The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Loons boss still looking for more
League One new boys Forfar got their campaign off to a winning start with an impressive defeat of Airdrie.
Manager Gary Bollan is confident that the signs his squad are gelling together bodes well.
“Airdrie are a decent side. Most of that squad got to the play-offs last year so we were under no illusions going in it was going to be difficult. And it proved to be that but I felt over the piece we deserved to win.
“It is still early season. But as the weeks move on I would hope to get the ball and pass it around more. But that is no slight on the boys, as I thought from start to finish they were magnificent. Their work-rate and commitment, their desire, was all there today.
“We have had six weeks together. That’s not a long time, but we are getting to know each other better and, hopefully, we will continue to gel and see improvements every week.”
The Loons started brightly and Marc Scott and Ousman See should both have done better when presented with chances.
Airdrie went closest in the 10th minute when an Andy Ryan header was just inches wide.
Moments later the woodwork saved Airdrie when Mark Millar crashed a Scott cut-back against the bar then Rohan Ferguson pulled off a fingertip save to turn a See header over the bar.
Ferguson again made a great save to push a close-range Millar shot round the post just before the interval. Right on half-time, Forfar made the breakthrough when David Cox smashed in a header from six yards after Jim Lister crossed.
Airdrie levelled 13 minutes into the second period when Forfar failed to deal with a low centre from the right that ran right across the box, leaving Murray Loudon free at the back post to hook the ball into the net.
Forfar restored their lead in the 63rd minute when Mark Millar picked up 25 yards out and struck a fierce shot that took the merest of deflections to lift the ball over Ferguson.
A Michael Travis effort hit the Airdrie woodwork before Cameron Russell almost snatched a late equaliser.