MATCH PREVIEW: Queens Park v Forfar Athletic

There are quite a few almost quirky similarities between Saturday’s League Cup tie away to Queens Park and the ‘Loons’ opening Petrofac tie against Montrose last weekeknd.

For a start it is again a League One v League Two confrontation.

Then again it is the first time the sides have met in competitive action for five years.

Thirdly as was the case with last week’s derby fixture, both sides ended the last campaign in play-off final action on the third weekend in May, the Spiders going down to Stenhousemuir in the League One event.

To take the comparisons a stage further, it would appear from reports that Gus McPherson’s side, like Dick Campbell’s outfit struggled to get into to top gear in last weekend’ opening salvo. In the end they had some goalkeeping heroics from Willie Muir to thank for a 3-1 penalty shoot-out success over Lowland League champions Edinburgh City at the Meadowbank Stadium.

The ‘Loons’ on their own admission gave a sluggish showing against the ‘Gable Endies.’ However Iain Campbell’s goal, a deflected strike from 20 yards with some eleven minutes to go in the tie certainly seemed to spark the home side into life and they will be looking to take that momentum into their Hampden Park visit.

Craig Smith who was in the starting line-up last week and Kerr Hay who came off the bench to some effect are both unavailable for the trip west, although Dick Campbell may well be contemplating more than one change to his starting eleven. One thing is for certain. With only twenty signed players at present and no trialists allowed in the League Cup, James Yates and Cameron Clark will come into the eighteen man squad.

The home side have not had such a large turn around of players this close season as has been the case in the past and are among the favourites for promotion. They will certainly prove a stern test for the visiting ‘Loons’ on the National Stadium’s wide open spaces.

The Athies will be keen build on last Saturday’s victory and book a place in Monday’s seeded second round draw when more than half the Premiership clubs enter the fray.

Match referee on Saturday is second season Grade One official Gavin Duncan.