‘Loons’ clinch Forfarshire Cup in penalty shoot-out

Forfar Athletic clinched victory in the 2014/15 Forfarshire Cup Final at Gayfield last night courtesy of a 5-4 penalty shoot-out success, the sides sharing six goals in the regulation ninety minutes in a highly entertaining contest.

Before an amazing crowd of 577, both managers took the opportunity to field the fringe and younger members of their squad,  In fact the ‘Lichties’ had three of last Saturday’s  starting line up on show from the kick-off, the visitors four.

The home side took the lead within ninety seconds of the first whistle, Andy Munro the scorer.   Forfar drew level with a Lewis Allan penalty on the 25 minute mark, after the striker had been impeded in the box, Kerr Hay despite frantic home appeals for off side putting the Station Park men in front five minutes later.
Seconds before the break, Keiran Stewart netted a deserved equaliser for the Gayfield outfit.
Within four minutes of the re-start, Chris Templeman regained Forfar’s lead, following a mistake by the home custodian.   However parity was restored in the end to end battle with the goal of the night from the homesters David Gold on the 74 minute mark.
It was on to the penalty shoot-out and the visitors could not have got off to a worse start when Danny Denholm blasted well wide of the mark with their first effort.  Arbroath netted their first four spot-kicks, Lewis Allan, Craig Smith, Martyn Fotheringham and Gavin Swankie all doing the business for the ‘Loons.’    Up stepped Jamie Clarke for the ‘Lichties’ with a chance of glory only to see young Jason King pull off a superb save to deny him.
Michael Kennedy then with some aplomb slotted home the first of the Athies ‘sudden death’ efforts, Kieran McWalter blazing his effort over the bar and the trophy was Station Park bound.

Forfar lined up – King, Yates, Kennedy, Dunlop, Nicoll(Travis), Hay(Hodge), Smith, Fotheringham, Templeman(Denholm), Swankie, Allan
Subs not used – Gallacher, Clark, O’Brien, Robertson