cinch league2 – the Festive Period Programme

All five scheduled fixtures in the cinch league2 yesterday fell foul of the artic conditions that have prevailed for a week or so, the final postponement at Annan where Bonnyrigg Rose were the visitors coming just over an hour before kick-off.

There was never any hope from midweek onwards that the ‘Loons’ game at Forthbank would go ahead and this was confirmed following a 9.30a.m. Saturday morning inspection by locally based official Duncan Williams.

The Athies squad were given the weekend off but will be back in training on Tuesday evening followed by a closed door friendly against a local junior side later in the week as they prepare for their next league fixture, the visit of Elgin City to Station Park on January 2^nd.

The break will certainly allow a couple of the ‘Loons’ squad time to recover from minor knocks sustained at Ochilview last weekend, while Tomas Brindlay will continue to receive treatment on his ligament damage.

It would appear however that Darren Whyte sadly may be sidelined again for a period following his first half injury which saw him leave the field obviously frustrated on the half hour mark against the ‘Warriors.’

Full details of the exact nature of the problem are still awaited following a scan.

On to the the festive period programme and with three of the ten scheduled fixtures over the two weekends in the fourth tier already having been played including our joust with Stenhousemuir, only seven fixtures remain.

These games to will be played in a fragmented fashion over four match days, the full details listed below.

As you will see Forfar Athletic are the only home side in the division to have stuck with the traditional holiday date as per the original fixture plan, so hopefully we will be rewarded with a slightly larger crowd especially if the weather man ‘plays ball’ on what is the Monday New Year Bank Holiday afternoon.

Friday 23^rd December

Annan Athletic v Albion Rovers

Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic v Stranraer

Elgin City v Stirling Albion

(all above 7.45p.m. kick-offs)

Saturday 24^th December

Dumbarton v East Fife  1p.m. ko

Saturday 31^st December

Albion Rovers v Dumbarton  1p.m. ko

Stirling Albion v Stenhousemuir  3p.m. ko]

Monday 2^nd January

Forfar Athletic v Elgin City  3p.m. ko