Queen’s Park 1 Forfar Athletic 1 (League One) 14th October 2017

Jim Weir’s reign at Forfar Athletic started with a point as Queen’s Park equalised late on to deny the Loons at Hampden Park.

Mark Millar put Forfar ahead from the penalty spot just after the hour mark after Dylan Easton was fouled but Luke Donnelly salvaged a point for the Spiders to keep things as they were at the foot of League One.

Forfar could have went ahead as early as the second minute when Dylan Easton cut the ball back for Josh Peters but the striker’s effort was deflected wide.

From Mark Millar’s corner, Michael Travis rose highest but couldn’t get his header on target.

At the other end Dominic Docherty forced a great save from Marc McCallum after meeting a Ciaran Summers cross before Peters hooked his shot wide in the sixth minute.

David Galt sent a corner into the box four minutes later however Kevin Green headed over the bar.

The action was scarce for large parts of the first half with little happening until the 24th minute when Anton Brady flashed a volley wide following another Galt corner.

Two minutes later Bain sent a cross towards Easton with Willie Muir holding his header towards goal.

Brady hooked wide for the visitors before Easton almost caught out Muir with a free kick from the touch line but he did well to smother the effort.

Forfar had the last chance of the first half as Peters broke forward before switching the ball to Marc Scott; he managed to get a shot towards goal but Muir pushed the shot away before it was cleared.

Both sides started the second half well with Cox and Galt denied by each defence in the opening two minutes.

McCallum did well to push a Thomas Orr shot over following some excellent movement from the Spiders’ striker.

Peters mishit the ball wide from outside the box after receiving a Scott McBride flick on in the 54th minute before McCallum denied the hosts again sixty seconds.

McBride stabbed wide but the Loons took the lead in the 65th minute from the spot; Easton was fouled by Jack Iredale and Mark Millar stepped up to send the penalty under Muir.

The last twenty minutes saw little to no action until the 88th minute when sub Luke Donnelly netted an equaliser despite claims for offside from the Loons.

Former Loon Gregor Fotheringham could have won it for the hosts in injury time when he met a Donnelly cross but McCallum pulled off another great save.

At the other end Ousman See sent a through ball for Millar however he dragged his shot wide as both sides had to settle for a point apiece.

Queen’s Park: Muir, Millen, Summers, Fotheringham, K Green, Iredale, Galt (McLennan 71), Docherty (Donnelly 71), Orr (Duff 71), Brady, Burns

Subs not used: Cummins, Gibson, D Green, White.

Forfar Athletic: McCallum, Bain, Quigley, Whyte, Travis, Millar, Cox (Aitken 72), Scott, Peters (See 61), Easton (Cregg 87), McBride

Subs not used: Cregg, Kennedy, Mackintosh, Warwick, Adam (gk)

Forfar Athletic 1 Stranraer 1 (League One) 30th September 2017

A last minute equaliser denied the Loons their second win of the season as they drew 1-1 with Stranraer at Station Park.

After going ahead through Josh Peters in the third minute, interim managers Stuart Balmer and Barry Sellars’ side conceded with the final kick of the ball when Danny Stoney nabbed a point for the visitors.Four changes were made from the heavy defeat to East Fife with Simon Mensing, Michael Kennedy, Marc Scott and Patrick Cregg replaced by Michael Travis, Conor Quigley, Jim Lister and Scott McBride.

Forfar were rewarded for some early pressure in the third minute; Jim Lister spraying the ball out wide to Scott McBride and his low cross was touched on by Darren Whyte for a defender to clear as far as Josh Peters who sent the ball past Belford for his first goal since returning to the club.

They were dealt a blow in the 14th minute as Lister pulled up when running and was forced off to be replaced by Ousman See.

A minute later Belford almost cost Stranraer as he struggled to hold Mark Millar’s dangerous corner but the Loons couldn’t force the ball over the line.

David Cox and Jamie Bain combined well on the right wing for the latter to swing a cross in just before the hour mark; Peters seeing his effort deflected wide.

Peters was denied again by the visitors defence from a Millar delivery and Stranraer were unlucky not to equalise shortly after as Grant Anderson found Scott Agnew but Agnew’s close range shot was saved by Marc McCallum.

In the 37th minute a ball into the box was cleared as far as Eddie Malone 25 yards out but his well struck effort was blocked by a defender with the hosts claiming for handball.

Agnew tested McCallum two minutes after half time with an excellent free kick that the keeper had to tip over.

The Loons had a few chances to add to their tally shortly after with Cox and Peters twice denied by Belford from close range.

In the 65th minute Bain and See combined to set up Cox but his effort was parried by the keeper before he eventually collected the loose ball.

Stranraer sub Kyle Turner couldn’t find the target from distance a minute later after doing well to make space for himself.

See and Cox came close again for Forfar but failed to finish before Turner curled over at the other end.

In the 83rd minute Scott McBride nodded over from another Millar corner but at the other end the visitors should have equalised when Agnew sent a swirling effort towards goal; McCallum did well to parry the shot but Stranraer sub Stephen Okoh scooped the ball over from six yards with the goal gaping.

Stranraer did go one better with the last kick of the game when Morgyn Neill floated a ball towards goal; the flick on from this was met by Danny Stoney and he chested it down before slipping the ball past McCallum.

Forfar can feel hard done by following this and they now face a two week wait before their next game when they travel to Hampden to take on Queen’s Park.

Forfar Athletic: McCallum, Bain, Quigley, Millar, Whyte, Travis, Cox, McBride, Lister (See 14), Peters, Malone (Aitken 82)

Subs not used: Warwick, Cregg, Mackintosh, Scott, King (gk)

Stranraer: Belford, Robertson, Neill, Lang (Stoney 40), Woods (Okoh 66), Bell, Wallace (Turner 28), Agnew, Anderson, Hamill, Thomson

Subs not used: Elliott, Gray, McGowan, Currie