Binos play-off hopes are dim and distant
Draw puts Binos five points from fourth place slot
Elgin City .............. 2 Stirling Albion ...... 2
Stirling’s play-off hopes were all but ended at Borough Briggs as Elgin fought back from two goals down in a dramatic second half.
Dave Mackay’s men were on course for a fifth straight away success when Darren Smith and Dylan Nguene Bikey struck in the space of four minutes early in the second half but substitute Jamie Reid pulled one back and City skipper Archie MacPhee levelled two minutes from time.
Liam Caddis missed a glorious chance to win it for Stirling in the third minute of added time but he dragged his shot wide from six yards as Elgin drew their fifth home game in a row.
Mackay made four changes to the team beaten 3-0 by bottom Cowdenbeath at Forthbank the previous week, with both Ross McMillan and Calvin Colquhoun returning to the starting XI after long spells out. Connor McLaren and Bikey returned as Ross Forsyth, Sean Dickson - injured in training on Thursday - Blair Henderson and Ross Kavanagh dropped out.
Ross Smith, Frazer Wright, Willie Robertson, Jack McCue and Andy Little were again sidelined as Stirling sought a Borough Briggs double, having won 3-2 here in Mackay’s first game in charge in November.
Chris McLeish fired wide at the second time attempt when he should have scored, Darryl McHardy came close with a header and Daniel Moore had a shot blocked after shoddy defending gave him the opportunity.
Stirling looked a different team in the second half and McLaren’s shot was deflected just wide before the deadlock was broken in 53 minutes. A fine, flowing move was finished off by Darren Smith for his 12th goal of the season – the exMotherwell man was picked out by Bikey and steered a first-time effort past former Partick Thistle and Queen’s Park keeper Marc Waters.
Albion doubled their advantage before the hour mark. This time Smith was the provider with a strong run past Mark Nicolson down the left and a perfect cut-back, which allowed Bikey to net his first goal since returning on loan from Hearts, and the 10th overall, with a terrific shot past Waters.
Mackay made a triple change – which had been planned before the goal – and there was a scare when full-back Caddis later picked up a knock but thankfully he was able to continue.
Elgin enjoyed plenty of the ball in the closing stages but Albion were holding out until two minutes from time when MacPhee was able to get away from a defender and fire a 20 yarder low into the corner, although Chris Smith will feel he should have kept it out.
Jamie Mills was the unlikely hero with a last-gasp goal here in the autumn and there was almost a repeat when McMillan’s deep cross was nodded into the path of Caddis but the ex-St Johnstone player snatched at his shot and skewed the ball wide.
A share of the spoils means Stirling are now five points behind fourth-placed