Forfar Athletic v Alloa Athletic - Match Preview

‘Home at Last.’ That must be the feeling for all connected with the ‘Loons’ as we approach what looks on paper to be a cracking Station Park encounter with second in the table Alloa Athletic after four successive Saturday’s on the road.

The home side will also go into the game boosted on three fronts.

Firstly after three successive defeats in league and cup they triumphed 2-1 at East Fife last Saturday with to say the least a convincing all round team performance.

Secondly Odmar Faeroe off to Thailand with his Faroese team mates and Keith Gibson apart, Manager Dick Campbell has a full squad to choose from with Dale Hilson and Willie Robertson who had both been struggling with niggling injuries taking part in a full training session on Thursday evening.

Thirdly especially in view of his exceptional performances over the past couple of weeks, ‘Loons’ fans will no doubt be delighted with the news that Chris Templeman has agreed to sign a one year extension to his current deal meaning a fifth season at Station Park for the Fife based striker.

The ‘Wasps’, whose manager Paul Hartley has perhaps not surprisingly been linked with the Partick Thistle vacancy, have however proved beyond doubt to date this campaign that they are the second best outfit behind runaway leaders Queen of the South in the league race. Although they sit 18 points behind the Dumfries outfit, they are ten points clear of the Station Park men and have two wins over Forfar ‘under their belts’ this term. They won 3-2 back in early October at Station Park and on the Saturday before Christmas won a tousy tussle at Recreation Park 2-1.

They did however have a narrow escape last week. They were 2-0 down at home to Ayr before recovering to get a share of the spoils with a last minute goal, their first counter having been netted by Mitch Megginson on loan from Pittodrie who was an early season target of the Station Park management team.

Tomorrow’s match sponsored by that great friend of Forfar Athletic Iain Bett will be refereed by second season Grade One official Greg Aitken making his second visit of the season to Station Park.