RUTKIEWICZ BLASTS TEAM FOR PERFORMANCE A BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE FOR BINOS
Albion lose to bottom team
Stirling Albion manager Kevin Rutkiewicz admits his side’s performance against Brechin City at Forthbank on Saturday was nowhere near good enough.
The Binos were twice ahead against the bottom club through Sean Heaver and Dylan Mackin but were beaten 4-2 and suffered the embarrassment of conceding the fourth goal to Brechin keeper Lewis McMinn, whose incredible 90-yard effort bounced over Albion No 1 Blair Currie and into the net.
Stirling had lost just once in nine league games before Saturday but are now closer to the foot of the table than the promotion play-offs as they prepare to face Queen’s Park at Hampden this weekend.
Spiders boss Mark Roberts was voted League 2 Manager of the Month for November but saw his side beaten by Albion Rovers on Saturday and an Albion victory at the National Stadium – where they drew twice last season – would take them above the Glasgow club.
Rutkiewicz said: “We started well for 15 minutes against Brechin and got the early goal. It looked like it would be 2-0 or 3-0 at that point but after that we were second best all over the park and the better team won.
“It was really poor and I can’t defend that performance – there are no excuses. I’m disappointed for the fans because we need them and results like that at home don’t help.
“For me there was a bit of arrogance about that performance when we were 1-0 up against a Brechin team who have been going through hard times. Brechin came out in the second half and they wanted it more – I’m frustrated and disappointed but in a lot of ways it’s an easier defeat to take because we were poor and can put it down to a bad day at the office.
“That was akin to the 3-0 defeat at Elgin in the Betfred Cup in July and that’s how long it’s been since this team didn’t turn up. It was an off-day for too many of our players but I wasn’t surprised by Brechin because they have got quality in their team and have been scoring goals, even when they were not winning, but we let them play.
“I’ve not been involved in a game where a goalkeeper has scored and it summed up the day – the other goals we conceded were also very poor and even the build-up to their penalty was slack. For the fourth goal, Blair has misjudged the kick and it’s comedy stuff but we win as a team and lose as a team – what we have to now is pick ourselves up.”
Stirling head for Hampden before a home game against second-placed Edinburgh City on December 21 and a local derby at Stenhousemuir the following weekend.
Rutkiewicz added: “Losing to Brechin makes Queen’s Park a bigger game. I’ve got to get a reaction because the players are better than they showed. As an individual I would have a pride that I want to get myself back to the levels that have been shown for more or less the full season.
“There are jerseys up for grabs and we need people to fight for the cause because we fell short against Brechin.
“I’m hopeful we will have Kevin Nicoll and James Creaney available and Josh Peters got a bit more game time on Saturday. There won’t be five or six changes against Queen’s Park but there will be some because we have to be better.”