Forfar Athletic 2 Annan Athletic 0

Station Park, Forfar 

Saturday 16 October 2021

SPFL cinch League 2

On the day that hospitality returned to Station Park after a 19-month absence, Forfar Athletic were less generous to their visitors on the pitch. Goals either side of half-time from Andy Munro and Stefan McCluskey were enough to see off Annan Athletic and lift the Loons into third place in League Two. 

  Which is not to say manager Gary Irvine was completely satisfied with what he saw from his men, although the Forfar boss must have been happy that the side kept a clean sheet for only the third time in the ten league games played so far. Despite that, on only eight occasions have the opposition manage to breach the Loons defence. 

  Still, as Irvine was quick to point out, the team have played better this season without actually winning. But this was a solid and encouraging performance from a team that has five times led in league matches without winning. Remarkably, the Loons have been behind for only nine of the 900 regulation minutes played. So while there has been frustration at points dropped, it is clear that many things are going well. 

  “It sounds good when you see that we won 2-0 and kept a clean sheet at home,” said Irvine. “The most important thing is always picking up the three points. But I have to be honest, it wasn’t pretty, especially in the first-half. We’ve definitely played better than this so far this season. But we got ourselves in front and got another goal after that. The new saw the job through and got the three points we haven’t been getting in other games. That’s a good feeling. 

  “We ground it out really. But that’s football sometimes. Annan have actually been showing good form away from home Before today, they had won four out of five games on the road. So we knew today would be a tough game. They are scrappy and hard to break down. So there were a lot of mistakes in that first-half. We gave away possession, which is unlike us. But I got a good reaction from the boys at half-time. From the second goal on, we started passing better in the final third.”

  Indeed, the second goal was easily the better of the two. Initially, captain Ross Meechan did well to keep the ball alive in the opposition box, before a good finish from McCluskey, who stabbed the ball through the keeper’s legs and into the net. 

  Th opening goal was also pleasing to the manager, coming as it did from a corner kick, Munro rising above everyone else to head home.

  “We’ve been working hard on our set-plays,” continued Irvine. “Both for and against. Today we were brave, strong and showed a bit of desire. We had good understanding for our own set-plays and defended well in our won box. I’m delighted that big Andy got the goal. He was excellent. His was a top performance. He dominated everything that came his way, especially in the air. His quality on the ball was good too. The way he played is what we work so hard for in training.”

  Looking ahead, the Loons will next be at Formartine United for what will be a tricky Scottish Cup tie. But it is one Irvine is looking forward to. 

  “We’ve played them already this season,” he pointed out. “So we’ve had a wee look at them. We know the way they play, so we’ll have ideas going into this one. It’s a cup-tie and we’ll be treating it with all the professionalism we bring to league games. We’ll prepare the boys properly and look to progress. The Cup games are important. And we will go there with a bit of momentum after today.”

  Speaking of which, McCluskey will be one Forfar player heading north on a bit of a high. The mid-fielder’s strike against Annan was his fifth of the season, which takes him alongside travelling companion Matthew Aitken at the top of the club’s goal-scoring table. 

  “Having missed all of last season with a dislocated shoulder, it’s nice to hit the ground running this time round,” said McCluskey. “I’m enjoying my football. We have a tight-knit squad here, one in which everyone is in it for the same things. There’s no one who thinks he is any better than anyone else. 

  “Our last match at Stenhousemuir (where the Loons conceded in the last minute to draw 1-1) was hard to take. We played well for the first 45-minutes. But it was like we didn’t come back out for the second-half. So we had a point to prove today and I think we’ve done that.”

  One point to prove and three to win. Jobs done.

Line-ups

Forfar Athletic 

1 McCallum

2 Meechan (c)

19 Munro ⚽️ 42'

4 S Anderson ? Travis 85'

3 Strachan

7 Thomson

10 Slater

16 Gallagher ? Thomas 77' ? 80'

17 McCluskey ⚽️ 60' ? Crossan 77'

9 Aitken ?Harkins 85'

18 Shepherd

Substitutes

5 Travis

11 G Anderson

14 Thomas

15 Hussain

20 Harkins

21 Sanderson (GK)

23 Irvine

24 Crossan

25 Fisher

Annan Athletic 

1 Adamson

2 Steele

5 Douglas

6 Swinglehurst ? Barnes 56'

3 Lowdon ? 41'

11Johnston ? Garrity 63'

8Docherty ? 67'

4 Moxon

7 Wallace ? Purdue 63'

9 McCartney

10 Anderson ? Smith 63'

Substitutes

14 Smith

15 Birch

16 Hunter

17 Purdue

18 Garrity

19 Fleming

20 Barnes

Referee: Iain Snedden

Attendance: 351