Interview with Forfar Athletic’s David Cox

David Cox was delighted to grab the winner against Clyde after having to settle for setting up the winning goal the previous week.

The 27 year old nodded home Jamie Bain’s cross in the last minute to seal the side’s second 4-3 win in a row and ensure they kept their seven point lead at the top of League Two.

Speaking after the game, the attacker spoke of his joy at the victory and feels his hard work in training is now paying off.

“It was such a fantastic win, we had a great start to the game but after we scored I felt we stopped playing a bit. To be fair to the boy it’s a great strike from him and with the header we need to better defending wise with that but it was good to pull it back, it was the same again last week the boys dug in and it just shows what kind of character we have in the team.”

He continued: “It was brilliant to get the winner, like I said last week obviously we came from behind again and it was good to set Swanks up for the winner but to get the winner today was great. We’ve worked in training trying to get me to stay in the middle and stop wandering around the pitch as much, it’s proved it’s working so long may it continue.”

The former Airdrie man believes he is excelling after moving up to a striker position with four goals since the beginning of November but feels he can perform whether it is there or out on the wing.

“I wouldn’t say I have a preference really, because I’m quite pacy and that I can play on defender’s shoulders in this league if you’re quick enough you can outpace most defenders. I do like playing in both positions I can put away my fair share of goals as well so it’s just a case of it being hard going from one position to another and getting changed every game.”

“Now I’m in a settled position however and I’ve spoken to the gaffer so we’re working on things in training and that, everything is coming together so setting up goals, scoring goals, the boys are doing absolutely brilliant.”

Cox also reckons squad morale is at a high at the moment, pointing to the side coming back from 3-2 two games in a row as a sign of the team’s strength.

“It’s a great dressing room, great bunch of boys and it just shows there, last week as well, how we can just pull together after being 3-2 down in both games near the end and to bring it back to get the win. It was a great turnout from the fans today as well, they were brilliant and the boys are loving it.”

Forfar Athletic 4 Clyde 3 (League Two) 26th December 2016

Forfar Athletic 4

Gavin Swankie 9, Martyn Fotheringham 50, Jim Lister 80, David Cox 90

Clyde 3

Ewan McNeil 20, David Gormley 42, Peter MacDonald pen 67

It was a case of déjà vu for Forfar Athletic as another 90^th minute winner earned them a 4-3 victory after coming from behind twice.

Gavin Swankie’s stunning opener was cancelled out by Ewan McNeil’s equally as impressive volley with Martyn Fotheringham and Jim Lister cancelling out David Gormley and Peter MacDonald’s goals before David Cox nodded home the late winner.

The win now sends Forfar seven points clear at the top of League Two, with Clyde now thirteen points off the pace while still two points behind third placed Elgin City.

After a stuttering start, the Loons took the lead after nine minutes when David Cox made his way down the left before laying the ball off for Swankie who cut in before curling the ball into the top corner.

Cox saw an effort deflected inches past the post with Danny Denholm unlucky not to reach the ball as it rolled across goal.

Clyde equalised in the 20th minute with a fantastic effort from Ewan McNeil as he volleyed home from 25 yards.

Swankie volleyed just over the bar shortly after with John Gibson beaten meanwhile Clyde’s Matthew Flynn saw a header cleared off the line.

David Gormley nodded home a Linton free kick to ensure that the Bully Wee went in to half time in front.

Forfar came out for the second half with intent and pulled themselves level within five minutes of the restart as Martyn Fotheringham and Cox played a neat one two before the former nipped the ball under the advancing Gibson.

Lewis Milne hit the post while Flynn failed to trouble Grant Adam from long range as both sides looked to take the lead again.

Referee Mat Northcroft awarded the visitors a penalty in the 67th minute and Peter MacDonald stepped up to fire home the spot kick.

Gary Bollan brought on Jim Lister in the 75th minute as he returned from injury and the big striker showed his worth within five minutes when he rose to flick home Jamie Bain’s cross.

Forfar looked to be forcing pressure on the visitors as Denholm, Cox, Thomas O’Brien and Eoghan McCawl went close in the last ten minutes.

They did however grab a last ditch winner when Bain’s neat cross was bulleted home by Cox to seal Forfar’s second 4-3 win in a row.

Forfar Athletic: Adam, Bain, Kennedy, Malcolm, O’Brien, Fotheringham, Peters (Lister 75), Milne (59), Cox, Swankie (Scott 90), Denholm

Subs not used: Travis, Munro, Smith, King (gk)

Clyde: Gibson, McNeil, McNiff, Smith, Flynn, Gormley, Perry, Johnston, McLaughlin, Linton, MacDonald

Subs not used: S. Ferguson, K. Ferguson, Miller, Tiffoney, Davidson, Millar, Caddis (gk)

Interview with Forfar Athletic’s Jamie Bain

Jamie Bain expressed his delight following Saturday’s 4-3 victory at Cowdenbeath and believes the mood in the dressing room is on a high at the moment.

The full back set up two of the Loons’ goals as they boosted their lead at the top of the table to seven points.

