Forfar Athletic 0 Cove Rangers 1

SPFL 1 League 1

Station Park, Forfar

Saturday 26 December 2020

No, Stuart Malcolm wasn’t smiling much in the wake of this latest defeat for Forfar Athletic. That would have been a stretch after a 1-0 loss to Cove Rangers that leaves the Loons bottom of League One. But there was plenty of defiance coming from the manager’s mouth despite the obvious disappointment at a result that leaves Malcolm's side winless in five league starts at Station Park.

  Citing no lack of effort from the home players, the Forfar boss was left to bemoan the sorts of failings that have sadly been a feature of his sides’ performances lately. Genuine chances to score, for example, were at a premium. John Robertson’s effort from a narrow-angle that struck the keeper’s left-hand post was as close as Forfar came to scoring in the opening 45-minutes. 

  “That was a tight one to lose,” sighed Malcolm. “There were periods in the first half when it looked like we were about to ignite and take a grip of the game. We were doing well, defending our box exceptional well. Yet again, I can’t fault any of the boys for their work-rate. We never really got that grip on the game though, certainly in terms of our possession of the ball, even when we got into a couple of decent areas.”

  Indeed, scoring remains an issue for Malcolm’s men. Five goals in nine games, including five blank sheets, is a clear indication of a team struggling to convert chances into goals. Ironically, given the long list of injuries to stoppers that have clearly hampered the side’s progress, the defence has actually been less of an issue than might have been expected. And so it was again against Cove, a fact Malcolm was quick to acknowledge.

  “Into the second half, we were again a little cheap when in possession of the ball,” he said. “But our defensive work maintained its high standard. We’ve been fighting a fire in that area of the pitch a lot of the time this season. That’s not news or an excuse. But we’ve been struggling to get bodies in defensive areas. Young Kyle (Dalling) played last week but we went with the more experienced combination of Ross (Meechan) and Gary (Irvine) today. Our shape and the way we apply ourselves is never in question. In the second-half today we had numerous chances to counter Cove. But the final pass or final touch was what let us down.

  “One bit of magic turned out to the difference between the teams. It was a well-worked goal and sometimes you just have to applaud that. (Goalkeeper) Marc (McCallum) made a couple of excellent saves. That’s what he is there to do and what we expect him to do. So, all in all, it’s easy to see where we could have got something out of the game. But their little bit of quality was enough to beat us.”

  Still, there is, according to Malcolm, hope on the near horizon. Absent since leaving the pitch after only seven minutes of the 3-0 away loss to Cove on November 7th, centre forward, Steven Doris, is close making a much-needed return to action.

  “The boys are trying very hard to do everything we are asking them to do,” continued Malcolm. “But for some players, the roles they are playing don’t come naturally. When Steven comes back that will change. He will provide a focal point. He’s naturally gifted at taking the ball into feet and will change the dimensions and dynamics of the team. Some of the players we have were signed to play with Steven. The plan was for them to provide the legs and energy around him. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get him on the park to see all of that in action. 

  “Still, Steven is back training. He’s done two sessions with Mark Farrell. And he did the warm-up with the boys before the match today. He’ll be in and out of both training sessions this coming week. So hopefully he will be involved in at least part of the game next week. And the week after he should be ready to go.”

  Malcolm’s analysis makes sense. The 32-year old Doris will provide the nous and experience that the likes of Jordan Allan, John Robertson and Scott Shepherd - all aged 24 or younger - naturally lack at this early stage of their careers.

  “Every player will benefit from Steven’s return,” added Malcolm. “We can hit balls right to him, into his body. He’s a natural ‘hold-up’ striker. At this level, he’s probably one of the top three-or-four forwards in that department. If the ball goes to him it doesn’t often come straight back. The other strikers will see how they can play off his shoulder into areas behind or across the face of the opposing defence. Jordan, for example, is an out-and-out goalscorer. He’s a penalty-box striker who would surely do well playing alongside Steven. And Scott’s legs and energy will see him running through when Steven holds the ball up.”

  All of which sounds good. Let’s hope the practise matches theory.