In an attempt to advance to the round of 16 of the Scottish League Cup, Arbroath will travel to Alpha Projects Stadium @ Station Park on Saturday to play Forfar Athletic.
The Red Lichties will be looking to win back-to-back games this weekend, while the Loons will be seeking to avoid losing for the third time in a row.
Match preview
Despite winning a penalty shootout against Annan Athletic on matchday one, Jim Weir’s Forfar have struggled in the cup this season, losing two and drawing one of their three games thus far.
The manager will be eager to eliminate the lack of early focus that caused his team to let up three goals in the first half during the Loons’ 3-0 hammering on the road against leaders Ayr on Tuesday, after their 2-1 loss to St. Mirren.
With only two points from that loss, Weir’s team was now fourth in the group and no longer able to finish in the top two to advance to the next round.
The fact that the hosts have performed poorly on their home pitch all season long is one of the main causes of their problems, and supporters may be forgiven for having concerns about this weekend after witnessing their team win the most points just once in 2025.
A first win in this version of the competition would be sufficient to level the playing field with their rivals, and Forfar will be looking to perform well to end their league cup run.
Arbroath, led by Colin Hamilton and David Gold, has a chance to go to the round of 16, but they will need to win and, in all likelihood, pray that their opponents drop points.
The Red Lichties defeated Annan 6-0 earlier this week after suffering a 4-0 loss to Ayre, and the manager will be thrilled to have Arran Pettifer, who scored a hat-trick that day, back in the starting lineup.
With five points, Gold and Hamilton’s team is currently third in the group after taking advantage of Tuesday’s opportunity to increase their total. They are aiming to catch up to St. Mirren, who are in second place and only two points ahead.
However, the visitors will need to overcome their home record, which includes three straight losses, before this weekend if they want to see their goals achieved.
They have given up 12 goals in their last three home losses, and they haven’t scored in either of their last two games at Station Park, which further adds to the fans’ worries over the match.
