Few people in the Stranraer squad would prove a more popular goalscorer than Robbie Foster.
The frontman missed almost the entirety of last season and a large percentage of his debut campaign.
Now, after proving his fitness and earning himself a new deal, Foster is determined to help Stranraer enjoy a season to remember.
He said: “I am delighted to extend my stay.
“Obviously, it has been a tough, tough past two seasons at the club, on and off the pitch.
“The majority of last season I did not get any game time so I am just delighted to be back.
“Hopefully, I can stay fit and prove to everyone what I can do.”
It looked like Foster’s time at Stranraer was over at the end of last season.
However, the club kept in contact with the striker and the door remained open for a return.
Foster was told that there was always a place for him at the club and it was a familiar face that helped him get back to The LIME Stadium at Stair Park.
He said: “I went to the PFA Scotland camp because I thought it would be a good opportunity to get the full-time training in for a few weeks.
“Martin Fellowes ended up being one of the coaches there.
“For me, it was a bit of a sign.
“He was there, he said ‘why don’t you come back in and train with us?’ and I thought it would be a good idea.
“I decided to come back and train with the club.
“The day before the Alloa game, I was back down south with my family and Martin sent me a text.
“He asked if I wanted to be involved and I said of course.
“I ended up travelling up that evening and prepared the next day for the game.”
Foster only managed 42 minutes last season but that was still enough time to get himself on the scoresheet with a late winner at Elgin City on the final day of the campaign.
Since then, he has kept up his impressive return with two goals in his four appearances while trying to win a deal.
Now, he is challenging himself to continue finding the net, with Dumbarton visiting The LIME Stadium at Stair Park on Saturday.
He said: “As a striker, you don’t really care how it goes in as long as it goes in.
“I would like to say that they were two decent goals and, hopefully, there are many more to come.
“It is all about the team working together.
“Things do take time and there are a lot of new boys in as well.
“It takes time for things to get going and what the management team want us to do, how they want us to play, how they want us to set up and it does not come over night.
“You have only got a Tuesday and a Thursday and then you are into a Saturday trying to put it together on the pitch.”
Last meeting
The points were shared when Dumbarton visited Stranraer towards the end of last season.
The home side were presented with an early chance when Aaron Quigg capitalised on Mark Durnan’s short backpass. However, goalkeeper Aidan Rice made the block.
Dumbarton had shots off target from Josh Todd, Scott Honeyman and Kristian Webster before Rice then pulled off a brilliant double save, denying both Quigg and Sal Turay.
Finally, Honeyman broke the deadlock with a shot from distance, which Lyndon Tas could not keep out.
Rice kept out Finn Ecrepont’s free-kick after the break while substitute Gordon Walker came close for Dumbarton. In the end, Stranraer found their leveller late on when Evan Dunne tapped home a teasing cross from Daniel McManus.
Stranraer: Tas, Ecrepont, Reid, McGrath, Dunne, Gillies (Stuart 71), Dolan (Hunter 78), Quigg (Hughes 71), McManus, Turay (McKnight 88), Lang.
Not used: Docherty, Lynch, Coll and Henderson.
Dumbarton: Rice, Omar, Webster, Durnan, Livingstone (Walker 81), Doyle, Todd, Honeyman, Smith, Tomlinson (Roy 81), McIntosh.
Not used: Duncan, Blair, Wallace, Joseph, Gilfedder, Brown and Long.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 1 Dumbarton 1 (Dunne; Honeyman) at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park on April 4, 2026
- Dumbarton 2 Stranraer 0 (Durnan and Honeyman) at Dumbarton Football Stadium on March 10, 2026
- Stranraer 1 Dumbarton 1 (Russell; Kirkpatrick) at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park on December 20, 2025
- Dumbarton 1 Stranraer 2 (Durnan; Russell and Dolan) at Dumbarton Football Stadium on September 27, 2025
- Stranraer 0 Dumbarton 0 at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park on April 20, 2024
Last five games
Stranraer
- WIN v Forfar Athletic (A): 0-3 (Dobbie (Pen), McLuckie and Dunne)
- LOSS v Celtic B (H): 3-4 (Dolan (Pen), Healy and Trialist)
- WIN v Kelty Hearts (H): 2-0 (Dobbie x2)
- WIN v Gala Fairydean Rovers (H): 3-0 (Cleland, Traynor and Hughes)
- DRAW v Stirling Albion (A): 2-2 (Dobbie and Dunne)
Dumbarton
- LOSS v Cove Rangers (A): 6-1 (Campbell)
- WIN v Elgin City (H): 2-1 (Cleary and Omar)
- LOSS v Annan Athletic (A): 2-0
- DRAW v Celtic B (H): 2-2 (Campbell and Own Goal)
- LOSS v Kelty Hearts (A): 3-1 (McIntosh (Pen))
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Forfar Athletic: Currie, Dunne, Ecrepont (Cameron 84), McLuckie, Gillie, Quigg, Traynor, Bruce (Healy 73), McManus (Stuart 73), Dobbie (Cleland 78), Mason (Foster 78).
Not used: Nair, Lynch and Henderson.
Dumbarton
Lineup v Cove Rangers: McConnell, Omar, Webster, Robson, Craig, Spalding (McKenna 71), Campbell (Hartington 63), Doyle, Tomlinson (Sowa 63), McIntosh (Cleary 71), Gibson (Honeyman 63).
Not used: Broun.
