Forfar achieved survival with a couple of matches of the season to spare, which is a decent achievement considering the manner they started the campaign.
Ten of their first 12 matches in all competitions ended in defeat, while their first league victory did not arrive until November, when they won at Albion Rovers.
Unsurprisingly, manager Gary Bollan did not last too long, with Jim Weir appointed in his place. He took over an unsettled squad that he been in the habit of losing for the best part of a calendar year.
Turing their fortunes around was a painstaking task, which really only began in earnest in their final match of 2017, when they defeated Ayr United 3-2 away from home. That interrupted a spell of nine matches in which they lost eight.
Thereafter, their form improved considerably, aided by the re-signing of striker Dale Hilson, plus the additions of Ross Dingwall, Ross MacIver and Andy Munro, who had spent the first half of the campaign away on loan.
Success was achieved in a somewhat pragmatic manner. Forfar were never devastating offensively this season but they were consistent in their defensive work in the second half of the campaign, which provided them the opportunity to wriggle away from the foot of the standings.
Michael Travis was their key man in the back four, however goalkeeper Mark McCallum was an excellent performer, often making vital saves at crucial moments.
At the other end of the field, Matty Aitken provided a good deal of thrust, while sparks of quality came from Dylan Easton, who was not as consistent but was a potential matchwinner.
Of course, they were aided by two particularly weak opponents in the form of Albion Rovers and Queen’s Park, both of whom had disastrous campaigns. But the Loons coped well with long-term injuries, most notably to Marc Scott, who had been their outstanding player in the first half of the campaign, when he was the one man who looked capable of finding the net on a regular basis.
