Forfar Athletic 1-1 St Johnstone

⚽️Morrison 32’

Another warm afternoon saw a crowd just short of 1,000 for this, final friendly of the pre-season as Forfar welcomed St. Johnstone to the Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park. The last time these two met, Forfar ran out 2-1 winners and fans were hoping for an equally good performance this afternoon.

The Forfar team looked like the one that drew 1-1 with League 1 Montrose last weekend, with captain Stuart Morrison also making a welcome return to the back-line. The Forfar line up also suggested real attacking intent, with Martin Rennie, Scott Shepherd and Kieran Inglis all starting. St. Johnstone would look to the experienced Adama Sidibeh and captain, Sven Sprangler, to motivate some younger faces, whilst Taylor Steven and Jamie Gullan gave The Saints an attacking edge up front.

The game started started brightly for St. Johnstone and in the 8th minute, a Steven cross found Svedberg alone at the back post, but his shot was shanked well wide. A minute later, as Jamie Gullan headed into the box, he appeared to be tripped by Forfar’s Angus Mailer and Gullan dispatched the subsequent penalty with ease - his 6th goal for the Perth outfit.

St. Johnstone would then have another couple of decent chances, Gullan getting in behind the Forfar defence, before firing just wide and then Morgan Boyes put a chance well wide from 6 yards out. In 20 minutes, St. Johnstone’s Mackenzie Kirk found himself clean through on goal, and whilst everyone in the ground could see that he was offside, we had to wait for the offside flag, even after Kirk had drawn out a great save from Forfar’s Marc McCallum in the meantime. St. Johnstone’s own number one meanwhile looked vulnerable to the pass back, and Forfar's Ross McLean, sensing this, started to rush Sinclair into making errors with his distribution.

On the half hour mark, St. Johnstone’s Taylor Steven who had been bothering Forfar’s left-hand flank all afternoon, crossed for Kirk, whose free header flew tamely at McCallum in the Forfar goal. Two minutes later, Forfar were awarded their first corner kick of the game. A perfect in-swinger from Forfar's Craig Slater found captain, Stuart Morrison, whose bullet header found the net, through a forest of players to make the scores even. This goal would lead to a decent patch of play for the home team.

In 38 minutes, Ross McLean volleyed just wide and a minute later, McLean was in action again; harrying Sinclair in the St. Johnstone goal into rushing his forward passing. Unfortunately, McLean would be injured in this challenge and had to be replaced by the attacking-minded Nathan Cannon. Forfar’s Craig Slater then saw a long-range free kick hit the roof of the net and then the Loons’ Martin Rennie tested Sinclair in the Saints’ goal.

The start of the second half saw a rash of substitutions for St. Johnstone and the away team also immediately carved out a great counter-attacking opportunity; replacement, Sidibeh, finding himself clear through on goal before being thwarted by a magnificent challenge from Forfar’s Angus Mailer. St. Johnstone fans would have been wishing that Sidibeh had started the game as he would terrorise the Forfar defence for the rest of the match. Forfar then made substitutions of their own, Rodden, and three trialists coming on for McCallum, Shepherd, Inglis and Mailer.

In 54 minutes, a St. Johnstone trialist saw a great cross evade everyone in the box and then, two minutes later, Jim Weir freshened things up again for the home team – bringing on Matty Allan and Mackenzie Lemon. St. Johnstone then secured a second penalty as Tumilty seemed to be touched by a Forfar trialist, Tumilty going down. Sidibeh looked confident as he stepped up to take the spot kick, only to see Forfar trialist goalkeeper make a world-class save far down at his right to deny the Saints’ number 9.

In 60 minutes, Forfar fans thought they had a penalty of their own as Brad Rodden, clear in on goal, went down in the box, but referee Duncan Nicoloson waved away the Forfar protests. Forfar had another couple of half chances before Nicolson would once more provoke the ire of the Station Park crowd. Brad Rodden, once more, was running through the middle of the park, in a very attacking position, before going down, clearly blocked off the ball by St. Johnstone’s Jack Baird, whilst Forfar fans and players claiming to have seen an elbow to Rodden’s face, whilst referee Nicolson was blindsided.

In 70 minutes, Mark Whately came on for Craig Slater and at the same time, St. Johnstone’s Sven Sprangler saw a 25-yard rocket come crashing back off the bar. A couple of minutes later, Forfar’s trialist keeper would once again come to the Loons’ aid as St. Johnstone’s Ola Jonathan Svedberg’s strong shot was incredibly turned around the post by the Forfar replacement keeper. More subs would follow for St. Johnstone and, as the game ticked down, they must have thought that they had a winner. The pacy Adama Sidibeh burst forwards, feeding in sub Jackson Mylchreest, only for him to see his shot come back off the post. St. Johnstone would finish the game with another couple of chances, with Jason Holt having the last chance of the game as his shot sailed well over the bar from his 20-yard shot.

St. Johnstone fans would have left Station Park feeling perhaps aggrieved: two softish penalties and hitting the woodwork twice as well as having several clear-cut opportunities to score, but they must have enjoyed seeing several new faces. Overall, this was a stern test for part-time Forfar, two leagues below the Perth outfit, but Forfar fans must have left the ground feeling maybe a bit sunburned but definitely enthused by their team’s battling performance as well as the way that the team looks to be gelling nicely ahead of the serious business next weekend. Next up, Annan Athletic away, in our opening Premier Sports Cup group stage match.

Match report by Alex Colquhoun