Bain was ecstatic following the final whistle and the former Airdrieonians defender reckons the points were well deserved despite the Central Park pitch hindering their style of play.

He said: “It was absolutely brilliant, the way it worked out in the end was even better for Gavin to be the one that scored the winner. We knew it was going to be a hard game and we knew the pitch wasn’t going to suit our style of play, it didn’t really suit any style of play but we got the result and the points in the end, that’s all that matters.”

The summer signing explained that he is loving life at Station Park and has no concerns over the amount of travelling from his Airdrie home.

“I’m happy with how I played, I’m happy with the way I’m playing at the moment and I’m enjoying every minute as you can see at the end of the game, the full team’s enjoying it being at the top of the league.”

He continued: “I’m definitely enjoying it here, I’m from Airdrie and there’s been a lot of people I’ve met there asking if I’m enjoying it and I couldn’t say one bad word about the club, everyone has been brilliant. With the amount of travelling as well, people say it’s too much but when you’re treated the way you get treated at Forfar it doesn’t matter, you don’t really look at that, you just enjoy your football and it’s excellent.”

The Loons face another difficult game at home to Clyde on Boxing Day and Bain is certain that Gary Bollan will have his men fired up to keep up their seven point lead.

“If you had asked Gary Bollan at the start of the season, he’d had bitten your hand off to be in this position, we just need to maintain it and I’m sure the backroom staff will keep us going ahead of the game against Clyde.”

Cowdenbeath 3 Forfar Athletic 4 (League Two) 17th December 2016

Cowdenbeath 3

Fraser Mullen 26, 55, Kris Renton 67

Forfar Athletic 4

Lewis Milne 27, Gavin Swankie 41, 90+2, Josh Peters 70

Gavin Swankie’s last minute winner ensured Forfar extended their lead at the top of League Two to seven points after defeating Cowdenbeath 4-3.

After falling behind twice to a Fraser Mullen double and Kris Renton, goals from Lewis Milne, Josh Peters and Swankie’s brace sealed a dramatic win for the Loons in a repeat scoreline from August.

The Blue Brazil had the first real chance against an unchanged Forfar side, with Lewis Moore forcing a fingertip save from Grant Adam in the 19^th minute.

Seven minutes later and the hosts had taken the lead; Fraser Mullen curling a free kick in to the top from 25 yards.

It wasn’t long before the Loons were level however and it was former Cowden midfielder Lewis Milne who grabbed the equaliser when he rose to nod home Jamie Bain’s cross for his third goal in two games.

Bain was provider again as Forfar went ahead four minutes before the break; his long throw fell to Gavin Swankie to rifle past David McGurn.

Ten minutes in to the second half the blue brazil earned a free kick near the touchline with Mullen hoping to create a chance for an attacker however his set piece evaded everyone and ended up in the back of the net to level things up once more.

Forfar came close to going ahead through Swankie and Danny Denholm before the hour mark but both players dragged their efforts wide.

The hosts had chances themselves in the 63^rd minute when Dean Brett’s shot was diverted over by the head of Michael Kennedy and from the corner Cameron Muirhead saw his effort cleared off the line with Grant Adam beaten.

Cowdenbeath did go ahead for the second time shortly after when a poor clearance found Muirhead who set up Kris Renton and the big striker fired home despite claims of a foul on Bain as Renton prepared to shoot.

Three minutes after falling behind and Forfar equalised once again; a ball in to the box caused problems for the hosts with Swankie backheeling the ball for Peters to drill past McGurn, the striker breaking his goalless run.

Stuart Malcolm looked to have put Forfar ahead with ten minutes to go when he beat the keeper with a header from Martyn Fotheringham’s free kick but the ball cannoned off the near post and was cleared.

Peters also came close to netting in the first minute of injury time, latching on to a long goal kick from Adam but the 20 year old could only blast over the bar.

It looked like that may have been the last chance of the game but Swankie had other ideas with almost the last kick of the game; Jamie bain found David Cox in the area and the attacker chested the ball through for Swankie to rifle home to the delight of the players and fans.

The win, coupled with Arbroath’s late show against Elgin, meant Forfar moved seven points ahead at the top of the league however they face two difficult games against Clyde and Elgin between Christmas and New Year.

Cowdenbeath: David McGurn, Dean Brett, Fraser Mullen, Kyle Miller, Lewis Moore, Nikolay Todorov, Kris Renton, Gerry McLauchlan, Brian Ross, Jamie Pyper (Shaun Rutherford 46), Cameron Muirhead (Craig Johnston 76)

Subs not used: Burton O’Brien, David Robertson, Chris Turner, Gary Glen, Jamie Sneddon (gk)

Forfar Athletic: Grant Adam, Michael Kennedy, Jamie Bain, Stuart Malcolm, Thomas O’Brien, Martyn Fotheringham, Josh Peters, Lewis Milne (Marc Scott 42), David Cox, Gavin Swankie, Danny Denholm (Eoghan McCawl 77)

Subs not used: Michael Travis, Andy Munro, Allan Smith, Matthew Aitken, Joe McGovern (gk)