Forfar Athletic v Stenhousemuir FC

Match Report

Forfar Athletic v Stenhousemuir at Station Park, Forfar on 16.3.13

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                               Att 395

Forfar Athletic 3 [Kader 9, I.Campbell 36pen, Denholm 76] Stenhousemuir 3 [Kean 4, Gemmell 30,35]

For the twelfth time this season Stenhousemuir came away from a match with a share of the spoils. This time it was a three all draw against Forfar Athletic and although Stenhousemuir at one stage were leading by two clear goals they were grateful to cling on for a point by the time the final whistle blew.

Both teams made numerous changes to their starting eleven from the last encounter at Station Park back in November with seven alterations to the Forfar team and eight to the Stenhousemuir ranks. One of the changes for Stenhousemuir was Nicky Devlin who had signed on loan from Motherwell until the end of the season. He was a familiar face to the Stenhousemuir faithful though as he also had a loan period at the club last season.

The Warriors could not have made a better start to the game as they took the lead in the 4^th minute. Darren Smith played the ball behind the home defence for John Gemmell and although he was to be denied by a fine save from Darren Hill the ex-Falkirk keeper could not prevent Stewart Kean from scoring seconds later when he swivelled and shot into the net from 16 yards out. This was a perfect start and in the early stages the Warriors were showing good movement and passing their way into dangerous positions.

Defensively though the picture looked as gloomy as the dreich weather and Forfar duly equalised in the 9^th minute when Joe Mbu lost possession to Omar Kader who played a one two with Dale Hilson before dispatching the ball past Callum Reidford. Gemmell then had a shot flash just wide before there was a let off at the other end when Hilson just failed to make contact with an Iain Campbell cross when only four yards out.

Stenhousemuir took the lead on the half hour when Gemmell  managed at full stretch to guide a header past Hill from a Devlin cross and five minutes later another cross from the right this time by Jamie Reid was met on the run by Gemmell who once again headed past Hill to put Stenhousemuir two up.

This margin of lead was not to last for long though as Forfar scored their second within a minute. David Rowson fouled Kader in the box and Iain Campbell sent Reidford the wrong way from the penalty mark.

In the 43^rd minute John Gemmell was very unlucky not to get his hat trick when he sent a powerful header from a Mark Corcoran corner goalwards that Hill could only parry out and they he managed to contort himself to get the rebound only to see his shot cleared off the line by Iain Campbell.

It had been a decent first half performance in patches but the second half was a totally different affair at the Loons took charge. They stamped their authority on the half from the start and could have equalised in the 47^th minute when Gavin Swankie found himself one on one with Reidford but as has been the case on a number of occasions recently in these circumstances Reidford produced a top class save. Seconds later he was beaten by a header but Mark Corcoran cleared off the line. It was one way traffic for much of the half and Swankie and then Danny Denholm squandered opportunities to put the home side level. When Reidford denied Swankie once again in the 69^th minute with another brilliant save it looked as if it was not going to be Forfar’s day. However they eventually made the breakthrough in the 76^th minute though the goal had a large slice of luck to it as Danny Denholm’s cross from the left somehow went in at the near post catching everyone out.

Stenhousemuir had rarely threatened in the second period but in the 79^th minute John Gemmell was unlucky to see a volley from a Jamie Reid cross go just wide of the target. There was to be more frustration for the Warriors in the 85^th minute when Scot Buist was adjudged to have stopped a goal scoring opportunity as he tackled Martyn Fotheringham. There was no complaints from the Stenhousemuir player as he trudged off the pitch though Ross McMillan may have been in position to win the ball. This meant a back to the wall end to the game and the Warriors were happy to come away with a point in the end which should be the case when holding a two goal lead at one stage in the game.

Forfar Athletic – Hill, Robertson [b23], I.Campbell, McCulloch, Tulloch, Malin [Brown 73], Kader [Denholm 61], M.Fotheringham, Templeman, Swankie and Hilson [b63]. Subs not used – King, G.Fotheringham and Salmon.

Stenhousemuir – Reidford, Devlin, Ross, Buist [so 85], Mbu [McMillan 53], Reid [b31], Corcoran [Thomson 56], Rowson [b44], Gemmell, Kean and Smith [Dickson 81]. Subs not used – Ferguson and Shaw.

Referee – Des Roache   Assistants – Willie Conquer and Alistair Kerr