Baby buzz won't sidetrack Blair Carswell from Spartans' promotion push
Goalkeeper Blair Carswell is going to have his hands full over these next few months.
The Spartans No.1 and partner Rebecca are preparing to welcome their first child in three weeks' time, but the 29-year-old admits he is just as focused on the club's push for the play-offs.
Sleepless nights, nappy changes, cleaning up sicky milk burps, you name it, Carswell is ready for the challenges a newborn presents itself.
Fifth-placed Spartans are very much in hot pursuit of climbing the table and an opportunity of promotion to League One come May. Dougie Samuel's men lost at the final hurdle last season when they were edged out by Dumbarton 4-3 on aggregate and Carswell insists both he and his team-mates are determined to go one better this time round.
The expecting father said: "I'm going to be busy over the next while with a new arrival on the way. I've heard the good and the bad to be honest! Everything is bought for baby so it's just a waiting game now. But it's a big few months for the club as well as we try to close the gap on Elgin in fourth. As a team we've not got the results that we should have to be closer to that top four. I think it would be fair to say we've maybe underachieved so far. Hopefully we can change that and turn it into a better season than what it's been. We're always looking up the way."
Spartans missed the opportunity to narrow the gap to five points on the Borough Briggs side after being held to a 1-1 draw with bottom club Forfar on Tuesday night. Cammy Russell cancelled out Reuben McAllister's first-half opener at the Vanloq Community Stadium and despite the hosts pressing hard for a winner, they had to settle for a share of the spoils.
"To be honest the first goal was probably my fault and I should have done better," Carswell explained. "It gave Forfar a bit of a lift and something to hold on to which made it difficult for us. We got back into the game in the second half and potentially could have won it in the end, but it was tough - it's always physical against Forfar and they held onto that 1-0 lead as long as they could. It was one of those ones where if we'd snatched the points, it would have been a bit of a steal as we shot ourselves in the foot giving them a head start.
"Every team in this league is tough to play against irrespective of position in the league. You can't just turn up expecting to win. We approach every game in the same fashion. Every team is fighting and scrapping for points. We've found it difficult to string two or three wins together but it's so important in this division that you manage to do that. As soon as any side goes on a run like that, they go flying up the table or the other way if you lose three or four on the bounce. It's always very tight and competitive."
Having lost heavily to Capital rivals Edinburgh City at Meadowbank a fortnight ago, Spartans will hope to fare better against another side close to home this weekend when Bonnyrigg Rose are the visitors.
Carswell added: "The aim is always to put as many points on the board as we can so now is the time to do that. There's still a lot of football to be played so we need to stay positive. We've had a few tough results that have come our way but it's swings and roundabouts. We want to put a good run together between now and the end of the season.
"It was a poor result a couple of weeks ago against Edinburgh City. We didn't turn up but all credit to them as they kept going and didn't rest at two or 3-0. They've got a lot of confidence in their group. But our focus is on Bonnyrigg now. They are a wee bit closer to Forfar than what they'd like to be but it's always exciting when Bonnyrigg and Spartans come up against each other."