Stirling Albion v Stenhousemuir FC

Match Report

Stirling Albion v Stenhousemuir at Forthbank, Stirling on 2.5.15

SPFL Division One            Att 766

Stirling Albion 3 [G.Smith 18, Forsyth 88, Stirling 90+2] Stenhousemuir 2 [McMenamin 13, Sutherland 75]

Stirling Albion – Binnie, McGeachie, Forsyth, Beith [Paton 82], Davidson, Cummins [b80], Johnston [b13], Comrie, G.Smith [D.L.Smith 67], Stirling and Cunningham [Hurst 82]. Subs not used – C.Smith, Herron, McKenzie and Robertson.

Stenhousemuir – Fleming, Meechan, Summers, Lithgow, McMillan, Hodge, McMullan, Faulds [Sutherland 73], McMenamin, Watt [b50][Gallacher 85] and Marenghi [K.Millar 57]. Subs not used – Smith, McCormack, Fotheringham and Moutinho.

Referee – Stephen Finnie            Assistants – Ralph Gordon and Colin Pensom.

Stenhousemuir went into this game knowing that if Ayr won then no matter what the Warriors did they would be in the relegation play-offs. In the end Ayr did spring a surprise victory against league contenders Forfar Athletic which was just as well as the Warriors threw away a lead once again and lost for the third time this season to the already relegated Stirling Albion.

The end of the game was to be honest fairly embarrassing as they conceded two goals from the 88^th minute onwards and indeed could have lost in that spell as they had no answer as they capitulated. It was hardly the best build up for the play-off games against East Fife as they go into these games lacking momentum or confidence after their sixth defeat in seven games.

It all looked so different in the early stages of the game with Stenhousemuir playing the ball at a decent tempo although the first clear chance came in the 9^th minute but a weak shot by Josh Watt was easily saved. It wasn’t long after that though before they made the breakthrough. The home defence struggled to clear their lines following a free kick and Alan Lithgow played the ball to Paul McMullan who crossed to the back post for Ross Meechan to head across goal for Colin McMenamin to head home from close range. At that stage Forfar were also winning so it looked as if there was a possible escape route but it was soon to go wrong at both grounds.

The equaliser came in the 18^th minute as the defence was opened up by a Sandy Cunningham pass to Phil Johnston and he crossed into the middle to the unmarked Gordon Smith who dispatched the ball into the net.

After that setback Stenhousemuir did have a few chances to take the lead again. The first in the 22^nd minute saw McMullan take a touch before firing wide, he should have scored a minute later when a Bryan Hodge pass opened up the home defence and left him one on one with the keeper who forced him wider than he would have liked but he still had a decent sight of goal when he fired into the side net. This was followed by corner kick that Alan Lithgow just got a touch on but Cammy Binnie was able to gather. He was beaten in the 35^th minute when a lovely pass by Josh Watt freed McMullan who saw the keeper advancing but clipped the crossbar with his effort. The second half saw Ross McMillan just fail to get a touch on a McMullan cross in 51 minutes but as the game progressed Stirling began to create the better openings and only a timely tackle by Meechan thwarted Johnston who had beaten the offside trap on the hour. Sandy Cunningham tested Greg Fleming with an effort the keeper had to beat down. McMullan then had another chance at the other end but once again failed to hit the target. Fleming then denied Johnston again in the 74^th minute when he pushed an effort clear from close range. Stirling were looking stronger so it came as a surprise that Stenhousemuir took the lead in the 75^th minute when Craig Sutherland swept home a Meechan cross.  Although Stenhousemuir came close just after this the home side were certainly the more threatening. A snap shot by Ross McGeachie was clutched by Fleming in the 84^th minute but it wasn’t long before parity was restored when Ross Forsyth took full advantage of non-existent marking to flash the ball into the far corner in the 88^th minute. In the 90^th minute ex-Warrior Andy Stirling fired just over the bar from 20 yards out after making a run into the danger area. Lessons were not heeded though as he was allowed to run unhindered into the same area before rifling the ball into the top corner of the net to give Stirling Albion victory two minutes later. Their third against Stenhousemuir out of a total of for four league wins in the season.