Forfar Athletic v St. Mirren - Match Preview
Premier Sports Cup – Group D
Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park
Tuesday 15th July – kick-off 7.45pm.
Match Ticket/Admission Details/Segregation Arrangements all as per previous match information postings on FAFC social media outlets.
The ‘Loons’ welcome St. Mirren to the Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park on Tuesday evening, the ‘Buddies’ first visit to Forfar in nearly forty years. How the home support would love a repeat of the performance put up by the players in Sky Blue back on that August evening in 1986!
The clubs have met on a few occasions in Paisley since then, Forfar fans recalling a 5-2 victory at Love Street in the League Cup in 2003 still with some relish, the most recent clash between the sides just two years ago when in winner takes all final group tie in the same competition the home side netted four times in the first half on the Athies first visit to the well appointed St. Mirren Park.
Manager Jim Weir is relishing the opportunity to take on a top Premiership side at home, acknowledging nevertheless how difficult a task lies in front of his players against a side who were the top seeds in the draw for the group stages.
The Station Park management team are hoping that the squad will also have recovered from their exploits in the gruelling heat at Annan on Saturday past. In that regard St. Mirren’s players were more fortunate though not perhaps their supporters as by all accounts the sea haar kept temperatures considerably lower at Arbroath. The ‘Loons’ manager reflecting on Saturday’s opening competitive fixture was pleased to gain the bonus point courtesy of the penalty shoot-out success, but taking the first half performance into account felt that it was a case of a point dropped.
Due to the heat it was always his intention to make a handful of changes as the second period progressed and it undoubtedly upset the rhythm of the side. The subs to be fair had also endured the worst of the conditions as the blazing sun was hitting the technical areas full on throughout. Jim and Gavin though are confident that there is a lot to look forward to with the signings of young custodian Neil Stafford and Chris Scott at the end of last week bringing the player pool numbers at present to twenty. Another plus is the fact that all of the nine new faces seem to settling in quickly to their new training regime and surroundings. Ross MacLean still remains a major doubt for Saints visit, but Marc McCallum who was on the bench on Saturday should be available for selection.
Stephen Robinson’s side had a difficult first outing against the ‘Lichties’ on Saturday past, the score at the end of the ninety minutes 0-0, the home side triumphing in the subsequent shoot-out. The Paisley outfit also had skipper Mark O’Hara sent off for two bookable offences in that game, so he will be an absentee at Station Park.
Saints have brought in six new faces over the summer months to date, three of them Roland Idowu, Killian Phillips and Jayden Richardson featuring in the starting line-up at Gayfield. The ‘Loons’ will obviously start as big time underdogs on Tuesday night, but hopefully with backing from the stand and terracing the squad will give a good account of themselves and at this early stage of the campaign, as they say you never know!
The man in the middle on Tuesday evening is Dan McFarlane who was in charge of a handful of Premiership fixtures last season.
The other fixture in the group on Tuesday evening sees Ayr United enter the fray, with a trip to Galabank to face Annan Athletic.
The ‘Loons’ third group fixture is on Tuesday week when we head to Somerset Park for a tricky clash with Scott Brown’s championship outfit, Arbroath due in town on Saturday week for a local derby clash to look forward to.
Match Ball sponsor for the visit of the ‘Buddies’ is keen ‘Loons’ supporter Steve Brown of Well Services Ltd and we thank him once again for his generosity and backing in this manner.
