Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Forfar Athletic at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 6.12.14 SPFL Division One Att 434

Stenhousemuir 0 Forfar Athletic 2 [Dunlop 11, Husband 71]

Stenhousemuir –Fleming, Duncan, Meechan, Lithgow, Summers [Sludden 86], K.Millar, Reid [Watt 68], Faulds [Walsh 76], McMenamin, Dickson and Oliver [b13]. Subs not used – Hodge, Fotheringham, Smith and R.Millar.

Forfar Athletic – Douglas, Martin, Paterson [Malcolm 60], Dunlop, Dods, Kader [Templeman 73], Husband, Hilson, Swankie and Denholm [Fotheringham 86]. Subs not used – Malin, Dale, James and Salmon.

Referee – Mat Northcroft Assistants – Stuart Stevenson and William Wilson

The Warriors went into this game without the central defensive partnership of captain Ross McMillian and Stewart Greacen through suspension and injury respectively. This meant a reshaped defence that saw Ross Meechan and Alan Lithgow move into the middle from full back roles and Robbie Duncan and Ciaran Summers taking the full back berths. This meant a very inexperienced defence that apart from Lithgow lacked height for set plays.

Forfar play the ball on the deck though and in open play it rarely played a major factor. At set pieces though it was a different story and the Loons took the lead in the 11th minute when Scott Smith swung in a corner that was headed home by Michael Dunlop without any challenge from home personnel. It could have been worse six minutes later when Omar Kader and Gavin Swankie set up a chance that was only partly cleared but Dale Hilson’s strike was diverted wide on the post by Robbie Duncan.

Stenhousemuir had plenty of the ball but had lacked penetration and Rab Douglas had little to do in the Forfar goal apart from guiding his defence until he was eventually called upon to turn a Colin McMenamin header round the post in the 32nd minute.

Four minutes later the home side came even closer to equalising when Douglas made a superb one handed save from Jamie Reid after a Kieran Millar strike was diverted to Reid by McMenamin. This woke up Forfar and they might have extended their lead shortly afterwards with Gavin Swankie having a shot beaten down by Greg Fleming and Hilson snatched at the rebound and came closer to hitting the corner flag rather than the goal.

The second half started slowly and there was little goalmouth action until just before the hour when the Forfar defence only partly cut out a Meechan cross that then fell to Reid who crossed for McMenamin who managed to get a header on target but failed to really test Douglas. Three minutes after this the best chance of the game to date came Stenhousemuir’s way when Reid threaded a pass behind the Forfar defence for Gary Oliver who rounded Douglas but took too many touches doing so and was eventually crowded out by the Forfar defence that had got back on track after Douglas had bought some valuable time holding Oliver up.

Once again Forfar responded positively and Stephen Husband saw a long range effort saved by Fleming, but the Warriors keeper was helpless when a Husband free kick from almost the touchline sneaked in at the back post with the Stenhousemuir bench pleading in vain that it was an indirect free kick though the referee didn’t have his arm raised to indicate that this was the case.

For a while after this the home side seemed to implode making an number of errors and could and should have been punished when a miscued clearance by Fleming fell to Hilson and his effort from 35 yards clipped the top of the crossbar with the keeper stranded. Despite the home team trying to get back into the game they once again lacked conviction in front of goal and Douglas made another routine save from a Sean Dickson strike in the 80th minute.

With four minutes left Paul Sludden was brought into the game but he didn’t have sufficient time to have an impact on the game.

The game ended with a deflected McMenamin shot going out for an ineffectual corner as Stenhousemuir slumped to another defeat whilst Forfar by winning this game moved back to the top of the league.