ONE'S senses gave conflicting signals at Ochilview on Saturday. The
eyes reported that the setting was wrong and the daylight also seemed
inappropriate, but the ears offered convincing evidence that this was a
European night.
The sound of cow bells ringing and of unfamiliar songs in a foreign
tongue suggested that Forfar somehow had been thrust into the away leg
of a European tie. The explanation was that 50 Norwegian members of the
Stenhousemuir Supporters Club had made one of their quarterly trips to
watch their adopted Scottish team.
The Norwegians know a bit about football -- just check who is top of
England's World Cup qualifying group -- as well as how to enjoy
themselves. They spent the evening at a ceilidh in the Warriors Social
Club.
The overseas visitors were not disappointed by the afternoon's
football. Stenhousemuir won 2-0 and took total charge after 15 minutes
when an Adrian Sprott corner was backheaded by Peter Godfrey for John
Irvine to nod in at the back post. Five minutes after the interval,
Miller Mathieson latched on to a long ball and lobbed advancing keeper
Gordon Arthur from 30 yards.
Forfar gave the ball away rather easily and never really got going.
'Muir manager Terry Christie felt that his team were ''overdue'' a
goal from a corner kick. As when he was in charge of Meadowbank, his
team scored a high proportion of goals from flag kicks.
Stranraer joined Queen of the South and Meadowbank at the top by
maintaining their good record against East Fife. Darren Henderson struck
first but the home side had to come from a goal down to win 3-2 in the
second half.
Poor finishing by both teams at Albion Rovers' ground resulted in
Meadowbank's second successive goalless draw while Queen of the South,
the last visitors to lose at Cowdenbeath 18 months ago, shared six goals
there on Saturday. Injury-hit Cowden led 3-1, but Scotland's top scorer,
Andy Thomson, took his season's tally to 12 with a double. Queens played
for 70 minutes without Steve Mallan, who was sent off by no-nonsense ref
Ian Taylor allegedly for abusive language.
Martin Neil and the visitors' Derek Grant had doubles as Montrose drew
3-3 at Berwick, and Arbroath's Kevin Tindal twice equalised Steve Ramsay
goals for Alloa, whose Andy Willock stepped in for their winner. Queen's
Park were denied a win at home to East Stirlingshire when a Kenny
McDonald penalty equalised Ross Caven's first half goal.
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