BOSS BLASTS SLOW START
But Mackay says there’s no need to panic
Stirling Albion will aim to get their first points of the season on the board when they face Edinburgh City at Ainslie Park on Saturday.
The Binos kicked off their Ladbrokes League 2 campaign with a 1-0 loss at Berwick Rangers and were soundly beaten 3-0 by Clyde at Forthbank on Saturday. City lost 1-0 to Elgin at the weekend but James McDonaugh’s men opened up with a 4-0 thrashing of Albion Rovers in the capital.
Mackay said: “In the first half against Clyde I don’t think we actually played that bad, so to come in 2-0 down I didn’t think was a fair reflection.
“However, the three goals we conceded were shocking and you have absolutely no chance when you give a team like that a three-goal start.
“The first goal was from a set-play – we have about five bodies in there but nobody goes to clear it and it was such a cheap, easy goal.
“The second goal right on half-time, Dominic Docherty gets done from a onetwo and our defenders dropped on to the goal-line from the cross which was crazy.
“The third one is equally poor. Kyle Banner should have shown Ally Love on to his right foot and the shot also goes in a bit easy at the near post.
“We are giving ourselves no chance by conceding sloppy goals.
“The only real save their goalkeeper had was from Mark Stewart near the end.
“We put some great balls into the box but have not attacked them with any great conviction or belief. You have to really want to score and it just wasn’t there.”
He added: “Clyde were very direct but I suppose when you have David Goodwillie up there, why pass it about for the sake of passing it.
“They get the ball forward quickly and thave three physical midfielders and it has worked for them – they have six points out of six as we sit with zero.”
Albion were in action last night (Tuesday) against local rivals Alloa Athletic in the first round of the IRNBRU Cup.
Stirling were again short of numbers for the first local derby for four years but Mackay said: “Thankfully we are seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel with the injury situation – Darren Smith should be back doing some running next week and Darren Barr is already running.
“Both of them could potentially be available for the Peterhead game at the end of the month.
“Kevin Moon is getting orthotics for his feet, which are causing him pelvic problems. I’m not sure he’ll be available for the Edinburgh game on Saturday but hopefully for Peterhead the week after.
“Keeper Calum Ferrie took a knock in training with Dundee on Friday and the amount of injuries we have certainly isn’t helping.”
Mackay went on: “At Berwick last week we could have been out of sight in the first half although the second half was extremely poor. There is no panic – we have good players here and we have big players to come back.
“Willie Robertson also needs to get up to speed – since he left he’s not had much time to do anything although he lasted well on Saturday and he’s a good trainer.
“I thought Lee Hamilton did very well against Goodwillie but he is still trying to get back up to speed.
“We’ll get there – we had hoped to have some of the injured players back over the summer but it didn’t happen and we have been asking the same eleven or 12 players to go and play every game - we don’t have a lot to change things.”