Frustrating would seem to be an appropriate word to sum up Ronan Hughes’ season so far.
The summer signing has made just four starts and eight substitute appearances since joining Chris Aitken’s new look squad.
However, with a minimum of 19 games yet to play, the midfielder, who is back from injury, is hoping he could still make a sizeable impact.
Saturday’s trip to Forfar Athletic – where Hughes made his first Stranraer start in a 1-0 defeat – presents the first opportunity.
He said: “Forfar are a good team, who have been doing well.
“Hopefully, the game is on because the weather up north is a bid mad just now.
“I’m sure some of the boys know some of the boys up there and said the pitch gets cleared all the time.
“Obviously, we were disappointed up there with the performance but we beat them at our pitch.
“There is all to play for.
“For me, it is all about getting my fitness back.
“There is only so much you can do outside of football.
“Hopefully, now that I am back up and running, I get more minutes.
“If the team is doing well, there is not much you can do but, hopefully, I can kick on and start my season, eventually.”
Stranraer had been due to face Ayr United during the week in the KDM Evolution Trophy.
Ahead of the game, the Stranraer manager had outlined his intention to utilise his full squad, with Hughes among those hoping to feature.
Despite, the frustration of the midweek trip to Somerset Park being called off, the squad managed to get a training session in.
It is hoped that the cup contest will be played this coming Tuesday, with a Scottish Cup clash against Queen’s Park also in the not too distant future.
Hughes was determined to do all he could to try to force his way into Aitken’s starting line-ups.
He said: “For myself, I had been injured and you try to keep yourself as fit as possible.
“Not just at football but away from it so when the time comes you are ready to go.
“The squad is a good squad; everybody could play in the starting XI.
“Usually, there are a couple of fringe players but no matter who is playing, it is not weakening the starting XI.”
The 27-year-old got the last couple of minutes last weekend when Stranraer drew with Edinburgh City.
Player of the month Deryn Lang headed home to cancel out Bradley Barrett’s first half opener.
The 1-1 draw meant it was the third game in a row, including a trip to Annan Athletic, that Stranraer had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Hughes said: “The fact we are going to these grounds and are disappointed with a draw shows how far we have come as a group.”
Last meeting
Two late goals gave Stranraer all three points when Forfar Athletic visited Stair Park towards the end of last year.
Stranraer had already called goalkeeper Neil Stafford into action before they were awarded a penalty. Matty Allan ended Jordan Stuart’s impressive run and James Dolan then scored from the spot.
However, Forfar would pull themselves level through Craig Slater when Stranraer failed to clear a free-kick.
The hosts stepped it up a gear and grabbed two late goals. First, Ryan Edgar headed home from about eight yards. Then, Deryn Lang poked home after the ball broke kindly to him in the box after Dominic Plank’s shot was blocked.
Stranraer: Lane, Ecrepont, Reid, Rough, Gillies (Hunter 88), Stuart, Dolan (Russell 88), Quigg, McKnight, McManus (Lang 63), Edgar (Plank 84).
Not used: Coll, Hughes, Sharp and Henderson.
Forfar Athletic: Stafford, Martin, Wark (Bright 68), Morrison, Allan, Dolzanski, Slater, Mailer, Shepherd (Richardson 68), Rennie (Cannon 82), Sutherland (Lorimer 46).
Not used: Lemon, Whatley and McLinden.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 3 Forfar Athletic 1 (Dolan (Pen), Edgar and Lang; Slater) at Stair Park on November 1, 2025
- Forfar Athletic 1 Stranraer 0 (Morrison) at Station Park on August 2, 2025
- Stranraer 0 Forfar Athletic 1 (Ferguson) at Stair Park on March 22, 2025
- Stranraer 1 Forfar Athletic 2 (Edgar; Slater and Rodden (Pen)) at Stair Park on March 4, 2025
- Forfar Athletic 0 Stranraer 1 (Gallagher) at Stair Park on January 25, 2025
Last five games
Stranraer
- DRAW v Edinburgh City (H): 1-1 (Lang)
- DRAW v Annan Athletic (A): 2-2 (Russell (Pen) and Lang)
- DRAW v Dumbarton (H): 1-1 (Russell)
- WIN v Elgin City (A): 1-2 (Plank and Rough)
- WIN v East Kilbride (A): 1-4 (Russell (Pen), Lang, McManus and Hunter)
Forfar Athletic
- DRAW v Clyde (A): 1-1 (J Sutherland)
- WIN v Elgin City (H): 4-2 (Shepherd x4 (Pen x1))
- LOSS v Edinburgh City (H): 2-3 (Whatley and J Sutherland)
- LOSS v Annan Athletic (A): 3-1 (Rennie)
- DRAW v Edinburgh City (H): 1-1 (Forfar Athletic win 4-2 on penalties) (Rennie)
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Edinburgh City: Lane, Ecrepont, Reid, Rough, Docherty (Dunne 77), Dolan (Cleland 63), Plank (Hunter 87), McManus, Gillies (Hughes 87), Russell (Quigg 77), Lang.
