals in 3 games this season.

We would like to thank Eva for all her hard work and wish her well in her studies in Spain.

She has been a massive asset to the team and will be greatly missed.

Once a Warrior. Always a Warrior.

Photo courtesy of Alex Todd/Sportpix

Joining the side for the season ahead are Zoë Richard-Campbell and Sarah Kelly. Zoe played in the opening two league fixtures as a trialist, scoring once and grabbing an assist. Sarah made her debut against Falkirk at the weekend. Welcome to the Warriors!

Our Women’s side have individual sponsorship opportunities for you to support your favourite player for £60!

What’s included?

– Thank you letter from the player.
– Signed photo of the player.
– Your name or a company name The Stenhousemuir FC website.

Cost
£60

How to Sponsor
Complete the below form to select the player you would like to sponsor. We will then use the contact details you have provided to send on payment details.

Contact – Andrewthomson1995@yahoo.co.uk

FORM

Falkirk vs Stenhousemuir

A table topping derby match at Falkirk Stadium was always going to be a big game. Jack Cameron had 14 players available for selection but quite a few notable abscences. Jude Connolly, Lucy Sullivan and Zoë Richard-Campbell were unavilable for the match day squad.

New signing Sarah Kelly was in the starting 11 to make her debut and Nimi Ahira was also in the starting 11 for the first time. Emma King was in goals while Paterson, Clare Wilson, Vickerman and Leah Jones made up the back line. Samantha Montgomery, Erin Wilson, Nimi Ahira and Eva Ralston made up the midfield while Sarah Kelly and Eirinn Maguire led the line.

The game got off to a fast start but neither team was able to really take hold. Both teams battled for the ball but niether could cut through the defense of the other. There was an occasional through ball which looked to cause issues but the keepers were out quick from both teams to gather.

Stenhousemuir won the first corner in the 17th minute and managed to float the ball in. It was knocked back out and found Vickerman who hit the first shot on target. It was a relatively ambitious effort and the keeper was able to comfortably collect.

On the 21st minute Nimi Ahira was hauled down on the edge of the box. Clare Wilson took the free kick and flashed it across the face of the goal but no one was able to get on the end of it.

Stenny kept up a sustained period of pressure, pushing Falkirk back into their own half but after a short water break the momentum shifted and Falkirk started to press.

Falkirk had the first real chance of the match after a chipped through ball lobbed over the head of Clare Wilson and found the feet of Wyatt. She then threaded it through to the striker, despite the Stenny appeals for offside, who managed to smash a shot off the cross bar.

The final chance of the half was a Stenny one as Montgomery got free down the right wing. She whipped in a cross which bounced around a few players before bouncing back to Montgomery in a more central position however she slashed her shot and it released the spell of pressure.

HALF TIME: Falkirk 0-0 Stenhousemuir

The second half started much like the first. An early cross from Roberts has the Stenny defense scrambling but no one in a Falkirk top is able to find the ball.

A few referee decisions raised some eyebrows with both sets of players making their concerns known. A free kick not given to Falkirk after a heavy tackle by Vickerman in particular had the Falkirk players up in arms but the ref correctly gave the throw in. Vickerman had clearly won the ball.

In the 65th minute Falkirk win a free kick ont he edge of the box. Its chipped in and finds the head of Wyatt who can only knock it off the crossbar before the Stenny defense scramble to get it clear.

A few moments later Wyatt chases down a through ball that is given as an offside but pulls up injured and goes to ground. The ref decides this is the best time to take a water break. Wyatt returns to the field but only last another couple of minutes before going down again and having to be replaced.

SUBSTITUTION: Carolanne Phee is brought on to replace Nimi Ahira prompting Leah Jones to move into the midfield.

The crowd begin to add some momentum to the Falkirk team as they find themselves getting more and more room to squeeze up the pitch.

A lobbed ball over Clare Wilson finds the foot of the Falkirk striker who turns and smashes it goalwards. Emma King pulls off a great save to keep the ball out, conceding a corner. From the corner Falkirk start to pin Stenny in. They win another freekick on the edge but Vickerman gets it clear.

Falkirk begin to gather momentum as the game moved into its last 5 minutes, with a series of attacks which had more and more venom.

GOAL FALKIRK: A lobbed ball again finds Eva Rule as she runs in and finds the back of the net, despite Carolanne Phee making claims to the referee that she was having her shirt pulled and the various appeals about what looked at first glance to be an offside goal. FALKIRK 1-0 STENHOUSEMUIR [Rule 87 minutes}.

RED CARD: During the Falkirk celebrations Carolanne Phee utters her displeasure at the referee and is given a straight red card for insulting him while venting her frustration.

Down to 10 players and with only 3 minutes remaining, Falkirk sat back and used their player advantage to keep the ball in the Stenny half.

