Forfar Athletic have reached the midway point of their season.
After relegation from League One, the Loons look to have bounced back from last season’s disappointment with Gary Irvine assembling a strong side as they look to challenge Kelty Hearts for the title.
There have been very few lows and plenty of highs in their 17 league games.
We take a look at how they’re faring in their half-season report card.
Star man
A tough-tackling, no nonsense defender is a welcome addition to any side. Andy Munro joined Forfar in February and he’s exactly that.
3 goals in 5 league games and some colossal performances at the back. Andy Munro is your supporters man of the match. https://t.co/F1DEv6fT2y pic.twitter.com/xaL2srjoPc
— Forfar Athletic (@ForfarAthletic) November 20, 2021
The 29-year-old has slotted into the heart of Gary Irvine’s defence nicely, forming an excellent partnership with veteran centre back Steven Anderson.
Both defenders are worthy of star man status, but Munro snatches it with more goals-scored.
He’s netted five times in the league as the Loons look to bounce back to League One at the first time of asking.
Munro has featured in all but one of Forfar’s league games this season and has played a pivotal role in his side’s league standing.
Standout moment
On paper, the standout result for Forfar would be their recent 4-0 away win at Edinburgh City.
The victory, as well as being emphatic, saw second place Loons start to break away from the rest of the play-off spaces and within touching distance of leaders Kelty.
The other standout would be the 3-2 win at Albion Rovers on December 4.
Albion Rovers 2 Forfar Athletic 3
Reigart Stadium, Coatbridge @spfl @cinchuk League 2
Sat 4 Dec 2021The Loons picked up three points on the road with a hard fought win against Albion Rovers in Coatbridge. Read more at https://t.co/0hHEkuFovX or at: ⬇️https://t.co/22XHx7Q4Uy pic.twitter.com/71UFAg18Pa
— Forfar Athletic (@ForfarAthletic) December 5, 2021
Forfar went 2-0 on 62 minutes, but their two-goal cushion only lasted a couple of minutes as Albion pulled one back.
Ten minutes later it was all-square again.
While some teams may have caved and conceded a third, it was the visitors who pushed back and reclaimed the lead, thanks to a late Steven Anderson goal.
While Gary Irvine was annoyed at his side letting Albion back into the game, he would have been thrilled at their resilience to battle back and reclaim their lead and the three points.
Signings
In his first transfer window at the club, Gary Irvine brought in a squad-load of players.
Stefan McCluskey, Craig Thomson, Craig Slater, PJ Crossan, Matthew Aitken, Yusuf Hussain, Lewis Sanderson, Jamie Ness, Sam Fisher, Mark Gallagher and Luke Strachan joined in the summer while Callum Moore was signed up earlier this month.
His signings have definitely made a positive impact on the side.
McCluskey and Aitken are the club’s joint-top scorers with seven goals apiece.
Dundee loanee Strachan is the league’s joint-top assist king, while Slater has also set up a couple of goals.
Thomson had a very bright start to the season but has been hampered by injury in recent weeks.
Former Rangers man Ness looked to be a marquee signing but he, too, has been troubled by injuries, limiting him to just a handful of appearances.
Room for improvement?
There really isn’t much to be improved upon at Forfar. If not for high-flying Kelty the Loons would be top by some margin.
If they continue as they are going, they’ll guarantee that second spot and fancy themselves in the play-offs.
Overall grade – A
Forfar have suffered only three defeats all season, they have drawn five and won 11.
Prior to Boxing Day, they had not lost a game at home, making Station Park a really tough place for opponents.
If you’re a Forfar fan, you can’t ask for much more than that.
Take away the disappointment of last season, supporters have something to cheer about once again.
If they can keep up their current form, they could well find themselves back in League One.
