Forfar Athletic 0 Falkirk 2

Saturday 27 March 2021

SPFL League 1

Station Park 

The search goes on. For the fifth time in six home league fixtures during this weird and not-so wonderful season, Forfar failed to add to their points total. Which is not so say there was any disgrace attached to this latest reverse, a 2-0 defeat at the hands of top-of-the-table Falkirk. While the gulf between the two sides in terms of possession and chances created was clear enough, the things that matter - goals scored - both resulted from uncharacteristic errors by goalkeeper Marc McCallum.

  Quite rightly, however, Forfar manager Stuart Malcolm was quick to defend his number-one, a man whose contribution to the club has been immense over the past few seasons.

  “There are massive positives to take from this match,” insisted Malcolm. “For spells in the game I felt like we were composed in possession of the ball. We got into good areas and only a wee bit of over-anxiousness when trying to make things happen hurt us. In that respect, I was happy. But yes, we have gifted them two goals. And at the end of the day that was the difference between the two teams.

  “But Marc McCallum is an unbelievable goalkeeper and he has long been that for this club. I can’t count how often he has made save after save to keep us in games. And he’ll do that again many times in the future. He’s an honest player and he’ll hold his hands up about today. But we win together and we lost together.”

  Malcolm was happy enough with his side defensively. Andy Munro has made a difference there since his return to the Loons and substitute Grant Sanderson looked the part in central defence after coming on in the second half.

  “Yet again, we have defended really well today,” continued the Forfar boss. “That hasn’t been a problem all season. I have no problems with our defensive shape, or our composure when in possession of the ball. Our aim was to keep two strikers up the park and give us opportunities to keep the ball forward when it went forward. And we got that. But it was always going to be difficult against such a good side. 

  “We wasted a couple of set-pieces near the end when we had opportunities to put them under pressure. But we let them off the hook a wee bit. Clear-cut chances were always going to be difficult to create. We had one right at the end, but no, we didn’t put them under real pressure too often. We did get into some good wide positions and made them defend there and around the box. I was pretty pleased with that.”

  Still, in the bigger picture, climbing to eighth position in the table - and so avoiding both automatic demotion and the tightrope represented by a play-off - remains a reasonable aim for Malcolm and his men. It is a fight he remains confident of winning.

  “We’ve had a poor league position almost all season due to the fact that we’ve had a horrific run of injuries,” he said. “Plus, this was always going to be a tough fixture, albeit one we thought we could get something from. And the only difference was the two goals we gifted them. The boys don’t feel like there was too much in it today. Falkirk are a full-time team and we are not long back training. I’m not making excuses though. It’s the same for everybody. So all in all we're fine. Our aim remains the same - to catch the team above us. I’ll take loads of positives from today.

  “When the players stop running about for me - and when they stop putting in the effort - that will be when the warning signs will be obvious. But there is no hint of that. These lads give everything. They do everything ask them to do. Yes, things happen in games and players jump into the wrong positions. That happened today for the first goal. But I can’t fault the players. They give this club absolutely everything. And they’ve done that again today. They’ve been undone by two uncharacteristic errors from Marc.”

  Not that thing are going to get immediately much easier. Next up for Forfar is a Tuesday evening trip to Firhill to face anther full-time team in Partick Thistle.  

  “We’ll go there full of beans,” insisted Malcom. “Although it will be tough encounter, we will go there and be as positive as we can. Then we have the Scottish Cup next Saturday. That gives us an opportunity to progress and build confidence. But the priority remains retention of our place in this division.”