Loons hampered by injuries for Formartine trip

Six players sidelined as midfielder returns to Station Park ranks

Forfar’s desire to build on their recent upward momentum hasn’t been helped by a crippling injury list.

A draw and two wins in their last three games have lifted Forfar off the bottom of League One and in touch with the mid-table pack above them.

A Scottish Cup victory at Formartine United this afternoon would help reinforce the Forfar feelgood factor, but they’ll have to do it without six players, two of whom probably won’t play again this season.

However, the Loons have been able to sign up midfielder Lewis Milne as an amateur after he returned to Scotland from Australia.

Manager Jim Weir reported: “Jim Lister is out for the season with a cruciate injury. Simon Mensing is probably the same.

“Mark Millar will be missing for four to five weeks, Mark Scott might be back in training next week and Dylan Easton will be a last-minute decision.

“There’s also Murray MacKintosh who got a recurrence of a fracture in his foot and will be out for a minimum of two months.

“Continuity of selection is what you are looking for as a manager but we’ve been robbed of it again.”

Weir’s pre-match team-talk will be along the lines of “there will be a Scottish Cup shock somewhere today, don’t let it be us”.

He said: “The cup is very important from the financial side of things and for the players to be in the draw when the big clubs enter.

“When you play a team in a lower league you’re on a hiding to nothing.

“I’ve been on the wrong side of cup shocks against Pollok and Irvine Meadow and it’s not nice.

“They’re near the top of their league and have spent a bit of money. We’ll need to match them and hopefully come out on top.

“Spirits have been lifted by the last couple of wins and we want to keep that going.”

Picture: SNS Group. Lewis Milne: signed as an amateur after return from Australia.