Match Preview – Forfar Athletic v St. Johnstone

Betfred Cup

Venue – Station Park

Date – Saturday 28th July

Admission Prices – Stand – Adults £15 Concessions (65& over) £9  Under 17’£5    

                                       Terracing – Adults £14  Concessions £8 Under 17’s £5    

                                       Forfar Athletic season tickets are not valid for this fixture.

                                       Turnstiles will open 2.15p.m. prompt

Summary – Thanks to their excellent and well deserved 3-1 win over Montrose on Wednesday evening courtesy of goals from Dylan Easton, John Baird and Dale Hilson, the ‘Loons’ still have an outside chance of topping their group in the Betfred Cup.

It will still, however, be a mammoth task for Jim Weir and his players.   The equation is simple.   While Saints require only one point to clinch the top spot from Saturday’s final game, the Station Park outfit require a victory.   A win by any margin would mean that the home side would qualify either on goal difference or at worst by having scored more goals in the group matches than the McDiarmid Park side.  

Jim Weir a St. Johnstone legend during his playing career, however, does not for the first time this campaign have his troubles to seek selection wise.   Andy Munro’s yellow card against the ‘Gable Endies’ was his second caution of the tournament and brings with an automatic one-game ban, while Darren Whyte is a big doubt after his second-half injury on Wednesday evening.    Eddie Malone and Gary Fraser will be the obvious replacements, leaving the bench thin in numbers.

St. Johnstone after scraping through on penalties against East Fife on the opening day have recorded successive 1-0 wins over Montrose and Falkirk.   Their scorer against the ‘Bairns’ Stephen Scougal is a doubt due to an injury sustained later in that game but former Cardiff City star Matt Kennedy is expected to be in the visitor’s starting line-up.

Forfar officials are hopeful the importance of the contest added to the local derby tag will attract at a four-figure crowd, a scenario that did not occur at Station Park throughout the 2017/18 campaign.

Match Officials – Referee –  Gavin Duncan   Assistants – Ross Haswell & David Dunne

Hospitality Complex Guests:-

Moira Adam & Friends

Garry Balfour & Friends

Davie Fleming & Friends

Graham Hygiene Services Party

Craig Nicoll & Friends

Supporters' Information – The 1984 Lounge at Station Park will be open from 12.30p.m. till kick-off and on the final whistle till approximately 8 p.m.    

Season tickets though not valid for this fixture will be on sale within the Secretary’s Office at Station Park on Saturday from 10a.am. to 10.30a.m.   They will not be on sale prior to kick-off.

The ‘Loons’ have produced a joint programme covering both Betfred home ties.   It will be on sale within the ground at a cost of £2.