League 1 featured game

Forfar striker Chris Templeman is hoping to move closer to a fourth league winner’s medal at a ground where he has never previously scored.

Dick Campbell’s side travel to Peterhead on Saturday with a two-point lead over Stranraer, who are at home to Stenhousemuir, and a three-point advantage over a Morton team who are away to relegated Stirling Albion.

The Loons go into the game on the back of a 2-0 home win over Airdrie and the experienced Templeman said: “I have won leagues before with Brechin, Morton and East Fife but winning titles is not something you ever tire of. A fourth one would be nice, especially in what started off as a disappointing season for me personally.

“At the start of this campaign I was not playing too often as I had picked up an injury that I was struggling to shake off. I had to be patient to get back into the starting 11 but thankfully I have been playing regularly since the turn of the year.”

The former Dunfermline and Stirling Albion forward, who has been at Station Park since 2009, said: “It will be very tough to win up at Peterhead especially when you consider they were the last team to beat us.

“We went up there in a midweek in March and lost 3-2 in a game where we had Stuart Malcolm sent off and they scored a late goal.

“It was a painful night but I usually enjoy playing up at Balmoor, as it is a good ground and a nice surface. However, I have not scored up there before and Saturday would be a good time to put that right.

“They are a good side, with experienced players, and just like a lot of the games in this league there is very little between the teams. It is really tight between the top three but getting into the promotion play-offs is also tight and avoiding the relegation play-offs is tight.

“That makes everything exciting in this league. Every game is a hard game and whoever goes on to win the league will be very worthwhile champions.”

Title talk is, however, not dominating the Station Park dressing room, with Templeman adding: “It is all very calm at Forfar. Winning last Saturday was a great result as Airdrie had been on a really strong run.

“We came in and got told the other results - well we thought we had been told the other results, but it turned out Morton had won and not drawn. It is a good job that we are calm when things like that happen!”

Craig Stewart