TOUGH TEST ON COVE TRIP

Stirling Albion face their toughest test of the season so far when they travel north to face leaders Cove Rangers tomorrow.

Paul Hartley’s side are three points clear of Edinburgh City at the top of Ladbrokes League 2 and have won five home games out of five, scoring 17 goals in the process.

Cove were 3-1 winners away to Cowdenbeath at the weekend, with former Rangers and Dundee United winger Fraser Aird scoring twice, and have suffered just one defeat in League 2 since joining the SPFL in the summer.

Stirling were beaten 2-1 when the sides met at Forthbank in August but are in much better shape now.

They saw off Albion Rovers 3-0 last Saturday to take their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven matches and have the best defensive record in the division.

They will need to be at their best to keep out Cove at the Balmoral Stadium, where Hartley’s men have won 3-0 in their last three League 2 games, against Queen’s Park, Annan and Albion Rovers.

Binos boss Kevin Rutkiewicz (right) said:

“We have done well recently and are building momentum and we need to keep it going.

“Cove are the best team in the league and are scoring a lot of goals – just over three a game – so it will be difficult but it’s the games you want to be involved in. “We go into this game in a very different frame of mind from the first game. We’re seven undefeated with five clean sheets in that run and there is an awful lot to be pleased about – we seem to have struck a better balance in the

Young football players at Balfron Primary School are proudly sporting smart new strips – thanks to the efforts of runners in the village’s annual 10k.

A donation of £1000 from the 2019 event allowed staff at the school to buy the new kit, emblazoned with the Mulberry Bush Montessori Balfrom 10k logo – and an array of PE equipment.

Pictured are pupils Christopher Hewitt, Jack Sutton, Caelan Strathdee and Logan Bell with 10k committee member Julie Ross. Organisers are already planning the 2020 Balfron

10k with a date to be announced shortly. team. You have got to respect them but not fear them and we don’t want to disrupt what we have been doing too much.

“The last 15 minutes of the last game against Cove would be more what I’m after from the start, because I think we were only at 50 per cent for most of that game.

“Plastic pitch or not, you have got to overcome that.

“We have to present our hand to them and see if it is enough to trouble them.

“From the outside, it might look like we are a team who sit in because we haven’t scored or conceded a lot of goals but we get players forward in numbers.

“We were very dominant against Albion Rovers last weekend from start to finish – there were a few performances and it could easily have been more than 3-0. .

“Paul McLean and Jordan McGregor were outstanding in the centre of defence and the whole back five, including Blair Currie in goal, have been very solid. It was good for Jordan to get a goal because we have been knocking on the door from set-plays.”

Striker Josh Peters is again ruled out, along with defenders Gareth Rodger, Craig Truesdale and Jordan Lowdon.

James Creaney should be fit to return.