Stenhousemuir v Forfar Athletic – match preview

Forfar Athletic head to Ochilview this Saturday for the first time since April of 2019 when they recorded a 3-0 victory.

The ‘Loons’ will travel in good heart following a return to winning ways with a comfortable 3-1 home success over Albion Rovers last Saturday.

It was their first league success since early August following a run of four draws and a solitary defeat and saw them consolidate their current fourth placing in the cinch league2 table.

It would appear that all the squad came through the Rovers game unscathed and manager Gary Irvine and his staff will be looking without doubt for a similar positive display this time round.

The standard of football on show at times last weekend was excellent, the only disappointment to the watching fans, the fact that in particular we headed in at the interval only one goal up.

However twenty minutes into the second period that situation had been rectified with counters from Scott Shepherd and Matty Aitken being added to Stefan McCluskey’s early strike.

Hamstring problems ruled Jamie Ness and Steven Doris out of the game with the Coatbridge outfit, while the good news on the injury front is that Sam Fisher continues to approach a return to full fitness.

Stenhousemuir, like the Athies appointed anew man to the helm in late April, Stephen Swift arriving to replace Davie Irons after a four year stint at charge at Lowland League side BSC.

He subsequently revamped the ‘Warriors’ squad in almost its entirety including the signing of BJ Coll from the ‘Loons’ and former Station Park midfielder Ross Forbes from Dumbarton.

Their league record to date is one win and two draws from the eight league games played.

Last Saturday they lost 2-1 at home to Elgin City, City’s winner coming with fourteen minutes of the contest remaining, two former Forfar players heavily involved with Archie MacPhee the creator, Russell Dingwall the scorer.

Gary Irvine will be especially keen to get another three points under the ‘Loon’s’ belt as the first quarter of the campaign comes to a close, especially as it will be the 16^thof October before his charges are back in action at home to Annan Athletic.

Peter Stuart will be the man in charge of Saturday’s fixture.

Edinburgh City and Cowdenbeath get the cinch league2 programme up and running this weekend with a Friday nightclash at Ainslie Park, Saturday’s other three fixtures being;-

Elgin City v Stirling Albion, Kelty Hearts v Annan Athletic, Stranraer v Albion Rovers