Forfar Athletic manager Jim Weir is looking forward to the return to William Hill League 2 action when his side visit Dumbarton on Saturday for what will be pre-season friendly fixtures, including the club’s 22nd match of the season to date, and we are only just into October month.
Jim, his staff and his players are now looking forward to seeing the season settle down slightly over the next period leading up to the end of the calendar year, with in the main a one-game-a-week schedule.
The ‘Loons’ head into the clash with the ‘Sons’ on the back of a victory over Annan Athletic in their last league outing two weeks back, in the interim having fulfilled three matches in the KDM Trophy.
The management team have been delighted by the players’ attitude in that trio of fixtures which culminated in two hard-fought victories to keep our hopes of progressing to the knockout stages alive for now.
The Athies also return to league action with our player pool in a healthier state, with Matty Allan, Ross MacLean and Adam Livingstone all available, the latter two of course due to face up to a former club on Saturday first.
On the minus side injury-wise, Jake Dolzanski picked up a knock against Formartine which will rule him out for the trip to the banks of the Clyde, while at least one other first team regular will require a late fitness check.
Very much on the plus side, however, is the quartet of loan signings who have been unavailable to the club in the Challenge Cup, Jack Wyllie, Marcus Syme, Ethan Crombie and Luca Perrie return to the match day squad.
Jim would be delighted if the players could pick up their first competitive away win of the campaign against Frank McKeown’s side; the three points that would be gained from such a scoreline would move the club within touching distance of the pre-season target points-wise that the manager had in mind for the first quarter of the league campaign.
Jim, though, does acknowledge that our opponents on Saturday have a good home record to date, including an impressive 3-0 win over Spartans two weeks back. They would also appear to have recruited well in a major player shake-up during the close season, with fifteen new faces arriving at the last count.
That group include goalkeeper Mason Munn on loan from Rangers, who impressed in six outings for the ‘Loons’ last term and two of the marksmen in the win over the Capital City outfit, Deryn Lang, formerly of Stranraer and Josiah Sowa on a temporary transfer from Queens Park.
Last season the ‘Loons’ recorded two victories over Saturday’s opponents, 4-1 the final score in the shadow of Dumbarton Rock as well as 2-0 on home soil. The second fixture at Dumbarton ended in a 2-2 draw, the ‘Sons’ winning 3-2 earlier in the campaign at Forfar when Leighton McIntosh on the day proved too hot to handle for the home defence.
Hopefully a few of the ‘Loons’ faithful will make the trip west to lend their support in a match which is without doubt of some significance to both sides even this early in the campaign, and we whisper it a top four placing is a possibility for the visitors if those three points can be secured.
Match referee on Saturday, Euan Birch will be taking charge of a ‘Loons’ fixture for the first time.
Admission prices at Dumbarton are as follows –
Adults £15
Over 65’s & Students £10
Under 16s £5
Tickets can be purchased in advance through Fanbase, but are also available from the ticket window at the ground on a match day from 1.30 p.m.
The Community Suite within the main stand at the stadium is open to all supporters from 1.30p.m.
Saturday’s other William Hill League2 fixtures: Annan Athletic v Stirling Albion, Elgin City v Clyde, Stranraer v Edinburgh City, The Spartans v Kelty Hearts
