MATCH PREVIEW: Dunfermline Athletic v Forfar Athletic

The ‘Loons’ head to East End Park on Saturday for their penultimate league fixture of the season, still despite last Saturday’s defeat at Peterhead with realistic hopes of securing the SPFL League One title.

One thing is for certain, Stranraer and Morton who moved into the first and second spots in the table last weekend cannot both pick up three points this Saturday as they clash in a BBC Alba televised fixture at Stair Park early on Saturday evening.

The 1-0 reversal in the Balmoor sunshine brought to an end a five game winning run for the Station Park men, but they will be eager to bounce back in some style over in Fife against a ‘Pars’ side who sit in seventh position in the table, fifteen points adrift of Dick Campbell’s outfit.

Dick will be forced to make at least one change to last Saturday’s line-up, although he may well be contemplating tinkling further with his starting eleven. Iain Campbell’s 93 day emergency temporary transfer is up and with Mark Baxter still struggling for full fitness, Stuart Malcolm could return in a revamped back four.

The Forfar management team and supporters will certainly be hoping that their attack minded midfield quartet and strikers will slip back to ‘full throttle’ mode as witnessed and admired pre-Peterhead.

The home side beaten 3-0 up at Brechin last week, having triumphed by the only goal of the game at home to Stranraer the previous Saturday will be without Ross Millen, red carded at the Glebe. The ‘Loons’ have picked up seven points from a possible nine against the ‘Pars’ so far this term. Second half goals from Dale Hilson and Darren Dods secured a 2-0 win at Station Park back in August, prior to Forfar’s one and only goalless draw of the campaign at East End Park in October. Then a thirty yard thunderbolt from Stephen Husband against his former team mates clinched the three points at Forfar two months back.

Many of the first team squad will have been buoyed by the success of the club’s Development Squad in midweek, having been avid supporters of the youngsters cause on many a cold Tuesday night throughout the season. In fact a few of that youthful squad are likely to boost the travelling pool over to the ‘Kingdom’ on Saturday.

Whatever the outcome of the final two scheduled league games of the season, whether the results in both secure the ultimate prize or whether Gavin and his squad have to battle on in the play-off fixtures, it has been a remarkable and highly successful and enjoyable season for the club, a season in which the supporters have most certainly played an integral part.

Again it looks as if the team will be backed by a larger than is the norm travelling ‘army’ at East End Park and all involved with the club are very grateful for this sustained support.

The match will be refereed by Edinburgh based Gavin Duncan who took charge of Forfar’s pre-Christmas home game with Airdrie.