Rampant Annan recorded a resounding victory at Station Park Forfar to dent Forfars promotion aspirations. It turned out to be a stroll for Annan who conceded a 15th minute goal but Annan to their credit responded magnificently to score 2 goals to give Annan a half time advantage which was followed by a clinical second half with Annan adding 3 more goals to their tally.
Forfar started well and Annan were pinned back for the opening 15 minutes as the home teams neat short passing game stretched Annan all over the park and it came as no surprise when Forfar struck gold in the 15th minute. The damage was done down the right when David Mowat’s inviting near post cross was guided into the net by the alert Ian Harty.
It was just the start the home team were seeking but they could not build on this early success and Annan became increasingly dangerously and in the 24th minute they were rewarded when Bryan Gilfillan who had an excellent match at the heart of the Annan defence forced a corner on the right and from the resulting corner the ball fell invitingly for Sean O’Connor who displayed excellent awareness to finish clinically from the corner of the 6 yard box.
Forfar suddenly found themselves on the back foot and with Annan on the ascendancy the home side found themselves a goal behind in the 34th minute. Once again O’Connor was prominent in the move, collecting the ball wide on the left and finishing with a well placed pass to the in form Graeme Bell who rifled the ball into the corner of the net from 6 yards to give Annan the advantage at half time.
Forfar in an effort to overturn the deficit made 2 changes at half time with Iain Campbell and Barry Sellars making way for Kevin Fotheringham and Bryan Deavley but it was Annan who carried the threat up front . Forfar were presented with an opportunity in the 54th minute but Kevin Fotheringham’s free kick was confidently saved by Summersgill. Anson was introduced for O’Connor in the 62 minute and almost immediately Anson denied Harty with the home team claiming a penalty for Ansons challenge which was dismissed by the referee.
Mike Jack came close in the 67th minute with a crisp strike from the edge of the box as Annan started to impose their authority and in the 70th minute the all important third goal was created by Chris Jardine who threaded the ball into the path of Lewis Sloan who displayed calmness to guide the ball past the advancing Ally Brown to give Annan a 2 goal cushion.
Forfar tried hard to break through and in the 78th minute shots from Deavley and Harty were blocked but it was Annan who were the more creative team and it was Jardine once again who unlocked the Forfar defence in the 83rd minute with a ball wide on the left to Scott Anson who cut inside from the left to finish with a clinical finish inside the post.
Annan completed a good afternoons work in the 87th minute and once again Jardine unlocked high line of the Forfar defence with a through ball to Anson who lobbed the ball over keeper Ally Brown from 35 yards.
Despondent Forfar boss Dick Campbell who has seen his side lose three games in a row to dent their promotion hopes pulled no punches I was embarrassed to be associated with the performance as should all the players.
Annan manager Harry Cairney commented Forfar started well and when they scored I feared the worst but the players worked their way back into the game and gave us the lift we needed scoring twice in the space of 10 minutes and the more Forfar pushed forward the more they left themselves exposed at the back.
Forfar Athletic A Brown, M McCulloch, S Tulloch, J Bishop, A Todd, I Campbell ( G Gibson 58min), B Sellars (K Fotheringham 45 min), R Campbell, I Harty, D Mowat, P Waivon (B Deasley 45 min). Subs not used C Smith and M Curtin
Annan Athletic –C Summersgill, J Steele, J Macbeth, P Watson, B Gilfillan, M Jack, A Muirhead, C Jardine, S O’Connor ( S Anson 62 min), G Bell ( S Sloan 84 min) , L Sloan. Subs not used – D Townsley , P Storey and J Jamieson..
Attendance - 424
Referee – Neil Watters Assistants George Drummond and Douglas Ross. |
