Forfar Athletic v Peterhead – Match Preview

Venue – Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park – ko 7.45pm.
Tuesday 17th December, 2024
William Hill league 2 – match no 15

Stand admission charges are;-
Adults £16
65 & over £10
Under 17’s £5

Terracing admission charges are;-
Adults £15
65& over £10
Under 17’s £5

Payment on the day by cash at turnstile. If anyone would like to purchase a ticket online in advance, they can be purchased at https://forfarathletic.ticketco.events/uk/ie/m/e/forfar_athletic_v_peterhead Please note that anyone purchasing a concession or u17 ticket online may on the day be asked to produce proof of their age and entitlement to a concession ticket, failing which entry to the ground with their online ticket may be refused.

Forfar Athletic Season Tickets are of course valid for this fixture.

1984 Lounge
The 1984 Lounge at the ground will be open to supporters from 6.30p.m. to 7.45p.m. (It will not re-open after the final whistle)

The Refreshment Kiosk and Club Shop will be open as usual at the fixture.

50/50 tickets will be on sale from vendors within the ground and pre-match in the 1984 Lounge.

PREVIEW

The Alpha Project Stadium @ Station Park will stage an un usual occurrence these days on Tuesday night, a midweek league fixture when Peterhead are the visitors, following the postponement of the William Hill League2 fixture due to flooding on November 23rd. Incidentally that was only the second time that a match at Forfar had been called off due to the state of the playing surface since a 3G pitch was first installed.

Since that the postponement the home side have seen an upturn in fortunes that has delighted all concerned with the club, a Scottish Cup penalty shoot-out success being followed by a five star showing against Bonnyrigg on Saturday past.

Manager Jim Weir and his players though are not getting carried away and know that tomorrow night’s contest against the second placed ‘Blue Toon’ outfit will be another difficult task with undoubtedly a hard fought ninety minutes in prospect. Jim though has been delighted with the response he has had from the players since returning to the club. He was particularly pleased on Saturday past when he saw aspects that all have worked at on the training pitch over the past three weeks carried forward to match day action. However he is conscious that the ninety minutes in store under the lights on the back of Saturday’s display and result will give another important indication as to how the squad have progressed over those past three to four weeks.

Of course the ‘talk of the town’ on Saturday evening was Russell McLean’s second hat trick in successive games the first time the feat has been achieved by a Forfar player since the 1960/1 season and in fact the first time a similar goal scoring performance has been recorded by an SPFL player since 2018.

The success achieved in such a pleasing manner against Bonnyrigg was far from being a ‘one man band’ with all the players who wore the sky blue colours on the day playing their part in an at times breathtaking display of attacking football from front to back. Special mention to Cammy Logan and Blair Malcolm who were so heavily involved in many of the raids on the ‘Rose’ penalty box from their initial defensive positions.

A word too for Josh Skelly and Matty Allan who opened their scoring accounts for the campaign.

Although the manager hopes that Finlay Allan and Mitch Taylor will return to training this week from illness and injury respectively, Tuesday’s night’s game will come too quick for them, while Bradley Rodden will require a late fitness check after taking a knock on Saturday past.

Peterhead following a 3-2 reverse at Balmoor against Montrose in the cup, lost out by a similar score line against Clyde at Hamilton a week past Saturday, a game watched by Jim Weir and Gavin Price, before defeating league leaders East Fife 1-0 on Saturday past up north. Former Forfar midfield player Jordon Brown is co-manager of the visitors alongside Ryan Strachan, three others who wore the ‘Loons’ colours in recent times, Seb Ross, Ben Armour and Conner Duthie in the visitors squad. In fact it was Seb who broke Athies hearts back in mid August securing a 2-1 win for his new side up at Peterhead with a 90th minute strike.

Hopefully buoyed by recent results and despite the midweek slot, Forfar fans will turn out in numbers to continue their recent superb backing of the players.

Alex Shepherd is the referee for the clash.

Thorntons Solicitors were the sponsors of the original fixture date while hospitality groups on the day organised by Daniel Buchan, Jamie Milne, Ryan Todd, Keith Thomson and Pauline Lindsay all had an excellent afternoon following the midday postponement, despite the lack of action out on the pitch.

A few representatives from these parties who are able to make it along for the re-arranged date will receive half-time hospitality tomorrow evening in the 1984 Lounge.

The only other game scheduled in League2 for Tuesday evening is up at Elgin where Clyde will be the visitors. A visit to New Douglas Park to face the ‘Bully Wee’ is on the ‘menu’ for the Loons on Saturday first, before Stirling Albion provide the festive Station Park opposition for the Athies on the 28th of the month.

C’mon the ‘Loons’