Interview with Forfar Athletic striker Josh Peters

Josh Peters reckons he has never seen a dressing room as positive as the Loons’ at the moment as Forfar continued their unbeaten run with a 4-1 win over Stirling Albion.

The striker celebrated his League Two Player of the Month award with two goals and he hopes he can continue his scoring run of ten goals in eleven games in what is his first professional season.

Peters felt the side weren’t at their best in the first half but got going after the break and deserved the three points with the players determined to continue their excellent form.

He said: “It’s a brilliant result, we didn’t start off well but I think we’ve shown we tend to get stronger as the game goes on and we blew them away in the second half.”

“It’s such a positive outlook, I’ve never been in a dressing room like that. It’s a great winning mentality, even at half time when we were drawing; we know we didn’t start off the greatest but we went out for the second half up for it to go and win the game. We know we can beat any team when we’re on our day and we have confidence in each other so that helps a lot.”

The former Strathspey Thistle and Hibernian attacker received his Player of the Month award for August during the week and was in disbelief as to how well his first season has gone so far.

“Yeah, it capped off a great week, getting the player of the month award was an honour so hopefully I can just carry on scoring goals and more importantly getting results for the team. I can’t complain, it’s been a brilliant start. It’s my first professional season so I’ve got off to the best start; hopefully I can keep that going. It’s a great experience for me and a great starting point, I’m enjoying my football as well.”

The Loons were drawn at home to Welsh champions The New Saints in the fourth round of the Challenge Cup and while Peters cheekily claimed he wouldn’t have minded a trip down to the Shropshire based club, he knows it will be a tough test for the Loons, with both sides currently unbeaten in the league.

“I think it will be a different class of football; they’ve played Champions League before so it will be a test for us. We won’t make it easy for them, we’ve got a good home record and we’re unbeaten at home. It will be difficult but if we play as well as we can, we can pull off a shock result.”

“I wouldn’t have minded a wee away trip but I suppose it’s better for the club to host it. It’s an exciting tie, you don’t play different teams from different countries often so I’m excited to see what happens.”

Forfar Athletic 4 Stirling Albion 1 (League Two) 17th September 2016

Forfar Athletic 4

Andy Munro 24, Josh Peters 61, 87, Danny Denholm 90+3

Stirling Albion 1

Sean Dickson 44

Forfar Athletic extended their unbeaten run to seven as their 4-1 win over Stirling Albion meant they were the only side in Scotland with a 100% record in the league this season.

A Josh Peters double alongside goals from Andy Munro and Danny Denholm sealed the points against the Binos, whose only goal came from Sean Dickson.

Gavin Swankie returned to the side following his absence against Annan last weekend with Denholm dropping to the bench.

The game was a dull affair in the opening stages with both sides struggling to settle but the deadlock was broken with the first effort on target in the 24^th minute when Andy Munro bulleted a header past Chris Smith from David Cox’s corner.

Munro came close to adding his third goal in two games four minutes later from another corner; this time volleying inches past the post.

Sean Dickson sliced wide for the visitors shortly with Thomas O’Brien firing over five minutes before the break.

Dickson was to go one better on the stroke of half time when he collected a Darren Smith cut back and composed himself to rifle his effort past Adam.

The Binos were unlucky not to take the lead twice in the first ten minutes of the second half with the Loons having Adam to thank; the keeper saving from close range from Ross McMillan and Smith.

Josh Peters continued the excellent form that saw him named the League Two player of the month; collecting a Swankie pass and stroking the ball past Smith shortly after the hour mark.

The goal seemed to galvanise Forfar and the side looked more likely to add another with Jim Lister and Stuart Malcolm going close with powerful headers.

In the 71^st minute Lewis Milne weaved his way through the defence with ease however the midfielder saw his goal bound effort diverted wide by the foot of a defender.

Forfar eventually forced their way through a resilient defence three minutes from time when excellent work from sub Marc Scott set up Peters, who curled the ball home from the edge of the box.

Danny Denholm delivered a coup de grace deep in to injury time; Jamie Bain making his way in to the box from the right and cutting the ball back for the winger to sweep home after only being on the park for seven minutes.

The result continues the Loons’ five point lead at the top of League Two and this can be extended to eight if they can defeat second placed Clyde this weekend at Broadwood.

Forfar Athletic: Grant Adam, Jamie Bain, Michael Kennedy, Andy Munro, Stuart Malcolm, Thomas O’Brien, Josh Peters, Lewis Milne, Jim Lister, Gavin Swankie (Danny Denholm 86), David Cox (Marc Scott 83)

Subs not used:  Murray Mackintosh, Frankie Devine, Allan Smith, Matthew Aitken, Brett Long (gk)

Stirling Albion: Chris Smith, Ross McGeachie, Ross McMillan, Marc McKenzie, Darren Petrie (Blair Henderson 83), Darren Smith, Eddie Ferns, David Verlaque (Isaac Layne 73), Moses Olanrewaju, Scott Davidson, Sean Dickson

Subs not used: Jamie Mills, Ross Smith, Callumn Morrison, Aurelien Mazel, Cammy Binnie (gk)