MATCH PREVIEW: Forfar Athletic v Airdrieonians

The ‘Loons’ head into yet another ‘cup final’ on Saturday at home to Airdrieonians in good heart having taken four points off the top two teams in the league since the month of April dawned.

They will though as has been well documented go into the game without three key players who will be suspended.

Andy Ryan and Scott Martin will serve a one match ban on the totting up process, while the club have now been advised that Thomas O’Brien will miss the last three games of the league campaign following his late red card at East End Park last Saturday.

This will certainly test the Station Park pool of players to the limit and the medical team at the club have been working feverishly over the week to get some of the ‘walking wounded’ fit enough to survive the ninety minutes.

The spirit in the camp has been first class in recent weeks and there is no reason however why the eleven who start the game with the Lanarkshire outfit on Saturday cannot go on to secure the three vital points which would continue to mean that our eventual fate would be in our own hands.

Airdrie have not had their troubles to seek in recent weeks. Following the 1-1 draw between the sides at the Excelsior in early March, the ‘Diamonds’ have failed to record a victory in five outings, a last minute equaliser at home to Stenhousemuir last weekend securing a vital point which in fact lifted them on to the forty point mark, six ahead of Gary Bollan’s side.

Danny Lennon who was the man at the helm for Alloa in last season’s Championship Play-Off final is in temporary charge of the visitors at present following the illness that overcame Eddie Wolecki-Black at Cowdenbeath on March 5th.

At Airdrie last month, Omar Kader gave Forfar a first half lead, Nicky Cadden in a game where home custodian Neil Parry was man of the match netting the equaliser with a wonder strike.

Earlier in the campaign when Gary, Stuart and Ian were in the opposition dug out, the Athies triumphed 1-0 at Airdrie on the seasons’ opening day, the visitors hanging on to win 3-2 in the autumnal clash at Station Park.

Saturday’s fixture will be refereed by George Salmond, the former Scotland cricket team captain who was the man in the middle at last Sunday’s Petrofac Cup Final at the National Stadium.

The match sponsor is Delson Contracts.

Forfar Athletic season ticket holders should utilise voucher 24.

The usual admission prices will apply, £13/7 for the stand £12/6 for the terracing.

A reminder that the 1984 Lounge at the ground will be open from 12.30p.m. till kick off and on the final whistle till approximately 7.30p.m.

The support that the players have received in recent home fixtures has been quite frankly ‘first class’ and has been like an extra man at times.

Hopefully despite other spring time attractions such as the ‘booling’ season commencing, there will still be a fair turnout of ‘Loons’ fans on Saturday and that all present will get right behind Gavin and his colleagues from the start of another vital ninety minutes for the club.