League 1 leaders Ayr United welcome second-placed Forfar to Somerset Park this weekend looking to keep hold of the only 100% record in the division.
Ayr started their season with a 1-0 success over Morton then saw off Stirling Albion 3-1 at Forthbank, with teenage winger Alan Forest stealing the show with two goals.
The Loons drew 1-1 at Stranraer on week one before beating Dunfermline 2-0 and could be table toppers if they can repeat the 3-2 success they enjoyed in Ayrshire back in March.
Player/manager Mark Roberts said: “We started really well at Stirling and had a few chances before we scored. A bit bizarrely, scoring knocked us out of our shape and it took another 10 minutes or so for us to find our way again.
“We dominated a lot of the game and it was a very good performance. The boys competed in the manner I had asked them to -when we go forward we have real quality and we showed that.”
Two wins in a row has raised expectations but Roberts is keen to keep everyone’s feet on the ground.
He added: “The blend in our team is good, with the youth of Alan Forrest and Peter McGill on the wings doing really well. Ryan Donnelly is still a kid, as is Nicky Devlin, but we have experience in our ranks as well with Martyn Campbell, Jon-Paul McGovern and Peter Murphy.
“Kevin McKinlay came in for Peter last weekend as he was missing due to a family bereavement and he showed how strong he is. It was a pretty seamless switch. No-one is hiding from the Clyde game in the Petrofac Training Cup at the start of the season, as we were very poor, but there has been a reaction.
“Winning breeds confidence but what we need now is consistency and hopefully the more experienced players can help our young guys deliver that.
“Momentum is massive in a league campaign and positive momentum leads to increased confidence. When you have those two things you will win a lot of games.
“If you need an example of it you just need to look at Queen of the South in this league a couple of years ago. They got off to a great start and built momentum which took them all the way through the season.
“The first quarter is really important and will determine what you will be fighting for at the end of the season. If we can keep progressing then we will be delighted but, as far as I can see, Dunfermline are strong favourites.
“They are really equipped to win over the 36 games so I will not be predicting us to finish higher than them in the league - any team that does will be champions.
“They may have lost to Forfar last weekend but they will recover and our aim just now is to ensure we are one of the teams that put in a challenge.
“This is a really difficult game ahead of going to Kilmarnock in the Scottish League Cup and it will be a very different match to the Stirling one. Forfar are a physical side and we need to stand up to that challenge. It is something we have been working on with the players.”
Craig Stewart
.png){kind=logo}
