An early goal from Scott Shepherd saw Arbroath end their Premier Sports Cup Group D campaign with a defeat to Forfar at Station Park.
The forward got on the end of a Martin Rennie cross following some slack defending to secure a 1-0 win for the home side who finish fourth in the group, behind the Lichties on goal difference.
Arbroath’s line-up showed seven changes from Tuesday nights demolition of Annan at Gayfield with Jack Wilkie, Thomas O’Brien, Findlay Marshall and Arran Pettifer the only players to retain their place from the start.
The visitors had the ball in the net inside seven minutes through Nikolay Todorov, but the striker’s effort was correctly ruled out for offside, while Aaron Muirhead had to be alert at the other end to deny Ross MacLean a sure tap in.
Pettifer looked to add to the hat-trick he scored in midweek, firing a free-kick goalwards that Marc McCallum did well to tip over the bar, but on 14 minutes, it was Forfar who opened the scoring.
Muirhead’s attempted clearance was charged down by Rennie, who then did well to pick out Shepherd in the middle and the forward made no mistake, bundling the ball over the line.
The Loons went in search of a second with a couple efforts from distance, before Rennie got in behind, only to see McAdams dive low to his left to keep the shot out.
Ryan Dow and Scott Stewart entered the fray just before the hour mark and they almost linked up to perfection immediately, with Dow getting on the end of his fellow substitute’s cut back and forcing a strong save from McCallum.
Dow thought he’d grabbed the assist for an Arbroath leveller when his clipped cross was nodded home by Todorov, but for the second time in the game, the Bulgarian would be denied by the assistant’s flag.
Arbroath began to show more of an attacking threat as the half wore on and almost levelled when Gavin Reilly headed just past the post. Minutes later they went even closer, as Muirhead’s free kick came crashing off the bar and O’Brien sent a looping header wide.
There would be no way through though, as the Premier Sports group stage came to a close with a defeat, ahead of next weeks Championship opener at home to Ayr United.
Forfar Athletic: McCallum; Martin, Dolzanski, Morrison, Scott (Lemon, 46); Lorimer (Cannon, 69), Mailer (Inglis, 69), Slater, MacLean (Richardson, 82), Rennie (Allan, 74), Shepherd
Arbroath: McAdams; Watson (Steele, 69), Muirhead, O’Brien, Wilkie; Pettifer (Reilly, 69), Callachan (Cochrane, 46); Hickey-Fugaccia (Stewart, 57), Marshall, Trialist (Dow, 57); Todorov
