MATCH PREVIEW: Forfar Athletic v Stranraer

Forfar Athletic and Stranraer will do ‘battle’ for the second time this week when they clash at Station Park on Saturday afternoon.
The home side will go into the game on a high after they re-kindled their outside hope of a promotion play-off spot with a 4-0 victory, coupled with one of their best displays of the season down at Stair Park on Tuesday evening.

The ‘Loons’ will go into the game minus the services of Darren Dods, harshly sent off in Tuesday night’s fixture. However the fact that the ‘Loons’ were forced to play for over an hour with ten men made the margin and manner of the victory all the more creditable.

That apart the Station Park outfit have no fresh injury worries, although Odmar Faeroe, Mark McCulloch and Keith Gibson remain on the sidelines.

However Stephen Aitken who has done such a fine job in his first full season at the helm at Stranraer will look on their last two results, Tuesday’s defeat having been preceded by a loss of similar ‘vintage’ at Ayr, as merely a blip and will be keen that his players respond and get their already impressive campaign back on track. Skipper Frank McKeown will return after serving his one match ban to bolster a side who have a play-off spot well within their grasp. However Scott Robertson serves a one match ban.

Remarkably with only eight games remaining in the season, both sides will meet again on the scheduled season’s final day in early May back down in Wigtownshire.

As we enter the ‘finishing straight’ in racing parlance, ‘Loons’ officials and players after a disappointing performance at home to Brechin last Saturday will be hoping that the form shown in excellent midweek performances at Somerset and Stair Park can be re-produced on Saturday in front of their loyal home fans.

Saturday’s joust will be refereed by Mat Northcroft a familiar face at Station Park in recent times.

The match is sponsored by Graham & Sibbald Ltd.

Forfar Athletic season ticket holders should utilise voucher 20.