Weir says side’s play was a ‘joy to see’

Forfar: Manager hopes demolition of Stranraer will set tone for rest of season as Loons out of relegation spots

FORFAR ATHLETIC 5 STRANRAER 1

Forfar Athletic pulled themselves out of the relegation spots for the first time since August with their biggest win since last season’s play-off final.

The Loons’ rollercoaster campaign has at times promised much more than it has ultimately delivered so far, but manager Jim Weir is determined the 5-1 thrashing of Stranraer will finally kickstart his side’s season and keep them away from the automatic and play-off drop spots.

He agreed that the Forfar showing was one of the best performances he had seen since taking over in the Station Park hotseat – or of any other side he has managed.

“To go into this team with two big centre-halves out, against a big side, was obviously a concern, but I think the difference was in the final third today,” he said.

“I think we’ve been doing OK, but in the final third we took our chances.

“We never took our foot off the gas and it was great to see the strikers scoring goals and the two wide players combining well. “It was just a joy to see. “We’ve kept the tempo high in training as much as we could, try to take the fear factor out of our game.

“But we had to start winning games, and hopefully this is a start and the players can take confidence from that,” said.

“There is a long way to go, however. This is going to go to the wire.

“But if we can keep putting in performances like that, keep the players fit and healthy and free from suspension, with our strongest squad, we are capable of this.

“We have exciting players, and those exciting players really stepped up today.”

Weir added: “I’ve got team selections wrong, I know that, I will hold my hands up.

“But we are asking players to play positions that are alien to them so it will take time.

“But today, players deserve to enjoy their night, and so do the Forfar supporters, because it’s been hard sitting at the bottom of the league.

“It’s a nice feeling being just two off the bottom now.”

The Loons took the lead inside two minutes. A low corner from Russell Dingwall was met by Matthew Aitken on the edge of the box and he steered a shot into the net.

Three minutes later Aitken doubled his and Forfar’s tally, meeting an excellent Dylan Easton cross at the far post and stabbing the ball home.

Dale Hilson, who was desperately unlucky not to grab a goal during an outstanding performance, crashed a shot off the crossbar seconds later as Forfar threatened to run riot.

They made it three in the 24th minute when Dingwall burst through from midfield and drove a low 20-yard shot beyond the despairing dive of keeper Max Currie.

Forfar were rampant now, and in the 29th minute Greg Hurst put the Loons four ahead with a brilliant finish from the corner of the six-yard box after an incisive pass from Easton.

Stranraer made three changes at the interval.

Although they stemmed the one-way traffic, provider Easton got in on the scoring himself in the 72nd minute when he curled in a shot from the edge of the box to make it five for Forfar.

The visitors secured a consolation in the 89th minute when Paul Woods’ shot took a wicked deflection off defender Darren Whyte to wrong-foot Forfar keeper Marc McCallum.

Wehave exciting players, and those exciting players really stepped up today. JIM WEIR

Picture: SNS. Matthew Aitken was on target as Forfar found their feet in the final third to help ease their relegation worries.