Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Time for Rovers to get back to basics
Leaking fewer goals is key says skipper Mick
There were five goals at Stair Park on Saturday as Stranraer edged out Albion Rovers to claim their second League One win of the season.
The Blues went 3-0 up thanks to on-loan St Johnstone midfielder Craig Thomson’s double and a strike by ex-Rover Mark McGuigan.
However, Rovers made a game of it in the final half-hour after Ross C Stewart struck and Paul Willis slotted in a penalty.
Unfortunately for the Coatbridge side, the damage had been done as time ran out.
Setback on the road
After demolishing poor Stenhousemuir 4-0, hopes were high that Rovers could build on that result in the south-west.
Alas, the conceding of three goals in the space of 39 minutes either side of the interval wrecked their hopes of a win.
Schoolboy defending
It has been very unlike Rovers to be so porous at the back yet that is what they have been in the early weeks of the season.
Rovers have more options middle to front but they can’t be relied upon to always score three or four to pick up points.
Stew-pendous
Rovers’top goalscorer after a couple of months of the campaign is Ross C Stewart who now has three to his name.
The big youngster has been making an impact up front since joining from Kilwinning Rangers.
Managers’ views
Stranraer boss Brian Reid said:“I thought we started the game well and played some very good stuff. We scored two very well-taken goals and after the third we were in cruise control.
“That’s four wins in a row at home and we want to keep that going. We want to make it difficult for teams when they come down here.”
Rovers player-manager Darren Young said:“We never really turned up in the first half. We’ve lost bad goals.
“When we were 3-0 down we kicked on a bit, started to play and create a few chances.
“We showed a bit of fighting spirit to get the two goals back but the game has gone by then.”
Stats a fact
STRANRAER: Belford; Robertson*, Barron (Watt 58), Bell, Dick; Thomson, Turner, Morena (Agnew 80), Gibson*; Malcolm, McGuigan*. UNUSED SUBS: Currie(gk), McKeown, McCloskey. ALBION ROVERS: R M Stewart; Reid, R Dunlop, M Dunlop, Turnbull (Archibald 81); McBride, Ferry (Gilmour* 63), Boyd, Willis; Wallace*; R C Stewart. UNUSED SUBS: Potts(gk), Young, Lightbody, McManus. REF: Kevin Graham. ATT: 402. *booked
Mick Dunlop hopes Saturday’s Monklands derby marks a change in fortunes for Albion Rovers.
The Cliftonhill men head to New Broomfield for their clash with Airdrieonians struggling to keep the back door shut.
While five clean sheets in 12 games is a decent return, the number of goals shipped in the other games provides cause for concern.
Rovers gave neighbours Airdrieonians plenty to worry about in the four League One meetings between the teams last season.
But they only claimed two points from a possible 12.
And that record will give Rovers extra motivation when they pitch up in ML6.
Skipper Dunlop said: “I don’t think there was a lot between the teams in the derbies last season.
“But at the end of the day you have got to take your chances and in a couple of the games we didn’t do that.
“It’s not been a great start for us. We’ve been unlucky in some games and poor in others but it is early days.
“We’re disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded so far, even though five clean sheets in 12 games is not that bad.
“We have to get back to basics as we know we’ve had one of the best defensive records in the last few years. I’m sure we will get it sorted.”
Rovers followed up a 4- 0 thrashing of Stenhousemuir with a 3-2 defeat to Stranraer which, for the most part, wasn’t as close as the scoreline suggests.
Five points have been gleaned so far but Dunlop feels there are mitigating circumstances as the first quarter of league fixtures comes to an end.
“We just need to find more consistency,” he insisted.
“Once we get the boys back who have been injured we will be stronger and will hopefully get better.”
Dunlop – who partners younger brother Ross at the heart of Rovers’ defence with Alan Reid and Kyle Turnbull mainstays at full-back – is well aware of the importance of the Monklands derby.
And he would love nothing more than to leave the stadium all smiles; just like he did at the start of the League Two title-winning season in 2014.
Dunlop added: “We’re under no illusions. It’s a big game for both sets of supporters.
“We got a victory in the Challenge Cup a couple of years ago on penalties at their place and the fans loved it.
“We’ll try our best to get three points and send them home happy.”