MATCH PREVIEW: Stranraer v Forfar Athletic

The ‘Loons’ head for Stair Park on Saturday to play Brian Reid’s outfit, their fifth game in a fourteen day spell.
Last week saw Gary Bollan’s side take two steps forward with victories over Cowdenbeath and Albion Rovers, prior to taking a fairly major step back at Brechin on Tuesday night.

The 4-0 defeat to City was all the more astonishing coming as it came after the Athies had dominated the early stages of the Glebe Park contest.

However despite that setback, Forfar will go into Saturday’s game with still a four point cushion plus a superior goal difference over their Angus rivals at the foot of the table and still within striking distance of third bottom Cowdenbeath.

The ‘Loons’ and their Saturday opponents in fact ‘crossed swords’ only four weeks back at Station Park, the end result a 1-1 draw on that occasion.

Jamie Longworth gave Stranraer a first half lead that afternoon, Andy Ryan netting the equaliser in the 54th minute. Earlier in the season, the sides had also picked up a point apiece from a goalless draw at Stair Park, the visitors having triumphed by the odd goal in three at Station Park in late September.

The Station Park management team will head into the game with defensive problems mounting. Gareth Rodger will miss the game through suspension following his red card for two bookable offences at the Glebe, although injury may have ruled him out anyway, while Iain Campbell is also likely to be miss out alongside long term injury victim Michael Travis.

Hopefully young full back Michael Kennedy will have recovered from the bug that made him a late casualty on Tuesday past, while Michael Dunlop will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness if not for a starting berth, at least a seat on the bench.

Omar Kader is also likely to come into contention for a starting berth on this occasion.

Since their visit to Station Park on February 6th, the Stair Park outfit have drawn with Albion Rovers at home and Airdrie away, prior to their 6-1 thrashing at the hands of top of the table Dunfermline last Saturday.

They now sit in seventh place in the table, seven points ahead of their Saturday opponents.

The influential Willie Gibson who sat out the February clash between the sides through suspension could as has been the case in the past prove a ‘thorn in the flesh’ to the ‘Loons’ on Saturday.

All connected with the Station Park outfit will however be keen to put the memory of Tuesday’s night’s derby behind them and hopefully secure some reward from the 180 mile trip to Wigtownshire, before another tough away assignment at Airdrie on Tuesday evening of next week.

Saturday’s game will be handled by Lanarkshire official David Lowe who will be refereeing his third Forfar game of the campaign to date.