The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Loons ‘looked like they had beach hats on’ in defeat
BONNYRIGG ROSE 4
FORFARATHLETIC 0
It was a case of a game of two halves as Forfar went down heavily against Bonnyrigg Rose at New Douglas Park.
And this was despite getting to the break level in a game that meant more for the hosts fighting for survival than it did for the visitors.
Loons boss Ray Mckinnon reflected on a disjointed display by saying: “It was a frustrating second half, that is for sure.
“We never turned up – it was like we had our beach hats on but you can’t play like that.
“We got punished and rightly so.
“We conceded some really bad goals.
“The first was poor then the third was also really poor.
“The penalty I did not think was a penalty, but we put ourselves in that position because we were second to everything in the second half.
“Take nothing away from Bonnyrigg – they were very good, were sharper and hungrier – but we looked like a team that thought we were on holiday and had already done enough.
“We let the game peter out and sometimes that happens. It has been a long hard season so we will move on from that.
“You are always trying to improve and whether we had won four-nil today or lost four-nil it would not have made any impact on what I was thinking for next season.
“We will regroup and then we will go again.”
After a goalless first half where neither team threatened the home onslaught in the second came as somewhat of a surprise.
Rose’s Dean Watson pounced on a loose ball to hammer home four minutes after the restart.
Five minutes later it was two when Callum Connolly got on the end of a Lee Currie corner to head home.
The Loons were chasing the game by this point and with gaps wide open at the back substitute Owen Wardell made it three with 15 minutes remaining.
The last would come from the spot after Neil Martyniuk hammered home after a Roberto Ndidi foul.
So, a bad day at the office to end the season for Forfar who now have the summer to look to hopefully better times ahead.
The Station Park side were among the favourites for promotion at the start of the season but ended the campaign in sixth spot – two points adrift of East Fife – in their lowest league position since finishing bottom of the old Third Division in 2008.