Forfar Athletic v Edinburgh City – match preview

The ‘Loons’ entertain Edinburgh City in the third round of the Scottish Cup at Station Park on Saturday, twelve weeks to the day since both sides qualified for this stage of the competition.

Back in early January, the Athies triumphed 4-1 after extra-time at home to Linlithgow Rose, while City who had beaten Caledonian Braves in the first round had an excellent second round success winning by the only goal of the game away to Airdrieonians.

The clubs have only met in the cup once before back in the second round in the autumn of 2016, the Capital City side’s first season in the SPFL.   

After a draw at Meadowbank, it was the visitors who triumphed 1-0 in the midweek replay at Station Park.

Stuart Malcolm’s side will without a doubt go into the tie buoyed by their best showing of the season to date at Firhill on Tuesday night when they more than deserved a share of the spoils from the 2-2 draw with Partick, but in the eyes of many deserved to have reaped a richer reward for their efforts over ninety pulsating minutes.

Changes will have to be made to the starting line up for Saturday within fact five of the Station Park playing squad ineligible for the game, due to having been cup-tied for their previous clubs.

Unluckiest in that regard is Callum Moore who only came on in the dying seconds of the extra-time period in Dundee’s tie with Bonnyrigg Rose.   Others who will have to sit out the clash are Grant Anderson, Andy Munro, Martin Scott and the most recent acquisition to the ranks Michael Anderson.

Marc McCallum absence on Tuesday evening due to being down south with everyday work commitments returns to the squad while two-goal Scott Fenwick and Scott Shepherd who linked so well together up front against the ‘Jags’  will be hoping to cement that partnership further.

Jordan Allan scorer of two of the extra time counters in the last round, Jordan Northcott, Gary Irvine and Graeme Holmes and Hamish Thomson who were all on the bench in Glasgow will be vying for starting berths as the home side bid for a last sixteen spot in the national tournament.

Edinburgh City managed by Gary Naysmith who took over the reins early in March currently sits second in the League Two table, seven points adrift of leaders Queens Park.

They have made a great re-start to their league campaign with four wins in ten days, three on the road, the last of these a 3-1 success at Cowdenbeath on Tuesday evening, the prolific Blair Henderson netting a brace.

Former Station Park striker Ouzy See is now back in City’s ranks, while on loan Livingston midfielder Raffaele De Vita has been getting rave reviews since ‘hostilities’ resumed.

All in all, it should be an intriguing tie even behind closed doors with a few pundits this week predicting success for the away side.

On the day the ‘Loons’ will be hopefully up for the challenge and prove those ‘experts’ wrong!

Premiership official Steve Kirkland from Ayrshire is the man in charge of the tie.