Musselburgh Athletic v Forfar Athletic – Match Preview

Musselburgh is the destination for the ‘Loons’ on Saturday in the second round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.

Jim Weir readily recognizes that it is a big game for both clubs with a third round place up for grabs with the financial rewards alone that brings with it. Jim commented that he noted in one press article this week that the writer stated Saturday’s clash was a ‘cup final’ for the hosts, but Jim is under no illusion that it is a game of similar stature for his own ‘troops’ into the bargain.

The manager admits that the pressure is undoubtedly on Stuart Morrison and his colleagues, being the SPFL club and sitting two tiers above the ‘Burgh’ in the pyramid system, but Jim is confident it is a task they can handle. However the ‘Loons’ players will go into the contest having been made well aware by the management team of the task in hand against a side who won the East of Scotland League last season, narrowly losing out in the play-off for Lowland League status.

Forfar head to East Lothian on the back of a hard fought point gained against a Clyde side going great guns at present last weekend, again the failure to convert a couple of perhaps not gilt edged chances the difference between one point and three.

Kieran Inglis remains on the sidelines, but thankfully skipper Stuart Morrison and Craig Slater who both picked up knocks late in the contest against the ‘Bully Wee’ should be fit and ready for action. Of the loan players currently on the books, only Scott Bright has been refused permission to play by his parent club in this instance of course St. Johnstone.

Our opponents recorded a 3-1 win at Dundonald Bluebell last Saturday on league business and sit just one point adrift of Jeanfield Swifts in their league standings with a game in hand. As mentioned earlier in the week they head into the tie on the back of a remarkable thirty one game undefeated run in home competitive fixtures, Bonnyton Athletic and Vale of Leithen having been put ‘to the sword’ in the two previous rounds this term of the national tournament. Last season Liam Burn’s side reached the fourth round of the competition before losing out to Hamilton Accies in South Lanarkshire.

Like the ‘Loons’ who in October welcome Matty Allan and Stuart Morrison to the century of appearances ‘club’, Musselburgh players have achieved a few career milestones in recent weeks. Skipper Declan O’Kane reached the two hundred appearance mark, Jordan Smith appearance number 150, while Nathan Evans two goals in Fife last Saturday saw him breach the 100 goal milestone for the club.

A nervy ninety minutes potentially lies ahead for the ‘Loons’ at a new away venue for Forfar fans, but the squad will go into the contest on the back of a more than reasonable record in recent times against non SPFL opponents. The tie will be decided on Saturday. If the scores are level after ninety minutes, thirty minutes extra time will be played, with a penalty shootout the final ‘piece of the jigsaw’ if required.

The match has the usual 3pm. kick-off.

Referee at Olivebank is Cameron Stirling who was in charge of the ‘Loons’ home clash with Aberdeen ‘B’ last month in the KDM Evolution Trophy.

Admission charges on Saturday are as follows;-

Adults £10
Concessions £5 (60 & over and students)
Under 16’s will be admitted free on the day if accompanied by a paying adult.

Tickets can be purchased in advance, see the Fanbase website for full detail. However cash or card payment facilities are also available on match day.

THIRD ROUND DRAW – The draw for the third round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup will take place on Sunday evening at 6pm. Drawing the balls out of the bowl will be former Rangers player Kevin Thomson. The draw will be broadcast live on the Scottish Cup You tube channel.

At this juncture all twenty SPFL Championship and League1 sides enter the fray joining the twenty round two winners, with ties due over the weekend of 28th/30th November.

Three other Tayside based clubs due to participate in second round ties on Saturday will hope to be in the draw. Highland League Brechin City will certainly start favourites at home to East of Scotland League outfit Dundonald Bluebell but Midlands League sides Dundee North End and Tayport both have tough away assignments. The ‘Dokens’ will be in action only four miles along the road from the ‘Loons’ against a Tranent side currently sitting fourth in the Lowland League while the ‘Port’ make the journey west to tackle SPFL opponents Dumbarton.