FORFAR ATHLETIC 1 SHIRE 0

Shire knew what was at stake before the visit to Station Park. At full time the impact was unavoidable. For the first time this season the club is now fighting to avoid finishing bottom of the Third Division after Michele Lombardi’s 69th minute goal consigned Gordon Wylde’s men to a fourth successive defeat.

The difference between a win and a loss was as close as the final scoreline suggested. Neither side could come to terms with the gale force wind sweeping across Forfar’s neat home ground.

Strangely, both teams seemed to have their best spells when the wind was blowing in their faces and that meant Shire had the upper hand before the interval, while The Loons dominated after the break.

The only difference was that while Shire came close, it was Forfar who got the all-important goal.

Michael Stuart skipped down the right touchline, beat the challenge of David King and crossed. Carl Thywissen should have cleared the ball at the near post but he only succeeded in slicing it across the face of goal where Lombardi was lurking to squeeze it over the line at the second attempt.

Two weeks after their last game Shire rang the changes to the starting eleven. Paul McBride came in for a rare start in place of Joe Savage, who was left on the bench following his recent groin injury. Marc McKenzie and Derek Ure were also re-called. And goalkeeper Gary O’Connor made his debut.

And it was McBride, with less than two minutes on the clock, who might have given Shire the lead but his snapshot from the edge of the six yard box hit the side netting.

On five minutes he had an even better opportunity to give Shire what would have been a perfect start. McKenzie made progress down the right and crossed for Andy Rodgers to knock the ball into the path of the big striker but his effort went just wide of the post.

Forfar, with the gale at their  backs, were making very little progress, while Shire, playing a short passing game to combat the elements, were pressing hard.

They were desperately unlucky not to take the  lead on 18 minutes. This time it was Rodgers who made the yards down the right flank and his cross was well-judged for skipper Andrew Brand, but his header came crashing back off the Forfar crossbar.

The home team tried to respond and a minute later Stuart dragged a shot across the face of goal and wide. The same player went closer towards the break from inside the box, but the feeling as the half-time whistle blew was Shire held the upper hand.

But the home team found the elements more to their liking after changing round and within seconds of the re-start a John Ovenstone free-kick caused chaos in the Shire penalty box but no-one was there to apply the finishing touch.

Stuart’s crosses were becoming ever more dangerous and from one right wing centre it took all the effort of Stephen Oates and Carl Thywissen combined to stop Chris Geddes from scoring.

Not long after a Lombardi effort seemed to cause O’Connor all sorts of problems, although he managed to scoop the ball wide for what turned out to be a fruitless Forfar  corner.

Shire were struggling to create anything meaningful, despite having the wind at their backs  and it seemed Forfar had stolen the advantage.

That was confirmed with Lombardi’s scrappy goal 21 minutes from the end, a shot so weak that the ball barely carried over the line.

Gordon Wylde made a triple substitution to try and change the team’s fortunes with Savage, Simpson and Brownlie replacing Paul McBride, Brand and McKenzie. Joe came close with a header from a late corner which looped just over the bar, but Forfar to had a late chance to increase their lead which they narrowly failed to take.

Forfar Athletic : Wood, McNally, Smith, Stephen, Ovenstone, Donnachie, Stuart, Kilgannon, Geddes(Trialist 80), Kerrigan, Lombardi(Duell 87).

Shire : O'Connor, Smith, King, Oates, Thywissen, K. McBride, McKenzie(Simpson 79), Brand(Brownlie 79), P. McBride(Savage 79), Rodgers, Ure.

Referee : S. Finnie.

Attendance : 344.