Match Preview – Brechin City v Forfar Athletic
[Thursday, 07 March 2019 12:08]
Ladbrokes League 1
Venue – Glebe Park
Date – Saturday, March 9th – kick-off 3 p.m.
Admission Prices – Adults £15 Concessions £8 Parent & Child £18
League Positions – Brechin City – 9th – 27 points from 26 games Forfar Athletic 2nd – 46 points from 27 games
Previous Results this Season – Forfar Athletic 1 Brechin City 1 at Station Park on 22.9.18
Brechin City 4 Forfar Athletic 0 at Glebe Park on 10.11.18
Forfar Athletic 2 Brechin City 0 at Station Park on 29.12.18
Summary – Glebe Park is the destination for ‘Loon’s fans this Saturday as Michael Travis and his colleagues play the first game of the final quarter of the Ladbrokes League 1 campaign.
The third quarter yielded an amazing 22 points from seven wins, one draw and the solitary defeat at Links Park.
Can the Athies re-produce similar statistics from the last nine games? Not impossible the way they have been performing, but no easy task as everyone connected with the club knows and we get underway at a venue which has never been a particularly ‘happy’ hunting ground.
In fact, the Station Park players head for the Glebe keen no doubt to avenge one of astonishingly three 4-0 reverses they incurred in the first half of the campaign.
Forfar go into the game having recorded two home victories following that disappointment at Montrose. They had to fight exceptionally hard to overcome a stuffy Stenhousemuir side but then played at times some sublime football in the rain-lashed conditions against East Fife last Saturday, the final 3-0 scoreline far from flattering them.
It was a case of ‘firing on all cylinders’ against the Fifers, with all departments of the teams looking in fine fettle, the three goals shared between John Baird his 18th of the season, Dale Hilson netting his ninth, while Dylan Easton’s counter took him on to the five-goal mark.
There are no injury, illness or suspension worries for Jim Weir to contend with at present, so it could be a case of same again for the starting line-up, but you never know. A wee change here and there has been the final outcome in certain similar instances over the course of the season.
Barry Smith’s side currently sits in second bottom spot in the table, following 1-1 and 0-0 draws with Stenhousemuir and East Fife as has been the case with Forfar their opponents in their last two fixtures.
The Brechin boss brought in seven new faces in the January/February window and five of them, Sam Jamieson, Scott Robertson, Tam Scobie, Craig Thomson and Lewis Toshney were in the starting line up on Tuesday night when they secured the point against the men from Methil with a gutsy display especially when their ‘backs were against the wall’ at times in the second half.
One thing is for sure as regards Saturday’s occasion. No quarter will be asked for or given over the ninety minutes in what is always a feisty ninety minutes.
Hopefully, the ‘Loons’ management and players can count on a substantial travelling support as they continue their efforts to secure that promotion play-off spot.
Match Officials – Referee – Steven Kirkland Assistants – Kylie Cockburn & Gary Hanvidge
