Match Preview – Stenhousemuir v Forfar Athletic

Ladbrokes League 1

Venue – Ochilview

Date – Saturday, October 20th – kick-off 3 p.m.

Admission Prices – Adults £13  Concessions £8  Under 16’s £3

League Positions – Stenhousemuir – 7th place – 9 points from 9 games   Forfar Athletic – 8th place – 9 points from 9 games

Previous result this season;- Forfar Athletic 2 (Baird 30 mins. MacKintosh 36 mins.) Stenhousemuir 0 at Station Park – 25.8.18

Summary – The ‘Loons’ head to Ochilview this Saturday at the beginning of the second quarter of the league campaign, keen to say the least to get back to winning ways.  

In fact, their last three-point haul came against the ‘Warriors’ on the last Saturday of August and since then their record over five outings has been two draws and three defeats.

Certainly, the player availability position for Jim Weir would appear to have improved over the two-week break since the disappointing end result against East Fife with long-term injury victim Michael Kennedy apart, only Andy Munro rated as a doubt and requiring his fitness to be assessed up to kick-off.

In the interim since the game with the Fifers, the Athies players have been hard at work on the training ground and most of the squad had a run out in a closed doors game against Peterhead.

A major plus factor in that game was the return to action of Hearts loanee Lewis Moore after a three-week break and he certainly looked back to his best netting a brace against the ‘Blue Toon’ outfit.

Ross Cunningham and Mark Hill have also had some game time in the interim playing for their parent clubs in SPFL Reserve League fixtures.

Stenhousemuir have picked up all their nine points on home soil courtesy of three victories, the first over Brechin City on the opening day of the campaign, this followed by three point hauls against Dumbarton and Montrose.  

The latter came two weeks back, a 3-2 win clinched by an injury-time counter from Mark McGuigan who was on the Station Park books a few years back.

As with Jim Weir, ‘Warriors’ manager Brown Ferguson has brought in a host of new faces since clinching promotion through the play-off route in mid May, fourteen in all, seven of whom were in the starting line-up against the ‘Gable Endies.’

A hard-fought ninety minutes will no doubt as ever be on the cards and hopefully, more than a few of the Station Park faithful will make the 130 odd miles round trip to give Michael and his teammates their full support.

Match Officials – Referee –  Lloyd Wilson  Assistants – Graham Chambers & Jim Burns