Stenhousemuir FC v Stranraer

Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Stranraer at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 12.09.15

Ladbrokes League One                  Att 357

Stenhousemuir 1 [Smith 65]  Stranraer 0

Stenhousemuir – Barclay, Meechan, Henderson, Malcolm, Murray, Robertson, Gilhaney [Mazana 86], Stirling [b42], McMenamin, Smith [McCroary 90] and Cook. Subs not used – McCormack, McShane, Shaw, Eddington and Marenghi.

Stranraer – McGurn, Keenan, Pettigrew, Mair, Rumsby, Aitken [Turner 89], Bell, Stirling, Thomson [Cairney 66], Malcolm and Longworth [McGuigan 65]. Subs not used – Currie, Robertson, McCloskey and McGill

Referee – Craig Charleston          Assistants – Gordon Crawford and Jonathan Bell

Stenhousemuir went into this game unbeaten at Ochilview this season and were of course hoping to maintain this record. The teams had met already down at Stranraer in the League Cup with the Blues the victors in a tight affair with few clear cut goalscoring opportunities. The game continued in the same fashion though there was the odd chance. Jon Robertson will have felt that he should have done better in the 13^th minute after a long ball from Alan Cook wasn’t cleared properly but his first touch let him down. Stranraer had shouts for a penalty in the 16^th minute a cross by Chris Aitken was met by Ryan Thomson and his header appeared to strike Stuart Malcolm on the arm as the pair jumped. In the 23^rd minute there was an even bigger escape when THE Warriors struggled to clear a corner kick and Thomson’s stooping header clipped the woodwork post before eventually being scrambled clear. Two minutes later Stephen Stirling drove into the box at the other end before seeing his shot go just wide at the far post. In the 26^th minute Mark Gilhaney and Allan Smith linked up before the latter dragged his shot wide. The Warriors slowly were taking the upper hand and came close again on the half hour when Robertson headed a Cook free kick across goal and the ball was just cleared as Euan Murray was about to pounce. The home side did have the ball in the net in the 39^th minute when Cook fired home but the assistant referee had already flagged before the shot was taken. The second half like the first started slowly and the first time that either keeper was called into action was in the 57^th minute when David McGurn beat out a Cook strike from just outside the box. Colin McMenamin headed a Gilhaney cross over the bar in the 59^th minute.  It wasn’t one way traffic though as Stranraer almost snatched the first goal when the dangerous Andy Stirling almost picked out Craig Malcolm when just a touch would have caused major problems. The Warriors though took the lead in the 65^th minute. Cook was the provider with a pass over the Stranraer defence that bounced nicely for Allan Smith who did well to hold off the more physical defender before tucking the ball into the net. Stranraer caused consternation at the other end and sub Mark McGuigan will have felt frustrated at seeing the ball snatched away from him only six yards out as he looked to pounce. Smith though should have put the game beyond doubt in the 72^nd minute when he missed the target from close range with a header after he eluded his marker. It always seemed as if it would be a low scoring affair and although Stranraer pushed Stenhousemuir deeper as they tried to get back on level terms it wasn’t until the 80^th minute when Jamie Barclay made a stop from a shot when he pushed a Paul Cairney shot into the side net. There was relief though when he clutched a Dale Keenan header in stoppage time. The final whistle blew shortly afterwards and there was as much relief as celebrations when it blew. This was a stuffy performance but after recent defensive fragility away from home it was good to get a clean sheet as well as the three points