Binos are stung again by Wasps
Irn-Bru exit continues miserable run of defeats
Alloa Athletic .... 3 Stirling Albion .... 1
Albion’s miserable run against Alloa continued as they were dumped out of the Irn-Bru Cup on Tuesday night.
It’s now eight straight defeats in this fixture for the Binos and they rarely looked like halting that sequence as Jim Goodwin’s team coasted into round two.
Stirling haven’t won a game in this competition since beating Elgin City at Borough Briggs in July 2014 when they lost in the second round to, you’ve guessed it, Alloa.
The crowd at the Indodrill was a paltry 332 - around 80 of them in the away end - as many fans stayed away in protest at the £17 adult admission price set by the home club.
Stirling went into the game on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Clyde and shipped another three goals here.
A Kevin Cawley double late in the first half had Alloa in control and Iain Flannigan added a third immediately after the interval.
Lee Hamilton got one back but the last half hour or so was a nonevent and the outcome was never in doubt. Alloa are miles ahead of Stirling at the moment.
Binos boss Dave Mackay was again without injured trio Darren Smith, Darren Barr and Kevin Moon while Neil McLaughlin was involved with parent club Motherwell, as was Alloa’s Jake Hastie. The hosts had to do without suspended striker Greig Spence and only named three subs - one of them manager Jim Goodwin.
The first meeting of the teams for four years saw former Albion defender Andy Graham make his 100th appearance for the Championship side and he enjoyed a relatively comfortable evening.
Alloa’s pitch is the narrowest in the SPFL after they opted to chop several yards off during the summer but they still found space with ease against a passive Stirling side.
Albion started with a back three but switched to a 4-4-2 formation before half an hour had been played. They were cut open too easily and Alloa had the ball in the net after just eight minutes but the flag was up for offside and they had another effort ruled out later in the half.
The elusive Cawley was then denied by a combination of the post and keeper Calum Ferrie before Stirling carved out two good chances of their own.
Mark Stewart sent midfielder Cammy Thomson clear but the teenager took a heavy touch and the opportunity was lost before Stewart sent a diving header wide from a Danny Jardine delivery when he should have scored.
Alloa enjoyed more of the possession but it looked as if the visitors might reach the interval on level terms until two goals late in the half ended their hopes of a place in the second round on September 8/9, meaning they will now be idle that weekend.
Cawley easily converted Adam Brown’s low cross from the right in 40 minutes and the former Dumbarton player was on target again soon after. Alan Trouten picked him out with a cross from the left and Cawley sent a sweet volley low past Ferrie.
Alloa looked as good as through at that point but made sure with a third goal within 60 seconds of the restart when Iain Flannigan smashed a shot into the net from the edge of the box.
Hamilton reduced the deficit in 55 minutes when his header from a corner struck the post and was ruled to have crossed the line before being cleared but it was only a consolation rather than the beginning of a comeback and Alloa easily saw the game out.
Alloa Athletic: Parry, Taggart, Dick, Graham, Hetherington (Karadachki 83) Cawley, Robertson, Trouten, Flannigan, Brown, Peggie. Subs not used: Goodwin, Henry (GK). Stirling Albion: Ferrie, McGeachie, Allan, Hamilton, Banner (Watson 27) Marr, Stewart (Fell 77), Jardine, P MacDonald, Thomson, Robertson. Subs not used: Young, Docherty, McLaren, M MacDonald, Binnie (GK).