Keeper Lewis strikes to dent Binos’ hopes
STIRLING ALBION .................................... 2 BRECHIN CITY .......................................... 4
Brechin City goalkeeper Lewis McMinn sealed an away win with an incredible goal as Albion’s recent good run came to a shuddering halt.
With 16 minutes left, the Bannockburnbased keeper launched the ball downfield from just outside his own area and defender Paul McLean allowed it to carry after a shout from Blair Currie.
The Albion No 1 had advanced too far and could only watch in horror as the ball skipped off the sodden turf, bounced over his head and rolled into the net.
Currie has been excellent since his summer switch from Clyde but was also at fault for the first goal.
Like many of his team-mates, it was an afternoon to forget although that might take some time given that clips of McMinn’s outrageous goal were all over social media by Sunday.
League Two’s bottom club had suffered five successive defeats since they drew 1-1 with Stirling at Glebe Park in early October, conceding 18 goals in the process, but they recovered from a poor start at Forthbank to deal Kevin Rutkiewicz’s men a big blow.
The Binos boss had hoped his side could push on towards the top four in December after a run of only one defeat in nine league matches but instead they fell eight points behind fourth-placed Annan and allowed City to cut the gap on them to six.
James Creaney and Kevin Nicoll were again ruled out of an unchanged line-up in the wake of the 2-1 win at Elgin the previous week. Stirling had beaten Annan in their last home League 2 encounter and their opener arrived in seven minutes when Sean Heaver nipped in front of a defender to knock the ball past McMinn for his fifth goal of 2019/20.
Paul Willis came close and David Wilson struck the post with a lovely effort from outside the box. It was all Stirling but they allowed Brechin back into the game and Kieran Inglis was allowed too much space to send a low angled shot under Currie shortly after the half-hour mark.
Albion were back in front when Dylan Bikey did well on the left and crossed for Dylan Mackin. The Brechin defence should have cleared the danger but the big striker took advantage to smack the ball into the net.
Stirling were slack, though, and carelessly conceded a penalty as the interval approached. Inglis went down under a challenge and Jordan McGregor was booked for protesting before Paul
McManus confidently converted down the middle.
The second half was a huge disappointment from a Stirling viewpoint. They lost the midfield battle and allowed the impressive McManus to head the visitors in front following a corner.
On a grim December afternoon of heavy rain, hopes of a comeback were sunk when McMinn joined the select list of goalscoring goalies when he amazingly found the net from around 90 yards.
The Brechin custodian then made a terrific stop to deny substitute Josh Peters before leaping to somehow claw a Wilson 25-yarder over the bar. It’s a day he’ll remember for a long time but one Stirling need to quickly put behind them and try to bounce back against Queen’s Park at Hampden.
Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, Thomson, Wilson (Wright 87), McLean, McGregor, Jardine, Bikey (Docherty 69), Heaver (Peters 63), Mackin, Willis. Subs not used: Binnie (GK), Banner, Scott, Duffy.