Not used: McKnight and Henderson.
Forfar Athletic
Lineup v Clyde: McCallum, Dolzanski, Lemon, Bright, Cannon (Wilson 74), Mailer, Whatley, Richardson, Shepherd (Lorimer 84), Rennie, Sutherland (McLinden 89).
Not used: Wark, Allan and Alston.
Five facts
- Josh Lane, Scot Rough and Lewis Reid are the only three members of the Stranraer squad to play more than 2,000 minutes so far this season. However, the number could double to six if Mark Russell, James Dolan and Daniel McManus play the full 90 minutes on Saturday.
- Goalkeepers Josh Lane and Ewan Henderson are the only members of the Stranraer squad never to have come off the bench for the club.
- Both sides have recorded a win apiece in the meetings between the clubs this season. Forfar were undefeated in the four meetings in 2023/24 with two wins and two draws. Stranraer need to go back 10 years to the 2015/16 campaign for an undefeated season against Forfar. Mark McGuigan and Chris Aitken got the ball rolling with a 2-1 win at Station Park before a goalless draw at Stair Park. Jamie Longworth was on target in a 1-1 draw in Forfar before Craig Pettigrew scored the only goal of the game in Dumfries and Galloway.
- Grant Gallagher scored the only goal of the game for Stranraer in a win at Station Park last term. However, you need to go back to 1994 for the last time Stranraer won by more than a single goal at Forfar. The Blues enjoyed a 3-1 win.
- Stranraer’s current unbeaten away run stretches to seven games. However, go back to the 2014/15 season and the Blues managed 13 games on their travels without defeat over 90 minutes. That run saw a 2-0 win at Ayr United (Grant Gallagher and Jamie Longworth scored), a 3-3 draw at Airdrie (Longworth, Craig Malcolm and Adam Forde), a 2-2 draw at Stenhousemuir (Longworth and Sean Winter), a 1-1 draw at Livingston (Longworth), 2-1 win at Brechin (Frank McKeown and Winter), 1-1 draw at Forfar (Winter), 1-0 win at Peterhead (Longworth), 1-1 draw at Stirling (Steven Bell), 3-1 win at Dunfermline (Winter, Stephen Stirling and Longworth), 4-1 win at Peterhead (McKeown, Gallagher, Malcolm and Chris Aitken), 1-0 win at Dunfermline (McKeown), 2-0 win at Ayr (Malcolm and Longworth) and 1-1 draw at Airdrie (Jon McShane). In that run, Livingston won a penalty shootout.
Admission
You can secure your entry in advance via Forfar Athletic’s online ticketing platform, or pay at the gate.
Pricing is as follows:
- Adult – £15
- Concession – £10
- Under 14 – £5
Podcast
Check out this week’s edition of Look Blues Talking for a look back at last weekend’s home meeting with Edinburgh City, a first interview with new signing Dean Cleland and all the talking points ahead of this weekend’s trip to Forfar.
Coverage
If you can’t make it to Station Park, hear it from the horse’s mouth with 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 from 10pm on Saturday night, along with full match footage.
Extended highlights will be available via YouTube on Sunday, and with Laurence Nelson having a weekend off, Brian Martin will be joined on commentary by longtime Blues supporter Jethro Bremner-Allison.
Photos: Bill McCandlish, MadMac Photography, Colin Poultney (Collarge Images)