FULL TIME Falkirk 1-0 Stenhousemuir

WarriorsTV spoke with Jack Cameron following the match. Highlights can also be found HERE!

Up next for the Warriors is a home match against Edinburgh Caledonia. Edinburgh picked up their first win of the season at the weekend as they beat BSC Glasgow 7-1 and the Warriors will have to be at their best as they look to get back to winning ways.

Match admission is free and will also be streamed live on WarriorsTV. Kick off is at 2.30pm.

STEVE BURNS MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT – 2022

Pupils to play in Steve Burns’ memory on Thursday 22nd September 2021 – Save the Date

 Schools confirmed –

AIRTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

LADESIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

BANKIER PRIMARY SCHOOL

STENHOUSEMUIR PRIMARY SCHOOL

KINNAIRD PRIMARY SCHOOL

ST BERNADETTES PRIMARY SCHOOL X2

LARBERT VILLAGE PRIMARY SCHOOL

CARRON PRIMARY SCHOOL

This is an annual event to remember Mr Steve Burns

 Is your school looking to take part in the tournament? We only have 4 spaces left!

Please email – Daniel.newbigging@stenhousemuirfc.com to register your school team.

1st Prize £250 – Ross Forbes

2nd Prize £100 – David Michael

3rd Prize £50 – David Smith

Congratulations to the £20 prize winners : Robert Beagley, Sam Thompson, Linda Gray, Lisa Somerville & James Brown.

JOIN OUR LOTTERY

The Goldline Sports Lottery is a Prize draw with four bands of entry level, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

The fees are as follows per month:

Platinum £50.00 (10 entries plus 2 complimentary hospitality places worth £150), Gold £20.00 (4 entries) Silver £10.00 (2 entries) or Bronze £5.00 (1 entry) per Month. The cash prize grows with the number of players involved with guaranteed cash prizes every month of £500.

On joining the Goldline Community Sports Lottery you will receive your unique Membership number(s) corresponding with the entry level you have selected, after having received it you will be entered into the Monthly Draw for cash prizes.. Winners are announced every month and if you win the money will be paid directly into your bank.

1. Set up a monthly standing order for either £5, £10, £20 or £50 to the following account

Stenhousemuir FC

800674

06000848

You can set up a standing order simply through your bank app on your phone, on-line or in your local branch. You can also cancel this at any time with no long-term commitment and no cancellation fee.

2. Send a confirmation email to info@stenhousemuirfc.com confirming membership level (bronze, silver, gold or platinum), full name and contact number and what date of the month your standing order is set for.

Every new member will be welcomed on social media (if they wish) as a thank you from the Club. We wish to showcase the many hundred’s of people who care about our Club and celebrate their backing. If you would like a thank you on social media please email a photograph over with your application.

We spoke to a member of the media team last week and we’re keeping that theme going this week. A lot of work goes into producing media content for the Warriors. Each member of the team has their own role but this person puts in a lot of time to ensure that the club outputs the best social media content it can.

Ian Fitzpatrick joined the Warriors in April 2021 as the Head Of Marketing and Communications but what does his role actually entail?

“I look after everything at the club in regards to marketing. You’ll mainly see this in forms of social media content, but also includes any visual branding around the club and stadium.”

A lot of what you see on our men’s social media channels is produced by Ian, but what does a normal week look like working in the role?

“A generic week can be pretty hectic. As most of the volunteers, I have a day job, so need to fit it any Club tasks in the evenings. Starting on Monday, I plan out all the week’s Social Media content. Make sure that I’ve got all the player media selections done to ensure that every player’s getting their fair share of exposure across our social channels. I also create the the Infographic for the next match and schedule that for Tuesday’s send.

On Tuesday night I need to create and schedule the Wednesday Wallpaper graphic. Thursday night is spent writing up the Match Preview for the weekend and creating all the graphics that sit alongside that and have it scheduled to go out on Friday afternoon. This can take a good few hours to create all the graphics and transcribe the preview interviews that are done by Reece or Cammy on Thursday night at training. I also create a Matchday Media Pack to ensure that the Media Team have all the information and stats that they need for Matchday. Friday night is spent creating the matchday graphics. Again, another few hours work ensuring that Matchday can go relatively smoothly!

Saturday is general matchday activity. I usually get the team lineup around 11am, so can get the graphics built and scheduled ready to go out at 2pm. During the match is spent either tweeting out the match or writing up the match report. On Sunday I need to ensure that all the website information has been updated.

I also need to start the next week’s cycle. All the cameras and batteries that we use on matchday need to be charged and any SD cards need to be formatted ready for the next match. The ‘Up Next’ graphics need to be crated and posted. Should we have a home game next, I then need to create the tickets on FanBase app and update the Twitter bio with the latest match details! It’s a lot of work every week and all these tasks are doubled up if we have a midweek matchday.