HIGH FLYING
Albion closing in on league play-off places
Stirling Albion’s busy week continues with a trip to Elgin City on Saturday in their bid to reach the playoff places.
Saturday’s 2-1 success at Berwick moved the Binos to within four points of fourth-placed Annan Athletic and they had the chance to cut that gap to a single point when they hosted bottom club Albion Rovers in a rearranged fixture last night (Tuesday).
Stirling have already beaten Elgin 3-0 and 5-2 this season and Gavin Price’s side had been on a poor run before beating Albion Rovers 3-0 in Coatbridge at the weekend.
A Dylan Mackin penalty and a goal from Darren Smith – who has netted nine times against the Borough Briggs outfit – saw Kevin Rutkiewicz’s men through at Berwick on Saturday.
He said: “On reflection, having watched the game back, we were close to being very good and controlled the game for the vast majority of it. I don’t think Berwick posed us too many problems and had we been more clinical or got a rub of the green from the officials, it could have been a lot more comfortable.
“Away games are difficult so I’m delighted with the result and the performance.
“We closed the gap on Saturday but I would temper that by saying that Annan have come out a very difficult spell with flying colours and seven points out of nine against Peterhead, Edinburgh and Clyde so that is setting them up for a big quarter.”
Elgin drew their last home game 3-3 with Edinburgh City and ended the weekend two points behind Stirling to stay in the hunt for the play-offs.
Rutkiewicz added: “Away to Elgin is never an easy game – the travelling adds to that and obviously we have three games in a week as well.
“In terms of our squad, rotation is not a luxury we have earned yet. It might be different if we were sitting 12 points clear at the top but it’s a very risky business in the situation we are in to start changing for the sake of it.
“I’ve said to the boys since I came in that if you play well, you play. I’m not big on changing things for tactical reasons – players live to play football and know when they are playing well so to be dropped is a bit of a kick in the teeth and I would be reluctant to make too many changes.”
Striker Peter MacDonald sat out the trip to Berwick, with Rutkiewicz revealing the 38-year-old was being rested, while defender Jason Marr is still short of full fitness.
The Binos boss said: “I made the decision early in the week not to involve Peter because he had tweaked his back but he is not by any means ruled out for any length of time.
“If one of the other strikers had missed the game then Peter would have travelled but we have the luxury of a squad now so we can protect Peaso a bit. Sitting for two hours on a bus maybe wasn’t ideal.
“Jason hasn’t been involved the last couple of weeks – he struggled with injury when I first came in and put his body through the mill. We brought options in during January so we are healthy in that area and this is giving Jason a wee window to get his body where he needs to be.
“He is working tremendously hard and his attitude has been excellent – he is getting fitter and leaner and I’ve got absolutely no doubt he is going to have a part to play.”
The SPFL this week confirmed that the rearranged Ladbrokes League 2 game between Stirling Albion and Clyde will be played on Tuesday, February 26, with a 7.45pm kick-off.