The squad returned from Portugal and after a friendly with Fulham the focus was on the first leg of the Europa League against Stjarnan. New signing Josh Law scored a couple and it seemed our path to the next round was clear but we conceded two penalties and had to travel to Iceland with the tie at 2-2. We contrived to lose the return in extra time despite leading for most of the game. It was a bitter blow and we were to be knocked out of the League Cup and Scottish Cup before the end of November.
A happy manager!
Results in the league soon revealed that we were not to enjoy the luxury of competition in the upper reaches of the table and for it took until the end of the year for us to crawl away from the playoff place. The season started with a scrappy home win against St Mirren then a run of four straight defeats without a solitary goal. The sparkle and confidence that had taken us to the heights only a few months earlier had gone and we struggled to find a solution. Ojamaa returned on loan from Legia Warsaw and hopes were high that he might be the catalyst we needed.
A win in Dingwall and an unexpected draw at Parkhead kept us off the bottom but another losing streak, five games this time, ended with an away loss to St Johnstone at Halloween. We controlled the first half, had the lead but lost the game. Stuart McCall had an appropriate haunted look as he tried to explain the result in the post-match media interviews and announced his departure 48 hours later. He argued that a change of manager was needed and left with the grateful thanks of all who had enjoyed the success he had delivered. A cup final and league finishes in 3rd, 2nd and 2nd places made his term one of the best in our history.
Kenny Black stood in until Ian Baraclough was appointed. The former Sligo Rovers manager was not a name known to ‘Well fans but he seemed a good fit for the job and by the end of the year there were signs of a fragile recovery. The final three matches of 2014 resulted in seven points taken from our rivals at the low end of the table and we entered the New Year with a welcome breathing space above Ross County and St Mirren.
The second half of the year also delivered some encouragement from the Well Society. Fundraising had raised over £500,000 but the club’s losses meant that further funding was required to enable fan ownership to become a reality. Les Hutchison, a local lad made good, stepped in to offer funding that would give the Society a five year window to take control. Final details are yet to be announced but it would appear that we’ll be in new hands by 2015.