Falkirk vs Stenhousemuir

Match Report

The Warriors battled bravely but a flying Falkirk ensured the Bairns held the Stirlingshire Cup title.

Falkirk were cruising within the first 45 minutes with Agyeman’s effort and a Ross Mciver stunner giving the hosts a deserved lead. Warriors’ hopes were resurged by trialist (12) but not before Falkirk’s Brian Graham restored their two goal cushion. 

The Warriors looked strong in the opening 10 minutes however, the newly promoted Premiership side looked impenetrable leaving the Warriors’ front men with few scraps to feed off. 

Falkirk were quick out the traps and opened the scoring in the third minute. A long ball over the top caught out the Warriors’ defence allowing Agyeman to pounce and slot his shot beyond Deejay. 1-0. 

Falkirk kept their shape and intensity throughout the duration of the half and forced the Warriors to run themselves ragged. 

Deejay was called into action- really for the first time- in the 24th minute after McCann’s swerving effort had to be tipped over. 

Falkirk added a spectacular second just before the close of the half as Mciver- who looked dangerous in and around the box- unleashed his shot which curled perfectly into the top corner. 2-0. 

The Warriors had a bit of work to do going into the second half, but nothing they couldn’t overcome as they aimed to reduce the deficit and continue to fight for a winner’s medal. 

The Warriors gave a better account of themselves in the opening stages of the second half and displayed more of an attacking prowess. Despite their best efforts, it wasn’t to be for the Warriors and Falkirk ensured they lifted the coveted trophy. 

Anderson struck the Warriors’ first shot at goal in the 54th minute, though his tame effort was an easy save for Hogarth. 

Electric substitute Taylor began causing problems for Falkirk on the wing as his cross into the box was spilled by Hogarth in the 64th minute allowing our trialist (12) to rebound the ball in. 2-1. 

Veteran striker Brian Graham opened his Falkirk account in the 67th minute with a blistering effort to further the Warrior’s deficit. 3-1

Ultimately it’s a disappointing result for the Warriors, nonetheless a great cup to begin our pre season endeavours. With plenty more pre- season action to come, we look forward to hearing you in full voice again. Remember to stay up to date via all our social media channels.

Match Report by Louise Davidson  

Preview

Final destination for the Warriors- the Stirlingshire Cup final!

On Tuesday night the Warriors will battle it out with Falkirk on derby day to be crowned Stirlingshire Cup winners- a trophy of prestige, with it being the second oldest cup in the world and being the only competition to still use the original trophy first used in 1883.

The Warriors led out an impressive start to the competition on Saturday defeating both Dumbarton and Stirling Albion, 2-0 and 2-1 respectively. The Warriors line up was made up of some familiar and some new faces, but goals from Gray, O’Reilly, Anderson and O’Donnell encapsulated the start that Gary was aiming for.

Looking ahead to Tuesday night, the Warriors’ focus is on delivering an electrifying performance and an attacking intensity to edge them to glory. Though the Warriors’ spirits are high, Falkirk will be sniffing out any golden opportunity to seal the cup for themselves.

A fizzing fixture for a Tuesday night

The newly promoted Premiership outfit will be eager to set out their stall for the season ahead, proving their quality and potency to their opposition. Despite Tuesday night hosting a derby day, the two sides have only faced off on a handful of occasions (8 matches to be exact). Though they haven’t met frequently, the competition between these two rivals is fierce and none more so than in front of goal, with over 35 goals scored in this fixture.

One Falkirk man- who is driven by the competitiveness of the midfield- is PFA Scotland Championship player of the year, Brad Spencer. The Falkirk skipper showed his class time and time again in midfield contributing enormously to the success of their Championship campaign. Though not being a prolific goal scorer, the captain cropped up with eight last season, giving the Warriors defence something to be cautious of going into Tuesday night.

Both teams finished off last season strongly with one being crowned champions of their division and the other reaching the play- offs on the back of an undeniably sensational season. With the calibre both teams possess to have driven them this far, Tuesday night could prove to be a cracker.

All the essential information ahead of Tuesday night

The final on Tuesday will take on the same format as a regular game and will revert back to 90 minutes, two 45-minute halves. If a winner cannot be decided within that time frame, the game will go to penalties.

The Warriors will be housed in the North half of the main stand which can be accessed via turnstiles 5-7. Tickets can be purchased online and are £10 for an adult, £5 for concession and Under 12s go free.

As always, your support is vital to the team, but with the glory of a cup up for grabs we need you Warriors there loud and proud! Both teams have one hand firmly placed on the cup, but who will lift that all important title and secure derby bragging rights? Stay up to date via all our social media channels.

Kick off: 7:45pm 24th June

Location: Falkirk Stadium

Match preview by Louise Davidson