Transfers
Stranraer
Ins: Murray Binnie (St Johnstone), Zach Bruce (Hibernian, loan), Connor Cameron (Renfrew), Dean Cleland (Hibernian), Lewis Dobbie (East Kilbride), Lewis Gillie (Hibernian, loan), Aaron Healy (Arthurlie), Seb Mason (Carlisle United, loan), Mark McLuckie (Bo’ness United), Kenzi Nair (Heart of Midlothian), Dominic Plank (Heart of Midlothian) and Archie Traynor (Kilmarnock, loan).
Outs: Murray Binnie (Bo’ness United, loan), Ryan Edgar (Cumnock Juniors), Matthew Gillies (Heart of Midlothian, end of loan), Lewis Hunter (Caledonian Braves), Deryn Lang (Dumbarton), Joseph McGrath (Hibernian, end of loan), Kirk McKnight (Annan Athletic), Corey O’Donnell (Annan Athletic), Lewis Reid (Ross County), Tommy Sharp (Cumnock Juniors), Lyndon Tas (Heart of Midlothian, end of loan), Sallu Turay (Linlithgow Rose) and Sean Docherty.
Dumbarton
Ins: Harry Broun (Cumbernauld Colts), Connor Campbell (Rangers), Robbie Cleary (Salford City), David Craig (Ayr United), Owen Hartington (Celtic, loan), Deryn Lang (Stranraer), Jack McConnell (Auchinleck Talbot), Aidan Rice (Celtic, loan), Tommy Robson (Clyde), Josiah Sowa (Queen’s Park, loan), Ali Spalding (East Kilbride), Lewis Spence (East Kilbride) and Scott Tomlinson (Ayr United).
Dumbarton outs: Ryan Blair (Brechin City), Jack Duncan (Tranent), Mark Durnan (Johnstone Burgh), Aedan Gilfedder (Renfrew, loan), Tobi Joseph (East Fife), Shay Kelly (East Kilbride), Adam Livingstone (Forfar Athletic), Brett Long (Johnstone Burgh), Derin Marshall (Shotts Bon Accord, loan), Morgyn Neill (Elgin City), Dean Rhappozoh (Albion Rovers), Ally Roy (Annan Athletic), Luke Smallwood (St Patrick’s FP, loan), Alexander Smith (Rangers, end of loan), Gordon Walker (Kelty Hearts) and Aaron Brown.
Five facts
- The last time Stranraer scored three away to Forfar Athletic was in April 2001. Then, the visitors had trailed 2-0 courtesy of first half goals from Barry Sellars and Liam Keogh. It remained that way until 12 minutes from the end, with Fraser Wright, Neil McGowan and David Farrell completing a remarkable turnaround.
- Finn Ecrepont’s cross for Aaron Quigg’s goal at Forfar took him to five assists for the season, overtaking his total for all of last season.
- Former Stranraer midfielder Ally Taylor turns 25 on Saturday. He made four appearances for the Blues during the 2020/21 season. His only start came away to Elgin City, where the hosts won 2-1.
- Speaking of Elgin City, happy birthday to former Stranraer defender Kyle Girvan, who also turns 25 on Saturday. He made 66 appearances and scored twice for the Blues. Both came in the Scottish Cup, finding the net against Fraserburgh and Civil Service Strollers.
- Stranraer’s last two home wins over Dumbarton have both come on Tuesday nights. A 3-2 triumph in September 2022 was followed by a 5-0 win in March 2024. The last Saturday victory at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park was back in October 2018 when Stranraer won 3-2. Grant Anderson’s opener was cancelled out by Ross Forbes before David Brownlie put the hosts back in front. Dom Thomas pulled the visitors level but PJ Crossan grabbed a winner. The home team was: Currie, McDonald, Brownlie, D Smith, Hamill, Cummins, McManus, Turner, Anderson (Layne 79), Donnelly (Higgins 86), Crossan (Cameron 89). Not used: I Smith, Elliott, Diver and Avci.
Admission
Admission is ‘pay at the gate’. Season tickets are valid for Saturday’s league game, and available to purchase.
Away fans can enter the ground from the away turnstile opposite the main stand. This turnstile is cash only.
The following pricing applies:
- Adult – £17
- Concession (over 65) – £12
- Youth (5 to 16) – £6
- Under 5 – FREE
Pavilion Bar
Pop into our ever-popular Pavilion Bar outside the away turnstile from 1pm for a pre-match refreshment with fellow fans.
Home, away and neutral supporters are warmly welcomed, and the bar accepts both cash and card.
Or, stop off at the Stranraer FC Fitba’ Bar on North Strand Street in the town centre, which is also open to all.
Merchandise
Stop off at the brand new club shop in the McLeans Taxis Stand, which is stocked with exclusive Adidas teamwear, hats, scarves, umbrellas, pin badges, key rings, stickers and much more.
Cash and card payments are accepted.
We are currently awaiting another restock of replica kits, which will be unavailable in the meantime.
Podcast
In this week’s edition of club podcast Look Blues Talking, we provide a full preview of this weekend’s meeting with Dumbarton, and hear from goalscorer Evan Dunne after a rare victory at Forfar.
Watch live
If you can’t make it to the LIME Stadium at Stair Park this Saturday, you can watch the match live on SPFL Player.
A 24-hour SPFL Player pass is available for £10.99, giving you access to the live match stream.
The stream is available to supporters across the UK and Ireland via the SPFL Player website and app.
Coverage
You can follow our live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter).
The manager’s post-match reaction will be available on YouTube following the game.
Club 1870 subscribers get a first look at the goals on Saturday night, along with full match footage.
Extended highlights will be available via YouTube by Sunday morning, with Cameron Ritchie making his first start of the season alongside Brian Martin on commentary.
Photos: Ian Irvine-Watson, Bill McCandlish, Dylan Heron