On a wet and dull afternoon in Coatbridge, Forfar Athletic gave themselves a great chance of survival in League One as a late winner gave them all three points against Albion Rovers.
The game was lacking a cutting edge until the 91st minute when sub Josh Peters netted from 15 yards out.
Jim Weir made just one change from the defeat to Stranraer seven days prior, Mark Millar returning to replace Kevin McNaughton.
Murray Mackintosh almost put the Loons ahead just 27 seconds in as he chased down an attempted clearance; he cut inside before curling the effort into the arms of Daniel Potts.
In the sixth minute Forfar came close again as Dylan Easton’s corner found the head of Eddie Malone but Matthew Aitken couldn’t fire the loose ball through the sea of yellow shirts.
Three minutes later Mackintosh cleared a Conor Scullion header off the line from a Scott McLean corner.
Mark Millar fires over from the edge of the box for Forfar before Michael Travis nodded high above the bar in the 13th minute.
Jim Weir was forced into an early sub as Malone limped off to be replaced by Andrew Munro.
Rovers’ Scott McLaughlin saw his weak free kick easily smothered by Marc McCallum while at the other end Easton and Dale Hilson both wasted good opportunities as they failed to find the target.
The Loons could have been ahead four minutes after the break when a low cross found Aitken but he sliced his effort before Mackintosh’s shot was held by Potts.
Shortly after the hour mark Easton tried to break the deadlock from 35 yards, sending his free kick agonisingly over the bar.
Easton had another chance in the 69th minute as the weather worsened, cutting inside from the left wing but he couldn’t beat the first man with his effort and the loose ball was eventually cleared.
With less than fifteen minutes remaining Jamie Bain sent a cross into the box and sub Greg Hurst connected with it only to see his shot blocked.
Hurst was denied again by Potts with a weak low effort as the game edged closed to the end.
With it looking like it would end goalless, Josh Peters popped up with another late winner after netting the fourth in a seven goal thriller at Cliftonhill in November.
A counter attack in the first minute of injury time saw Dale Hilson break with the ball; he played Peters in and after getting it under control he stroked the ball past Potts to the delight of the squad, board and travelling supporters.
The result pushes the Loons seven points clear of both Rovers and Queen’s Park with three games remaining and survival is definitely in their own hands.
Albion Rovers: Daniel Potts, Alan Reid, Scott McLaughlin, Jason Marr, Ross Perry, Graeme Holmes, Scott McLean, Craig McLeish (Michael McMullin 82), Sean Higgins (Ryan Watters 50), Conor Scullion (Mikey Hopkins 55), Joao Victoria
Subs not used: Daniel Baur, John Guthrie, Lloyd Fallon, Jamie Gallagher
Forfar Athletic: Marc McCallum, Jamie Bain, Darren Whyte, Eddie Malone (Andrew Munro 20), Michael Travis, Mark Millar, Murray Mackintosh, Russell Dingwall, Dale Hilson, Dylan Easton (Josh Peters 83), Matthew Aitken (Greg Hurst 65)
Subs not used: Ross MacIver, Kevin McNaughton, Dean Brotherston, Grant Adam
ramblingsofaloon.wordpress.com 