Players ‘arrogant and lacked

Stirling Albion manager Kevin Rutkiewicz felt his players showed a lack of desire as they were beaten 1-00 by bottom club Albion Rovers at Forthbank on Saturday.

It was Rovers’ second victory over the Binos this season, with the first coming at Coatbridge back in September when Dave Mackay was in charge.

With eight games remaining – the first of which is against Clyde at Broadwood this weekend – Stirling are down to sixth in the table and 10 points outside the play-off places.

Rutkiewicz had called on his side to make the final quarter of 2018/19 their best period of the campaign but instead they started it with a third straight home defeat, against a team who had previously picked up only two points on their travels.

Rovers were given a prematch boost when the SPFL awarded them a 3-0 default victory over Clyde, who fielded an ineligible player when the sides met last month. That decision has also all but ended the Bully Wee’s title hopes, although they are almost certain to be involved in the play-offs.

Rutkiewicz said: “Albion Rovers 100 per cent deserved to win. They were the better team from minute one and there are no excuses. Albion had a very tough week after some horrific news (the death last weekend of goalkeeping coach Michael Duke).

“They got the footballing bonus with the three points against Clyde and they looked the hungrier team. We rolled up arrogant and showed a lack of desire. You’ve not got a divine right to win any game. Every football match is on its own merit – we didn’t have the answers to the problems that Albion posed us and we’ve come up second best by quite a distance.

“When I came in here the team was second bottom so does the result surprise me?