MATCH PREVIEW - Peterhead v Forfar Athletic

The ‘Loons’ head north this weekend as league leaders tom take on a Peterhead side who were the last to ‘lower their colours,’ Jim McInally’s men winning a tousy midweek tussle between the teams in March by the odd goal in five.

In fact Forfar have only won once in eight visits to the Balmoor Stadium. That’s the bad news out of the way first!

Dick Campbell’s ‘troops’ will go into the match on the back of a superb five game winning run and an excellent all round performance against Airdrieonians last time out, which has seen them leapfrog Stranraer and Morton in the table, setting up three of perhaps the most important games in the club’s history for nearly thirty years.

Mark Baxter is the only doubt in an otherwise injury free squad, Stuart Malcolm who returned to the bench last week after his indiscretions on the Athies last visit to Peterhead having had sixty minutes of worthwhile action in a Development League fixture on Tuesday night.

Sadly this will be Iain Campbell’s final game of the season for the Station Park outfit, as his 93 day emergency loan period expires on Monday and he will return to his parent club Cowdenbeath.

The home side still with an outside chance of making the end of season play-offs, bounced back in style from the loss of two early goals away to Ayr last Saturday to secure a 4-2 victory, Jordon Brown who had a short spell on loan to Forfar from Aberdeen a few years back which was sadly curtailed by injury netting twice.

Despite the loss to the ‘Blue Toon’ side last month. The ‘Loons’ players will be heartened by the fact that they have recorded two home wins over their opponents this term. A Danny Denholm goal secured the points in September, while a brace from Chris Templeman and a Gavin Swankie counter set up a 3-1 February success.

Forfar’s squad will prepare well for the fixture as due to some very generous sponsorship from a handful of supporters, they will travel to Peterhead on Friday evening, alleviating an early morning rise and up to a four hour journey for the players based in Edinburgh and the central belt in particular on the Saturday.

The referee for the clash is former Scotland cricket team skipper George Salmond now in his eighth season as a Grade One official.

Station Park officials have been keen to emphasise in recent weeks that this attempt by all involved to return after an absence of over twenty years to the second flight of Scottish football has to be a real ‘team’ effort and this has certainly been the case in recent weeks with the superb backing the players have received from the terracing.

This perhaps was emphasised by the reception the players received when leaving the pitch at Ochilview two weeks back and the eruption of noise from both stand and terracing when Michael Dunlop’s header landed in the net in the 89th minute of last week’s encounter.

That level of support is certain to continue on Saturday with perhaps up to 200 fans due to follow their side by coach and car, not forgetting the fact that one intrepid fan is cycling all the way to the game in a very good cause. 

Everyone of you have a part to play.