Stirling Albion 0 Forfar Athletic 4

Forfar Athletic earned their first away league win of the season on Saturday with a 4-0 win away to Stirling Albion at Forthbank.

Goals from Stuart Morrison and Scott Shepherd via the penalty spot had the Loons ahead at the break before Martin Rennie and man of the match Mark Whatley made sure of the points.

Jim Weir made two changes from the win over Cove Rangers; Morrison and Angus Mailer restored in place of Nathan Cannon and Lewis Lorimer.

The first chance fell the way of the Loons with Angus Mailer’s 13th minute daisycutter failing to trouble Robert Duffy.

A minute later Stirling had their first opportunity when Mark Whatley had to react fast to clear a header off the line.

Another Stirling corner found the head of Lee Hamilton who could only head over the bar.

A Forfar set piece of their own in the 23rd minute presented Mackenzie Lemon with a header but he couldn’t keep it down shortly before Rennie had a shot blocked in the box.

The Loons took the lead just before the half hour mark when a hopeful ball into the box from Mark Whatley landed at the feet of Stuart Morrison and he nestled it into the bottom corner.

Scott Shepherd won a penalty kick on the byline when a sliding Stirling defender was deemed to have clipped him in the 34th minute. He stepped up to net the spot kick, sending it straight down the middle and doubling our advantage.

A scrappy first half that the Loons edged but Stirling came out from the break looking to reduce the deficit and almost did so three minutes in when Adam Brown hit the base of the post.

Jim Weir’s side had their best passing move of the game in the 52nd minute, leading to the ball finding its way over to Lewis Martin in the box but somehow the wing back screwed his shot wide.

The advantage was extended in the 65th minute as a free kick bounced in the box and Martin Rennie gratefully stabbed into the net.

Ten minutes later it was 4-0 and a potential Goal of the Season contender from Mark Whatley as the ball was rolled back to him at the edge of the box and he sent an exquisite effort looping over the head of the keeper.

It capped off a great week for the player-coach who made it a goal and two assists for the afternoon.

Both sides kept trying to carve out chances as Shanley headed wide for the hosts, as did Angus Mailer at the other end from a Whatley free kick.

In the last minute of added time Shanley fired over from distance as it summed up Stirling’s afternoon.

A second half performance that deserved the points but Jim Weir will hope his side can take that into next week’s jaunt to Dumbarton.

Stafford, Martin (Lorimer 85), Morrison, Dolzanski, Allan, Shepherd (Sutherland 64), Rennie (Cannon 79), Mailer, Lemon, Whatley, Bright (Richardson 85)

Subs not used: Wark, Christie, McLinden