Bonnyrigg Rose v Forfar Athletic – match preview
The ‘Loons’ head to Bonnyrigg tomorrow for the last cinch league2 fixture of the campaign on the back of two victories on home soil against East Fife and Stranraer.
The squad therefore travel in buoyant mood to New Dundas Park and keen to record a third successive victory, a feat last achieved away back in League Cup action in mid July.
Manager Ray McKinnon has taken great heart from the overall performance of his players since the turn of the year with only three league defeats over the period and admits to have been particularly impressed as have been many with the style of play and attitude shown over the past couple of weeks.
All who were present would admit to the fact that had it not been for the heroics of Stranraer custodian Lewis Budinauckas, the final score line could have been all so different.
The manager has confirmed that for the second week running he has a fully fit squad available to him for the clash with the Rose, if that had been the case during a large part of the first half of the league campaign who knows what might have been?
Stuart Morrison who made an almost clean sweep of the club Player of the Year Awards will be keen to add to his impressive goal tally from midfield and in the process adding the Skip Soutar Trophy as leading goal scorer to his collection.
However Stuart as will all his colleagues will be focused entirely on picking up a three point haul no matter who gets in on the scoring act.
The home side clinched their SPFL status with a late equaliser at Stenhousemuir last Saturday, vitally their sixth point accrued in the five games played since Calum Elliot took over the managerial reins from the long serving Robbie Horn in late March.
The three games between the sides this term have resulted in away victories for each in the first half of the season, followed by a drab 0-0 draw at Station Park in late January.
In recent weeks as should always be the case it has been an all round ‘team’ effort that has seen the ‘Loons’ move into mid table security, in fact they head into Saturday’s fixture with an outside chance of a top five finish.
Hopefully the fans who make the final day trek to Midlothian will be rewarded with a display of similar vintage and a winning conclusion to the season.
The referee tomorrow is Alastair Grieve who was last in charge of a Forfar fixture when we visited Elgin in late March.
Saturday’s other cinch league 2 fixtures;- East Fife v Spartans, Elgin City v Clyde, Peterhead v Dumbarton, Stranraer v Stenhousemuir
Admission at Bonnyrigg is by payment at the turnstile on the day by cash or card, the prices as follows;-
Adults (17-65 years of age) £14
Concessions (over 65) £9
12/16 year olds £5
Under 12’s accompanied by a paying adult – free of charge.
