The Road to the Play-offs - The Final Hurdles

Following three successive hard fought but deserved victories, the ‘Loons’ head into the penultimate Saturday of the William Hill league2 campaign in fourth position in the league standings and now the favourites it would appear to clinch a spot in the end of season League1 Play-Offs.

This is a scenario that to be fair looked unlikely in early March when the Athies were ‘perched’ in the bottom half of the league table beset with injuries and finding victories hard to come by. Therefore Jim Weir, his staff and players deserve every ounce of credit for the way they have recovered to get the club into the position it now finds itself in as the closing stretch of a long campaign lies ahead.

East Kilbride and the Spartans will fight it out over the next two Saturdays to determine who will finish as league winners, bringing with it automatic promotion to League 1. The runner-up in that two ‘horse’ race will have the consolation prize of a play-off spot while they will be joined by Clyde who have secured third place, sitting as they are seven points clear of Stuart Morrison and his colleagues.

That leaves the ‘Loons’ as already mentioned in pole position for the vital fourth placing, Stranraer and Elgin City the two sides who can of course ‘spoil the party,’ with Annan Athletic six points adrift of Jim Weir’s side basically out of the equation due to their much inferior goal difference. Everyone connected with Forfar Athletic are taking nothing for granted at this stage, but what are the important fixtures that lie ahead for the trio of clubs in the equation?

For the ‘Loons’ three points ahead of Stranraer and Elgin City, Saturday first brings a visit to the Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park from bottom of the table Edinburgh City who have found the fifteen point penalty deduction placed upon them for financial irregularities too big a ‘cross to bear’ as the season has progressed. A word of warning however. In four fixtures between the sides this season to date, we have not managed to secure a victory over ninety minutes of on field action against Michael McIndoe’s outfit. The Athies did progress to the second round of the KDM Trophy with a penalty shoot-out success against the ‘Citizens’ in December but on league duty two drawn fixtures in the Capital City have been sandwiched in between a home defeat, the final score line 3-2 in the visitors favour back on the Saturday before Christmas. Certainly a reversal of those fortunes would go a long way to securing that play-off spot on Saturday first.

Our nearest challengers for the fourth placing Stranraer, ahead of Elgin on goal difference, like ourselves play their final home game of the league campaign on Saturday first when Stirling Albion are the visitors to the Lime Stadium @ Stair Park. Elgin have on paper the hardest task this coming Saturday of the three sides in the ‘dog fight,’ a visit to Edinburgh to face The Spartans on the ‘menu’ for Allan Hale’s side. Mind you, we are all well aware that there are no easy games in this league!

On match day 36 of the league campaign, the Athies have another lengthy trip on the horizon, Galabank the destination for a clash with Annan Athletic, never an easy task and a nervy ninety minutes could be in store for all concerned. The one beneficial scenario for Jim Weir’s side on that final afternoon, Elgin City and Stranraer cannot both win as they do battle at Borough Briggs.

All very intriguing, as is the battle in this case to not be the fourth team in the quartet who will fight it out over a ten day period in early May for the League1 spot next term. That side will be the club who finish second bottom of League1 come Saturday week with it would appear still three clubs in contention at present. Kelty Hearts though not yet definitely destined for the drop have a ‘mountain to climb’ with fixtures at home to Cove and away to Peterhead to close a five point gap over the last couple of match days. However nothing is impossible, but realistically it would look to be a three way fight for ‘survival’ involving Hamilton Accies, Cove Rangers and East Fife.

Remember Accies have been fined 21 points this term, but remain a full time outfit and would be in a play-off spot at the other end of the table if it was not for the various penalties they have rightly incurred. Naturally they therefore despite being three points adrift of Paul Hartley and Dick Campbell’s sides have a much superior goal difference and will still fancy themselves to avoid the play-offs, this despite a couple of tough fixtures on the horizon. Hamilton welcome Peterhead to Cumbernauld on Saturday before heading to Inverness on the final afternoon.

East Fife also have a tough test this coming weekend with league leaders Inverness Caledonian Thistle the scheduled visitors to Methil, the Fifers then due to head for Cove on May 2nd. Before entertaining Dick and his troops on Saturday week, Cove another full time outfit will be looking to go a long way to securing safety when they head to Kelty on Saturday first.

All very, very intriguing and they say in Forfar, ‘it will a come oot in the wash’.

Tickets for our home match with Edinburgh City this Saturday are available for online purchase now, here ➡️ https://forfarathletic.ticketco.events/uk/en/m/e/forfar_athletic_v_edinburgh_city_0426