Binos fail to live up to first-half promise
Opening-day defeat for Dave Mackay’s men
Berwick Rangers ..1 Stirling Albion ...... 0 Stirling Albion slipped to a disappointing defeat at a sunny Shielfield on the opening day of the Ladbrokes League 2 campaign.
Dave Mackay’s men were much the better team in the first half. They rattled the woodwork on three occasions and Kevin Fell had a goal disallowed for offside.
The Binos didn’t look in any danger of losing the game at that stage but Berwick were transformed in the second period and scored a good goal through Ross Brown in 65 minutes.
Albion offered little in response and rarely looked capable of conjuring up an equaliser – it was probably telling that the closest they came was when central defender Jamie Todd nodded the ball past his own goalkeeper and was grateful to see it run narrowly wide of the post.
Stirling had lost 1-0 here in December before coming out on top by the same score in March thanks to an Andy Little goal. If the Binos had taken even one of their first-half opportunities they may well have gone on to claim three points, but the second-half display was lacking.
Mackay was again without injured pair Darren Barr and Darren Smith, and Kevin Moon and Kyle Banner were both suspended. Lee Hamilton was fit enough to return and there was a debut for on-loan Dundee keeper Calum Ferrie, who got the nod ahead of Cammy Binnie.
Berwick hadn’t managed a goal in their four Betfred Cup ties. Like Stirling, they have had their share of off-field distractions over the summer and were flat in the first half.
Shooting down the slope on an immaculate surface, Albion looked comfortable and were controlling possession . They didn’t create too many clear-cut openings in the first half hour but all that changed as half-time approached when they could well have put the game to bed.
First there was the disallowed goal for Fell. He got on the end of a superb long ball from Jason Marr and looped a terrific header over Sean Brennan. The flag went up for offside and it looked a very tight call to deny the summer signing from Glasgow amateur side UB United his first senior goal.
Then it was the woodwork that prevented the visitors from going in front. Midfielder Dominic Docherty, a recent recruit from Queen’s Park, gathered a loose ball and fired a shot against the base of the post before the same upright repelled a deflected effort from Neil McLaughlin.
Docherty was out of luck again right at the end of the half when his shot took a touch en route to striking the top of the bar and it seemed only a matter of time before Stirling got their reward.
Instead, it was a different contest in the second half. Berwick looked hungry and determined and Paul Willis forced two good saves from Ferrie before they broke the deadlock.
Willis picked out Brown just outside the box and the ex-Airdrie midfielder glided away from a couple of defenders before confidently smacking the ball low past the keeper. It was all too easy from a Stirling perspective but it was tidy goal to end the Borderers’ drought.
Albion’s response was muted. A Jordan Allan free-kick just evaded skipper Ross McGeachie at the back post and Mark Stewart should have done better when presented with a late opportunity but he sent the ball across goal when a shot looked the better option.
In general though, Berwick weren’t under enough pressure and they closed the game out without too much difficulty as the Binos lost their league opener for the third time in four years.
Berwick Rangers: Brennan, Orru, O’Kane, Wilson, Todd (Fleming 89), Lavery (Murphy 79), Willis, Phillips, Cook, Healy (Murrell 72), Brown. Subs (not used): Adams (GK), Davie, Rose.
Stirling Albion: Ferrie, McGeachie, Allan, Hamilton, Marr, Docherty, Stewart, Jardine, P MacDonald, Fell (Watson 69), McLaughlin (McLaren 82). Subs (not used): Binnie (GK), Young, Thomson, M MacDonald, C MacDonald. Stirling Albion are away to Alloa Athletic in the first round of the IRN-BRU Cup on Tuesday, August 14, kick-off 7.45pm.
The Binos have a poor recent record in this competition, having fallen at the first hurdle in each of the last three seasons to Elgin City, Hearts Colts and Montrose.
The SPFL have changed the rules this season so that ties in the early rounds will now go straight to penalties without the need for extra time if the scores are level after 90 minutes. The winners progress to the second round, which will be played on the weekend of September 8/9.
Jim Goodwin’s Alloa side were promoted to the Championship in May and Albion have lost to their local rivals seven times in a row since a 3-2 success in March 2009.