The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Loons get first win since September
FORFAR ATHLETIC 2 PETERHEAD 1
Forfar recorded their first win since September to give manager Stuart Malcolm the perfect home debut in the dugout.
It was the third outing in charge for Malcolm since taking over the reigns and he admitted the green shoots of recovery had already started to show before his side took all three League 1 points against Peterhead.
“I’m absolutely delighted. I thought the boys were first class and did everything we asked for,” he said.
“We scored a great freekick then they showed great resilience to bounce back very quickly after their penalty kick. There were a couple of wee hairy moments, they hit the post, but there wasn’t much in the game and we also created a couple of other chances.
“Since we’ve come in, we’ve had that self-belief. Even in the Dumbarton game, we had six minutes of mistakes just.
“Then into the Raith Rovers game we looked confident and the players knew what was asked of them.
“I think we have continued that on today.
“I still think we can make better decisions in the final third but I think that will come over time because of the quality we have got.
“We could easily have felt sorry for ourselves after losing the goal and maybe sat back or deep but we tried to push up the park and get on the front foot again and we scored a really good goal.”
If that lovely team goal delighted Malcolm, he was blown away by the opener, a wonderful free-kick from Ross Forbes.
“(He) has got a wonder left foot.
“When you see him training he is obviously comfortable with the ball.
“His ability is second to none. It doesn’t surprise me he can do things like that.”
The first chance of an entertaining game in freezing conditions fell to Peterhead’s Ryan Conroy when he picked up on the edge of the box but his shot was straight at Marc McCallum, allowing the keeper to fist away.
Aidan Smith also had a chance for the visitors but he blasted wide of the target from just inside the Forfar box.
Instead it was Forfar who took the lead in the 20th minute after a sensational free-kick.
Dale Hilson was brought down right on the edge of the Peterhead area and Ross Forbes lashed the ball into the top corner past the despairing dive of Greg Fleming.
Forfar should have gone two ahead after Forbes forced Fleming into a point-blank parry but somehow Hilson managed to screw his header from the rebound wide with the goal gaping.
Only a fingertip save from McCallum kept Forfar ahead after the interval, the keeper just tipping a deflected Garry Fraser shot over the bar.
Peterhead were thrown a lifeline in the 67th minute when Mark Docherty carelessly brought down Rory McAllister as the forward nipped in from behind him.
McAllister made no mistake from the spot.
Forfar were quickly back in front, however.
Just two minutes later Murray Mackintosh stole in to stab home a low centre from close range.
Smith hit the post in the 80th minute as Peterhead pushed for a second equaliser but Forfar comfortably held on for the win.