MATCH PREVIEW: Stranraer v Forfar Athletic

The ‘Loons’ begin their league campaign down at Stair Park tomorrow, the same venue that last season ended with a defeat back on the first Saturday in May.

They will travel to meet a side who undoubtedly ‘punched well above their weight’ last term with many observers, Dick Campbell included, feeling that manager Stephen Aitken deserved the accolade of League One Manager of the Season for his efforts.

Stranraer have also made a fine start to the new campaign, late goals securing a Petrofac Training Cup win over Dumbarton and a League Cup success over East Fife.

Forfar will head south minus the services of Darren Dods and Stephen Husband, both of whom will serve one match bans for accumulating a sixth yellow card in the dying embers of last season for the ‘Loons’ and ‘Pars’ respectively. Stuart Malcolm will return from his cup tie suspension last week as the obvious replacement for Darren, while James Dale or Gavin Malin are the likely candidates as Stephen’s replacement.

Injury again rules out Martyn Fotheringham, with Mark Baxter remains a doubt. Schoolboy international defender James Yates is added to the squad who will make the long trek south.

Manager Dick Campbell and in fact all associated with the club took heart from a much improved performance at Kirkcaldy last Saturday, victory on the day snatched from their grasp and they will make the journey in good heart, hopeful of picking up all three points as they did so convincingly in a midweek joust at Stair Park in mid March.

The match will be refereed by Ayrshire based Kevin Graham.