Forfar Athletic came away with a win in their first pre season fixture after a goal in each half was enough to defeat Raith Rovers.
With new signings Lewis Milne, Stuart Malcolm and Jim Lister missing along with Martyn Fotheringham, Gary Bollan started a mix of new players and youth with under 20 players Murray MacIntosh, Matthew Aitken and James Yates on from the beginning as well as trialist Andrew Munro, most recently with Arbroath.
Raith were first to threaten on the quarter hour when Mark Stewart dragged his effort across the face of goal before Lewis Vaughan curled a free kick over the bar.
The Loons took the lead after 34 minutes when Michael Kennedy’s corner found Thomas O’Brien and his header was stabbed home by David Cox with the Raith defenders rooted to the spot.
Rovers looked for an equaliser before half time but the closest they came was Jason Thomson nodding wide of the mark from a Chris Johnston corner.
The visitors came out strongly in the second half with Ross Callachan and Bobby Barr driving wide whilst sub Jonny Court forced a save out of Grant Adam with a stinging effort from the edge of the box.
Cox came close to a second just after the hour mark but it was substitute Kerr Hay who found the net next in the 74th minute; a counter attack led to Danny Denholm slipping the ball through to the young hitman and Hay curled past Aaron Lennox.
All in all it was a good exercise for the side in their opening pre-season session and they are in action on Saturday when they entertain Brora Rangers.
Adam, Yates, Kennedy, Trialist, O’Brien (Hay 46), MacKintosh, Bain, Swankie, Aitken, Cox (Devine 80), Denholm.
Subs not used: Mailer, Hill (gk)
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