MATCH STATS
Lee Hamilton, Kyle Banner and Calum Ferrie. There was a debut from the bench for young striker Scott Miller. The former Morton forward is part of the reserve squad and replaced the injured Mark Stewart late in the first half.
Stirling crashed out 5-3 to Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale in last season’s second round and they did nothing to cheer their longsuffering fans in the first half here.
Queen’s Park, who had beaten Clyde before knocking out St Mirren Colts to reach the last eight of the Irn-Bru Cup in their last two outings, were the brighter team from the start.
Stirling were flat and lifeless, while the visitors hassled and harried.
Euan East, on his first start, enjoyed a couple of mazy runs through the defence and their lead was well merited when it arrived after 25 minutes. Skipper Jamie McKernon slung over a corner from the left and Lewis Hawke, untroubled by a challenge, smacked home a header from six yards.
Stirling captain Ross McGeachie had a decent chance to equalise when the ball broke to him following a corner, but he couldn’t keep his shot down.
Overall, though, Queen’s Park were more eager and carried more of a threat and they scored again before half-time. It was a calamity from a Stirling viewpoint. They allowed McKernon to easily play in East with a free-kick and the youngster’s low cross was met by centre-half Gerry McLauchlan.
The former Brechin man tried to slide the ball into the net but it appeared that Jason Marr got the last touch.
The hosts were better after the break and on-loan Motherwell man Neil McLaughlin should have pulled one back when sent clear on the angle by Dom Docherty, but he steered his shot into the side netting. Two minutes later McLaughlin made amends with a perfect pick-out allowing Docherty, who was Albion’s best performer, to guide a header into the opposite corner for his second goal of the season.
Docherty missed a good opportunity at the back post as Albion probed for an equaliser and they should have got it in the 93rd minute.
Danny Jardine’s drive from the edge of the area caught James Grant on the arm and referee David Munro pointed to the spot.
Allan, who confidently converted a penalty at Elgin last month, went for the opposite corner this time but it was too near to the keeper and Hart dived to his left to save.
Joy for Queen’s Park and more despair for Stirling, whose next assignment at Forthbank this weekend is against an Edinburgh City side on an 11-match winning streak. Stirling Albion: Binnie, McGeachie, Allan, Marr, Horne, Moon (Thomson 75), McLaughlin, Jardine, McLaren, Stewart (Miller 43), Docherty. Subs not used: Law (GK), Hughes, Barr.
Queen’s Park: Hart, Grant, Summers, McKernon, McLauchlan, McLaren, East (Mortimer 81), Roberts, Hawke (Osadolor 90), Peters (Moore 66), McLean. Subs not used: Anderson (GK), Fotheringham, Lachlan, Miller.
Referee: David Munro Crowd: 516