Fate in Loons’ hands as Easton and Hilson secure three points

Forfar Athletic’s topsy-turvy season continued with a 2-0 win over East Fife that gives the Loons some breathing space in their bid to beat the drop from League One.

The peaks and troughs of win, loss, win, loss have meant Forfar have not been able to find any consistency and manager Jim Weir knows how important it is to put together a run of positive results.

“I said to the players this is a key point of the season where discipline and hard work and hunger are so important,” he said.

“We have a target and we are closer to that target but there is still a long way to go.”

Weir also agreed that it was great that Forfar’s fate is very much on their own hands.

“We have still to play two teams who are below us and they will be massive games for us. But we have to first focus on the Stranraer game and they will be disappointed after the last time they were ere and looking for revenge, same as we were down there.

“It makes for a good game but we need to keep the squad healthy and keep them as fit as I can.

“Now is the time to get a run. However, if ever there was a time it is now. People will forget about the bad start so let’s hope they remember the good finish.”

Things might have been different had East Fife taken their chance in the opening couple of minutes when Marc Mccallum blocked Chris Duggan but it was the Loons who took advantage of their first real chance when Dylan Easton converted from close range after eight minutes after Dale Hilson sent a low centre perfectly across the East Fife box.

A brilliant save from Mccallum kept Forfar ahead when he just tipped a Craig Thomson shot that took a wicked deflection over the bar.

Forfar were well on top for the rest of the half but it took until the 69th minute for them to extend their lead.

And it was a role reversal that doubled their advantage as Easton played a lovely ball through to Hilson and he slotted the ball past Ben Mckenzie from six yards.

Mccallum again made a great save in the closing minutes to deny sub Robert Jones and ensure a clean sheet and the three points.

East Fife boss Darren Young could barely conceal his frustration and disappointment at the loss of three points which severely dents their faint play-off hopes.

“Things weren’t even close to going the way we wanted then to,” he said.

“It was really disappointing. It is frustrating because in the last three games we had set the standards.

“We were coming into this with our tails up and thinking can we have a wee outside chance of the playoffs, which are probably now all but gone.

“It was an off day. You just can’t give away cheap goals like that.

“Now we have to pick ourselves up for a big derby game on Tuesday.”

Dale Hilson grabbed Forfar’s second goal in win over East Fife.