Match Facts
B’wick Rangers ...... 0 Stirling Albion ........ 1 Darren Smith’s fifth goal in five games moved Stirling Albion to within four points of the play-offs with four games remaining as they dug out a vital victory at Shielfield.
Dave Mackay’s men responded positively to last week’s 3-0 loss to leaders Forfar and notched up a seventh win in eight outings to close the gap on both Annan Athletic and Elgin City and keep alive outside hopes of a top-four finish.
The Binos play bottom club Cowdenbeath at Forthbank on Saturday then travel to Elgin and Edinburgh City before ending the season at home to title-chasing Arbroath.
Stirling were the better team in the first half and deservedly led through Darren Smith’s 11th goal of the campaign after 17 minutes.
But they needed a penalty save from Chris Smith seconds before the break to preserve their advantage and the Borderers carried more threat after half-time.
Albion had only won one of their past eight visits to Shielfield and lost 3-2 here on a bleak Tuesday night in December – a result which left them only a point off the foot of Ladbrokes League 2.
But the ground was bathed in warm spring sunshine on Saturday.
Mackay made three changes to the team well beaten by Forfar Ross McGeachie and Sean Dickson returned from suspension in place of Frazer Wright and Connor McMullan while Blair Henderson came in for Ross Kavanagh.
Willie Robertson, Jack McCue, Calvin Colquhoun and Ross Smith all missed out through injury but skipper Ross McMillan returned to the squad as a substitute.
Albion were shooting down the not inconsiderable slope in the first half and went ahead when Callumn Brennan, Verlaque, Page, Notman, Scullion, Spark, Thomson (Watt 76), McKirdy (Hamilton 46), Rutherford, McKenna, Murrell (Lavery 46). Subs (not used): Goodfellow (GK), McKinlay, Fairbairn, Kessells. Morrison fed the ball through to fellow on-loan Hearts man Dylan Nguene Bikey.
The Frenchman did well to hold off towering centre-half Pat Scullion and calmly squared the ball for Smith, who couldn’t miss.
Bikey netted a double on his last appearance here but had a fairly quiet game this time round, although he forced a fine save from Sean Brennan with a free-kick in the closing stages.
Before then Brennan made a superb stop to tip a Morrison drive on to the bar but it was never a game full of clearcut chances.
Berwick created little of note in the first half but came to life as the interval approached and Scullion headed over from a corner before McGeachie impeded Steven Notman as they chased a ball that was running out of the box after another corner kick.
Chris Smith saved his fourth spotkick out of nine this season when he dived to his left to push away Greg Rutherford’s effort and Albion were denied one of their own after the break when Henderson was instead booked for diving against his former club.
Berwick boss John Coughlin, clearly unimpressed with his side, who had beaten Forfar and drawn at Elgin in their previous two games, made a couple of changes at the break as they sought an equaliser.