Relation threatened Forfar Athletic took on Stranraer at Station Park and took three vital points from the Blues. The defeat now sees the Blues in 9th place with the drop to Division Three looking very likely.

Forfar were the dominant team in the first opening minutes when, first, Willie Stewart forced Willie McCulloch to come off his line to gather the ball, then Kevin Bryes drove the ball narrowly wide in the 6th minute.

Stranraer's first chance of the match fell to Ian Harty in the 10th minute when Michael Brown did well to block the shot with his feet for a corner. Minutes later Michael Moore broke through with three players for support, but his hesitation resulted in Forfar getting back to clear the threat.

The remaining match was a dour affair and it look like the sides would share the spoils until Fraser Wright brought down substitute Scott Taylor with only three minutes of the game remaining. Paul Tosh stepped up to talk the kick and gave Hillcoat no chance to stop it.

Barry Sellers came close in the 17th minute when he headed the ball goalward, only to see it blocked on the line.

Former Stranraer favourite Darren Henderson played a great through-ball to Martin Bavidge, who in turn setup Sellers. His shot was cleared of the line by David Farrell.

Willie McCulloch kept the scoresheet blank for the half when intense pressure by Forfar in the 40th minute saw a shot by Stewart saved, then he blocked the rebound.

In the last minute of the half Stevie Aitken somehow managed to fire the ball high over the bar from only 3 yards out!

The second half started promising for Stranraer when Ian Harty cut the ball back for Michael Moore, but the forward hammered the ball well over the bar.

In the 55th minute Barry Sellars broke the deadlock when he headed a Scott McCulloch corner past Willie McCulloch, albeit with the aid of the post.

Two minutes later it was another corner that foxed Willie McCulloch. Kevin Byres headed the ball goalwards, but McCulloch got his fingertips to it, but only as far as the crossbar. The rebound fell to Stewart Greacen, who simply tapped the ball into the net.

Stranraer managed to hold Forfar back for the next ten minutes, whereupon McCulloch scored a well-deserved goal from laid-off free kick by Barry Sellars.

Straight from the restart Forfar had Stranraer under pressure and Martin Bavidge latched on to a poor backpass that was poorly cleared by Willie McCulloch, and nipped around the hapless (useless?) 'keeper.

The Blues best chance to pull one back came in the 80th minute when Michael Brown had to make a one-handed save to deny a Kevin Finlayson piledriver.

OVERALL SUMMARY- Pish!

STRANRAER MOM- Kevin Finlayson, always pushed hard in the match, but couldn't come up with the goods.

Attendance: 391