Stranraer v Forfar Athletic – Match Preview

The ‘Loons’ head for Stranraer on Saturday on the back of their cup tie success at Musselburgh to meet a home side who also tasted victory in the national tournament last weekend.

However Jim Weir’s side have not had a midweek to remember with a nightmare and at first what looked like an innocuous collision during a short sided training game on Tuesday evening ruling Marc McCallum and young striker Cormac Christie out of the trip to the Eco Gen Stadium @ Stair Park. Marc is in fact likely to be sidelined for at least four weeks with a broken nose the outcome, this following over a dozen stitches being inserted in the wound in Perth Royal Infirmary late on the Tuesday night. Cormac will also be sidelined for a period with a bad gash on his knee.

Manager Jim Weir admits the scenario is a devastating blow to the club, but it is an opportunity for 18 year old on loan Neil Stafford to impress between the sticks. Neil on loan from Hamilton Accies has put in a handful of solid performances in the five KDM ties to date and will now make his league debut in Wigtownshire on Saturday. A frantic hunt to bring in a back up keeper in on loan has not proved successful to date but the manager is hopeful the situation will be resolved prior to kick-off.

This apart Forfar’s starting line up in the deep south is likely to be on similar lines to last week, Scott Bright returning to the match day squad having been unavailable for the cup tie, though Jamie Richardson and Lewis Lorimer who both impressed when called into the fray in the final half hour at Olivebank could come into contention. Kieran Inglis is still ruled out into the bargain, leaving the player pool stretched ahead of a busy November.

Jim Weir though is still confident that his players can build on last Saturday’s win which brought with it the reward of a visit from Partick Thistle in round three against a home side who had an excellent 3-1 away win at Edinburgh City in their last league fixture two weeks back, Finn Ecrepont with a brace and Daniel McManus their marksmen in the Capital City for Chris Aitken’s side.

The ‘Loons’ clinched all three points courtesy of a Stuart Morrison goal against Stranraer on the opening day of the current league campaign and will go into Saturday’s game on the back of two three point hauls at the same venue last term.

Josh Hay the man in the middle at Stair Park who was incidentally in charge of last weekend’s televised cup tie up at Formartine will be refereeing a Forfar Athletic fixture for the first time.

This Saturday’s fixture has the usual 3pm. kick-off, admission prices at Stair Park as follows;-

Adults £15
Concessions £10
16 & under £5

Saturday’s other William Hill League2 fixtures – Clyde v Dumbarton, Elgin City v Annan Athletic, Stirling Albion v Edinburgh City, The Spartans v East Kilbride