Published: Wednesday, 30th December, 2009 9:18am

'09: Bittersweet year of agony and ecstasy

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Sons Boss Jim Chapman declared 2009 to be a year of agony and ecstasy in both lifting the Third Division trophy and suffering the tragic loss of his friend and captain Gordon Lennon.

When asked to sum up the year the Sons have had in the Second Division, Chapman spoke movingly of the highest highs and lowest lows.

He said: "We had a tough start, but we had come from the ultimate high of winning the Third Division to the ultimate low of losing Gordon Lennon.

"We found the Second Division a more unforgiving environment with regards to opposition punishing defensive mistakes.

"It is a constant balancing and improving act. If we play expansive football, you leave yourself more open to conceding, if you play compact then you can look negative and deny your creative players service. But we are getting more goals and becoming more competitive.

"You have to be adaptable, we can switch from four to threes across the pitch now, and that has come from work on the training ground. Rome wasn't built in a day.

"I will have been in the job two years soon and I believe we are on course for our aim to be in the First Division within five years.

"We have a good first team and a good youth structure."

Regarding the postponement of Saturday's clash with Stenhousemuir, Chapman took it like any veteran of the Scottish lower leagues would.

He said: "No doubt it was a disappointment. We are going to end up with a backlog of fixtures and the team had really been building some momentum.

"But having two weeks with out a game doesn't drastically effect the players' fitness. There is no such thing as a day off for them!

"We have been training indoors. The board have been good regarding realising the necessity for indoor training facilities at this time of year.

"If the game on January 2 is called off then we won't have a game until January 16 - and that is a problem - so we would have to arrange bounce games appropriately.

With the January transfer window now almost open is Chapman hopeful of adding to the squad?

He said: "We are always hoping and always looking - but that is not to say that I'm not very content with the crop of players we have at the moment.

"They have progressed together amazingly well. In saying that, there are also one or two priority areas that we would like to strengthen.

"You have to always be positive and looking forward or you're not doing your job. But with contract situations it can be very difficult.

"We have scouting systems in place and there is even the opportunity to take talented players from Junior, amateur or under-21 ranks.

Roughly half way through the season how does Chapman assess his teams' performance and, sitting, just four points off the play-off places does he now regard reaching them as a realistic aim?

"Yes, we are four points away from the play-offs - but only seven off relegation!

"That is football and you should never get too carried away. We are still a work in progress. I always tell the players look forward - but don't get too carried away!"