Kilwinning Rangers v Forfar Athletic – match preview
The ‘Loons’ head into ‘uncharted waters’ on Saturday when they head for North Ayrshire to play West of Scotland Premiership side Kilwinning Rangers at Buffs Park in the second round of the Scottish Cup.
The ‘Buffs’ of course entered the tournament at the first round stage where they recorded an excellent 4-2 home win over strong going Lowland League outfit Tranent.
This will of course be the first ever meeting between the sides and the Athies will go into the contest knowing that a hard fought ninety minutes is in front of them with no doubt a partisan home support getting right behind their side from the off.
Forfar though will go into the game in much better heart following their solitary goal success up at Elgin last weekend, a match which saw a trio of their previously ‘walking wounded’ return.
Importantly the three point haul secured lifted them off the bottom of the cinch league2 prior to the one week break from league ‘hostilities.’
It was a second successive victory on the road for Gary Irvine’s side and there is no reason why a third cannot be recorded this coming weekend.
They will go into the tie without the services of Ben Armour who has been given an automatic two match ban following his red card at Boroughbriggs.
Kyle Hutton is also a major doubt following a foot injury sustained up at Elgin while a few bumps, bruises and tight muscles will hopefully have responded to treatment following what was a hard fought encounter in Morayshire.
On the good news front ‘Loons’ officials have received permission from the parent clubs to allow them to play all their temporary transfer players in the main national cup competition.
Their opponents currently sit in ninth position in the West Premiership table with ten points from their six games played, but to be fair they are only three points adrift of leaders and Ayrshire rivals Darvel.
Gary has had them watched by members of his scouting team on a couple of occasions.
Last Saturday they defeated West League Second Division side Glasgow Perthshire 5-1 in the South of Scotland Challenge Cup, but were without on the day the experienced duo of Chris Millar and Kevin Nicol, star striker Dylan Mackin netting a hat-trick.
Kevin who is club captain at Kilwinning spent the 2015/16 season at Station Park making 22 starting appearances in a sky blue shirt.
The ‘Buffs’ are managed by David Gormley who as a player wore the colours of six senior clubs before cutting his managerial ‘teeth’ at Rossvale and Broomhill before heading to Kilwinning in the summer.
The ‘Loons’ progressed to round three of the Scottish exactly a year back with 2-0 win up at Formartine before succumbing to neighbours Arbroath, this after having reached the last sixteen the previous campaign, losing narrowly 1-0 at home to Dundee United at that stage.
It would appear that a larger than normal travelling support are heading west at the weekend by car, coach and in some instances train.
Hopefully they will be rewarded with a sterling performance and the right end result and there is no doubt that the squad will be up for and ready for the tough task that no doubt awaits them.
Daniel Graves who took charge of our home game with Elgin City in mid August is Saturday’s man in the middle.
Footnote;-Kilwinning officials have now advised that the bar and refreshment facilities at the ground will be open/available to supporters from 1p.m. not 2p.m. as previously intimated.
