I’M BACK TO HELP HUNT FOR SURVIVAL
LeWIS HUnTer took in Annan’s historic promotion party over FaceTime from the other side of the world – elation mixed with envy.
now the midfielder is desperate for a front-row seat for another club first by sealing survival – and reckons he’s returned with the leadership skills to help.
A chance of a lifetime presented itself last year to head to Auckland where he lined up for Bay Olympic.
Hunter, 26, returned to a League One side in August and with edinburgh City 17 points adrift, their hopes of staying one are alive.
Falkirk loom today and Hunter said: “I was in new Zealand for five months.
“It was a good experience, a different culture, meeting different people, a different style of football.
“Their season runs from February to August but if you get in the top four, it extends to november.
“We didn’t so it was quite a long break I’d have – that’s why I came home.
“I loved it. There are some good teams over there. It was a big risk but I’d say it has helped me in the long run now.
“It was new for me being in a changing room a lot younger than you are – I was probably one of the older ones – so in terms of leadership I gained that wee bit more experience.
“The changing room was so good at Annan, I didn’t want to leave. I knew we were going for the play-offs and promotion.
“It was good the boys got it but I was still a wee bit jealous I wasn’t there to celebrate with them all.
“I FaceTimed Tony Wallace, they were on the bus from Hamilton back down to Annan and that was a good thing to see.”
With three teams within nine points of secondbottom Annan, a play-off isn’t inviting or inevitable given wins over Hamilton and Stirling last month.
Hunter added: “I know how hard it is for the team trying to stay up, the teams below are in form.
“Two wins and we’re in with a shout. We play Stirling in the last game so if we can go into that hoping we’re within touching distance of them or Queen of the South... I don’t know if Kelty can be brought into it as well. Hopefully we can bring them into play and pick up some more results.”
Bairns boss John McGlynn is as relentless in pre-match prep meetings as he was when they didn’t boast a 16-point cushion.
At least midfielder Brad Spencer knows he’ll have wind-up merchant Callumn Morrison for company after joining Leon McCann in signing a contract extension.
Spencer quipped: “I sit next to him in the meetings – I don’t know how he breathes so loudly! I was kind of hoping he might have gone for that reason!
“I’m kidding – it’s brilliant, he brings so much to the changing room, as a lot of boys do. The extensions show everybody is committed to the club and trying to get the club up.”
Wins over Dundee United, Ayr and Queen’s Park in the cups bode well for Championship-bound Bairns. Spencer knows there is still a job to do but added: “If we keep a good core of those boys in the changing room, we’ll have a right good chance hopefully.”