Billy McLaren will likely be without David Farrell, Kevin Finlayson and Paul Blair (all through injury), but new signing Paul Kerr should make his "debut" for the team despite playing twice as a trialist (and scoring twice!). Kevin Gaughan made the subs bench last Saturday and it is hoped he is fit enough to make the starting line-up after recovering from his hernia operation.

Ian Harty and George Shaw will form their usual strike partnership in an attempt to steer the Blues clear of the relegation zone with only five matches of the season remaining.

Check back on Friday afternoon for the latest news and to see if Billy McLaren has beaten teh transfer deadline.

Forfar Athletic are currently in 5th position in the league, with four points more than Stranraer (39 points), but with a game in hand. The Loons have made 5th place their own this season, spending no few than twelve of their last thirteen weeks in the same place. With only six matches of the season remaining, Forfar are still in with a shout at taking the second promotion spot from wither Alloa or Clydebank.

Who are the players we should be keeping an eye on on Saturday? Read on and find out:

Paul Tosh is currently the most dangerous player on the books at Forfar. He has netted 19 times already this season and he could easily add to is tally on Saturday. The tall forward is played for a variety of clubs, including Arbroath (twice), Dundee, Hibernian, Patrick Thistle, Exeter, and Raith Rovers. His most successful spell was with Raith Rovers where in two seasons he netted 13 goals in 49 games. Tosh's most recent goal was against Alloa last week when they lost 2-1

Another player to keep an eye on is former Arbroath and Clyde player Barry Sellars. Since joining Forfar from Clyde in November 2000, he has settled into the team very well. This season he has scored eight goals, including a goal in the Gala Fairydean and Clyde Scottish Cup matches. His usual strike partnership is will Paul Tosh and Mark Yardley (on loan from St. Mirren). His last goal was scored against Stranraer.

Twenty-four year-old Willie Stewart has scored 10 goals for Forfar in fifty-two matches since joining the Loons from Cowdenbeath at the start of the 2000-2001 season. This season he has only scored one goal - against Stranraer in February (just like Barry Sellars).

Kevin Byers joined the Loons from Montrose in early July on a free transfer. Since then the 5'10" midfielder has played in 23 matches and scored seven goals - including cup goals against Threave Rovers and Gala Fairydean. Byers started his career off as a trainee at Raith Rovers. He spent three years in Kirkcaldy and made 17 appearances, but failed to find the net once. His next team was Inverness CT where he played two season and turned out for the Highlanders on 54 occasions, scoring two goals in the process. In January 2001 he was loaned to Montrose for a month and made five appearances before he was freed by Inverness. He is a dangerous midfielder and Stranraer's defense will have to be sharp to shut down the threat he poses.

Injuries Worries: Barry Sellars, Kevin Milne and Robbie Horn are all out through injury. Dave Bowman, back from his record 17 match suspension, should also have played, but he picked up a knock in training and will miss the match.

Current league form: W D W L W

Recommended Web Link : Loons-Mad

Currently in the Forfar squad is goalkeeper Michael Brown. Although Brown is from Stranraer he has never played for the Blues. His previous clubs have included Motherwell (1999-2000) and Partick Thistle (August 2000 to May 2001). He was signed by Forfar in May of this year and has established himself as their regular goalkeeper. The highlight for Brown this season was playing against Rangers in the Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup. Unfortunately, he let six goals past in front of a home crowd of 4,500 fans.

Striker Jered Stirling is the only player in the current Stranraer squad with a connection to Forfar Athletic. Stirling played eight matches for Forfar from August to November in 2000, before being signed by Billy McLaren in mid-November. The tall forward has played 15 matches for Stranraer and scored two goals in teh process.

Another connection between the clubs is a striker called Gary Higgins. Campbell Money signed the player near the end of 1996 from Forfar Athletic. Higgins didn't stay at Stair Park very long and eventually joined Ross County. He was a robust striker who is currently playing for Stirling Albion.

Thanks to the BorderFox for the information on Gary Higgins and Jered Stirling . If you know of a club connection please send your submission to sandy@stranraerfc.net.