MATCH PREVIEW: Forfar Athletic v Arbroath

The ‘Loons’ go into what is their penultimate home league game of the season, an appetising local derby against the ‘Lichties’ on the back of a disappointing four game run without a victory.

In fact the only point gleaned from those four games came from the club’s first 0-0 draw in over 100 competitive games at East End Park last Saturday.

Those results mean that the Station Park outfit have only the faintest of hope of a play-off spot at the top end of the table and it would certainly require a three game winning run, allied to an amazing sequence of results elsewhere up to the 3rd of May to see that hope realised.
However the home players should need no other incentive than the normal derby atmosphere to lift their game this coming weekend.

The Forfar management team will hope to welcome back skipper Gavin Swankie to the ranks after he missed Tuesday night’s match at Ibrox through illness. Thankfully no further injuries were reported following the 3-0 reversal to the runaway league leaders, it is unlikely that any of the handful of players who missed the match through either long or short term injury will be fit for Saturday’s clash.

Paul Sheerin’s side travel to Station Park following an excellent 4-2 win over Stranraer at Gayfield last Saturday, Paul McManus who moved from Station Park in January again one of their goal scorers.

That results saw the Gayfield outfit throw themselves a lifeline at the foot of the table, moving within four points of East Fife who currently sit in the play-off spot.

The spoils have been shared to date this season between the sides, each having recorded a victory at Gayfield, while a 1-1 draw was the outcome of the December clash at Station Park played in horrendous overhead conditions.

Last Saturday’s performance will no doubt have encouraged a reasonable number of fans to make the 15 mile trip to back the ‘Lichties’ in what is their ‘hour’ or is it ninety minutes of need and ‘Loons’ officials and players will hope that their loyal band of supporters will turnout in reasonable numbers for what on paper should be a hard fought contest.

The game will be refereed by Ayrshire based Des Roache who took charge of the September fixture at Gayfield between the sides and also Forfar’s visit to Airdrie four weeks back.

The match is sponsored by exiled Forfarian Raymond Simpson now domiciled in Buckinghamshire who will be accompanied on a now annual ‘sortie’ by a few of his mates from the Red Lion in the village of Longwick.

Home season ticket holders should utilise voucher 22