Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Forfar Athletic and Montrose drew 1-1 at Station Park in Marc McCallum's testimonial match — the first pre-season friendly for both Scottish League One sides.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
The first half ended goalless after a tight opening period in which both sides struggled to find rhythm — hardly surprising given it was the first friendly of pre-season for each. Forfar manager Jim Weir had confirmed pre-match that several players were unavailable through injury, honeymoon, or holiday commitments, with new signing Aaron Arnott among those sidelined.
Montrose broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half. In the 54th minute, a Montrose attacker found the net to put the Gable Endies 1-0 up. The provider data does not name the scorer.
Forfar pushed for an equaliser and found it with ten minutes left on the clock. A goal in the 80th minute — again, the scorer is unnamed in the official data — brought the home side level. Neither side could find a winner in the closing stages, and the match finished 1-1.
The turning point
Montrose's goal early in the second half forced Forfar to chase the game, but Jim Weir's side responded well. The introduction of substitutes — including trialists — around the hour mark helped shift momentum. Forfar had created little before the 54th minute but grew into the contest thereafter, with their equaliser coming from a position of sustained pressure.
Key performers
New signing Adam Brown, who joined Forfar in the close season, made his first appearance in a Loons shirt. Weir had confirmed earlier in the week that Brown would feature. On the Montrose side, several regulars were also absent, meaning opportunities for squad players and trialists to stake a claim ahead of the competitive campaign.
Forfar goalkeeper Marc McCallum, the man of the moment, played in his own testimonial match — a fitting tribute as he begins his tenth season with the club.
What it means
Both sides are in the early stages of pre-season. Forfar continue their friendly schedule with a home match against SPFL Championship winners St Johnstone on Tuesday 30 June (19:45 BST), followed by Banks O'Dee (4 July) and Peterhead (7 July). Their competitive season begins with a Premier Sports Cup tie at Ochilview against Stenhousemuir on 11 July.
Montrose now build toward their own pre-season programme, with the SPFL League 1 campaign starting in early August.
Pre-season friendlies are about fitness and minutes rather than results, and both managers will have taken value from a competitive run-out that gave squad players and trialists game time in match conditions.
Verdict
A predictable pre-season stalemate that told both managers more about fitness levels than form. Forfar will be the happier to have avoided defeat in McCallum's testimonial, but the real work starts now with four more friendlies before competitive football returns in mid-July.
Match Events
Key match events between Forfar Athletic and Montrose — 2 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Rivalry since 2016
Forfar Athletic vs Montrose Head to Head Results· 19
Forfar Athletic and Montrose have met 19 times — Forfar Athletic won 7, Montrose won 8, with 4 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2016. Montrose leads the head-to-head with 8 victories from 19 meetings. A combined 52 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 2.74 per match (26 for the home side, 26 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 11 matches (58%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 11 games (58%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 2–3 in 2020.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 27 Jun 2026