Stenhousemuir v Forfar Athletic – match preview

Forfar Athletic head to Ochilview on Saturday for a cinch league2 clash with Stenhousemuir which on paper looks certain to be a close and tense affair.

Only one point separates the sides in the league table with eight games remaining, the ‘Warriors’ in fifth place while the ’Loons’ are a place below.

On a similar vein, there is nothing to separate the sides over the three games they have already contested this season, with four points and four goals apiece.

Back in late August, the visitors triumphed 2-1 at Station Park, goals from Stefan McCluskey and Ben Armour clinching all three points with a similar score line in the central belt just before Christmas.

A 1-1 draw was then the outcome of the third meeting at Forfar just six weeks back, Sean Crighton netting an early counter for the visitors, McCluskey the home goal scorer also in the first period of the contest.

The Athies go into the game on the back of a 2-0 midweek defeat at Stirling, following an impressive home success over Annan last Saturday.

On Tuesday past the visitors were more than comfortable throughout the first half in all departments against the now league leaders, but Albion took a firm grip on proceedings in the second period to the disappointment of the ‘Loons’ management team and no one present could have begrudged the ‘Binos’ the three points come the final whistle.

Despite having created a hatful of chances especially in the second period of the clash with Annan, similar chances to say the least were few and far between in the midweek joust.

This will undoubtedly be a scenario that Ray and his backroom team will be keen to rectify tomorrow.

Whether that will lead to changes in the starting line-up only time will tell, but options are still limited despite a major easing of the injury situation.

Nathan Flanagan missed out against his former team mates on Tuesday evening due to illness and hopefully will be back in contention tomorrow.

Saturday’s opponents under the control of Gary Naysmith since early January had an unexpected day off last weekend when their scheduled fixture at Elgin was a victim of a late morning inspection.

The previous week the ‘Warriors’ went down 2-1 at home to East Fife, their leading scorer Matty Yates on the mark, goalkeeper Curtis Lyle one of four new faces introduced early in the year replaced at half time by Jay Cantlay.

The ‘Loons’ squad have turned matters around in remarkable fashion since December in particular and our SPFL existence which looked to be on a ‘shoogly peg’ at one point now looks secure.

However what would be a remarkable acquisition of a play-off spot come early May is still now within grasp and there is no reason why the current group of players with the support of all concerned at the club cannot achieve that aim, starting by picking up points from what are undoubtedly two difficult away fixtures tomorrow and at Dumbarton next midweek, prior to the visit of Albion Rovers on April 1^st to the ‘toonie’

Experienced official Gavin Duncan who was in charge of our visit to the Dumbarton Stadium in early November is the man in the middle tomorrow.

East Fife entertain Elgin City tonight in the opening game of the cinch league2 card this weekend, tomorrow’s other three fixtures seeing the top two Stirling Albion and Dumbarton go head to head at Forthbank,  the bottom two Albion Rovers and Bonnyrigg Rose meet at Cliftonhill, while Annan Athletic are at home to Stranraer.