Stirling Albion v Forfar Athletic
[Monday, 14 February 2022 14:45]
The ‘Binos’ and the ‘Loons’ will ‘lock horns’ for the third time this season at Forthbank Stadium on Tuesday eveningwith honours even to date.
Back in early September, a Dylan Bikey strike in the 81stminute clinched the points for Albion, while exactly two months later, goals from Craig Slater and Stefan McCluskey sealed a 2-0 success for the home side at Station Park.
Tomorrow night’s clash should have originally taken place on January 22nd but that weekend Stirling were on Scottish Cup duty going down 4-0 to Rangers at Ibrox.
This past weekend, Albion lost out by the only goal of the game away to Edinburgh City while of course the Athies were inactive due to a covid outbreak within the club which also resulted in a few players having to isolate for the requisite period.
Consequently the SPFL agreed to a request from ‘Loons’ officials to have their visit to Cowdenbeath put on the ‘back burner’ but by all accounts to the delight of all concerned, Gary Irvine will be in a position to field a side though not at full strength against Darren Young’s outfit for the midweek joust.
The Forfar squad have not in fact trained for a week, but will meet up on Monday evening when a full assessment will be made and the management team will put their plans in place for the fixture due 24 hours later.
Certainly out of the reckoning will of course be long term injury victims Steven Anderson and Jamie Ness.
The home side have only won one game since the turn of the year and currently sit in seventh position in the cinch league2 table 16 points adrift of the ‘Loons’ who sit in second place.
Stirling brought in three new faces in January, Mason Hancock on loan from Aberdeen and Akeel Francis recruited from Warrington Rylands both featured in the starting line up at Ainslie Park on Friday past, Arbroath loanee Dylan Paterson entering the fray from the bench.
Forfar’s fixtures at Forthbank over the years have invariably been tight affairs and Tuesday night’s game is likely to be of similar ‘vintage.’
The ‘Loons’ will however be keen to ‘harvest’ a full points tally prior to the visit of league leaders Kelty to Station Park on Saturday first.
Scott Lambie is the man in charge of the midweek joust.
Admission prices are £14 for adults, £10 for Senior Citizens with £5 levied for students and Under 17’s. Under 12’s are admitted free of charge.
The kick-off is at 7.45p.,m.
Tuesday night’s other cinch league2 fixtures;- Edinburgh City v Albion Rovers, Elgin City v Annan Athletic
