MATCH PREVIEW: Stranraer v Forfar Athletic

Dick Campbell and his ‘troops’ make the long trek to Stair Park on Saturday for their last league game of the season faced with the amazing scenario that they could finish in anyone of five positions in the final league one table.

If they record a victory over Stranraer and Ayr United were to lose to East Fife and Stenhousemuir fail to win at Brechin, they would jump from their current sixth place into fourth and with it an almost unlikely place in next week’s play-off semi finals.

On the ‘flip side of the coin’ if they fail to record a win over Stephen Aitken’s outfit and Brechin City and Airdrie United win their respective games, they could conceivably end up in the third bottom slot in the final analysis of what has been a season undoubtedly of many highs, but a few lows along the way.

The ‘Loons’ will go into the game in good spirits following last week’s win allied to a fine all round performance against Ayr United. Amazingly the home side, despite still occupying third spot in the table and with it a more or less guaranteed place in the end of season ‘shoot out’ have not recorded a victory in their last nine outings.

Since then the Stair Park side have also lost twice to the men from Station Park, notably when the visitors completed an impressive 4-0 rout in early March.

Stranraer will be hoping that striker Jamie Longworth and Martin Grehan return to form for their vital end of season fixtures, the duo having netted forty goals between them to date this campaign. Midfielder Stephen Stirling is the main man in the ‘engine room’ for the homesters. He is rated by no less a judge than our own Dick Campbell as one of the top players in the league was along with Gavin Swankie and Michael Moffat of Ayr, one of the three players outwith Rangers and Dunfermline in the SPFA League One team of the Year.

The ‘Loons’ will to into the game minus the suspended Gary Fusco and Dale Hilson, but Stuart Malcolm and Gavin Swankie return after similar bans ruled them out last week.

Mark Baxter and Martyn Fotheringham who both failed late fitness tests last week on back and rib injuries respectively will again be given until the last minute to prove their fitness. However as has been the case in recent weeks there is little doubt that Dick’s pool will be stretched to the limit as they approach the ‘final hurdle.’

A slightly larger number of fans than normal seem intent on making the lengthy trip and that will be appreciated by the players.

The man in the middle for the clash is Andrew Dallas.