Forfar Athletic 1 Clyde 3

Tue 20 April 20211266

SPFL League 1

Station Park, Forfar 

The combination of the grim expression on Gary Irvine’s face and the downbeat demeanour of Forfar’s interim player-coach said it all. In the wake of a must-win game that turned into a 3-1 defeat to fellow strugglers Clyde - the Loons’ ninth unavailing attempt to notch up a home league victory in this disappointing stop-start season - there wasn’t much to be positive about. Now eight points adrift of second-bottom Dumbarton, Forfar will need to win at least three of their last four matches to have any chance of beating the drop into League 2.

  “There is real disappointment in the dressing room,” said Irvine, whose side had taken the lead after 38-minutes through Scott Fenwick, only to allow the visitors an equaliser less than a minute later. “There’s a bit of anger as well, about the manner in which we lost the first goal. All three goals actually. The way we lost all three is not acceptable. All the boys know that. And that is where the frustration and anger is coming from. We got ourselves in front, scoring a good goal, but to lose one so quickly just isn’t good enough.”

  Sadly, that has been a familiar tale for Forfar at Station Park this season. Only two of the side’s 11 points have come from home games. 

  “We’ve got experienced players on the pitch to recognise that when you work hard to get a goal you have to be tight in defence immediately after,” continued Irvine, returning to his theme. “To lose a goal straight away is just not good enough for us as a group.”

  Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Mixed in with understandable disappointment, there was defiance. Which is as it should be. Relegation is still avoidable.

  “There are still points to play for,” said Irvine. “We still have to play the teams closest to us, Clyde and Dumbarton. We’ll go into those games looking to give both our best shot. We need to pick up points and that belief has to be there. We’ll continue to prepare the boys as best we can. We’ll give them everything they need. The encouragement will be there. The belief in them will be there.

  “But tonight the players are hurting. The manner in which we lost the goals hurts. They are an honest group and there is anger and frustrate with each other and with themselves. With myself too. I was on the pitch and played a part. We just have to pick ourselves up now.”

  In that regard, time at least is on Forfar’s side. In what is a brief reprieve from the current hectic schedule - the Loons have played seven games in the last 17 days - the next match is a week away.

  “We have that gap until our next match, which allows us to prepare the right way,” acknowledged Irvine, who had a word for the fans. “We’ll work hard and give it everything in the remaining fixtures. Tonight was a sore one for the fans. We know that and that’s where my head is. There will be disappointment out there and it hurts us all to know that. This was a big game for us and we weren’t good enough. We will need to be better in the ones we still have to play. We’re all aware of that.”