WE NEED BELIEF TO BEAT SPIDERS
Rutkiewicz calls on players to end home game blues with a win
Stirling Albion made it four away wins on the spin last week with a fantastic victory at Edinburgh City.
And they face newly professional side Queen’s Park tomorrow at Forthbank in a League Two clash.
Curiously, Stirling have lost their last four games at home, but they are 11/8 favourites with the Glasgow side 9/5 outsiders and the draw 9/4.
First scorers this week include last week’s hero Jordan McGregor at 12/1 and Dylan Mackin at 11/2.
Four out of the last five games between the sides have been draws and Albion haven’t beaten the Spiders on their last six meetings.
In the Lowland League, Stirling University play on Sunday and welcome champions East Kilbride to Forthbank.
The students are 19/5 outsiders with EK strong 1/3 favourites and the draw
5/1.
Stirling Albion host Queen’s Park at Forthbank tomorrow in a big game in the race for the play-offs.
The teams are separated only by goal difference in the Ladbrokes League 2 table, two points behind fourth-placed Elgin City, who are up against leaders Cove Rangers this weekend.
Stirling lost 1-0 to the Spiders on the opening day of the season then drew 1-1 at Hampden in December and games between the teams tend to be tight.
Kevin Rutkiewicz’s side go into the match on the back of a 1-0 win against Edinburgh City thanks to a goal from Jordan McGregor as the Binos made it four away wins on the trot.
The Spiders beat Cowdenbeath 1-0 at Hampden and have taken 10 points from a possible 12 since Ray McKinnon replaced Mark Roberts as manager at the beginning of January.
Queen’s Park recently voted to change their amateur status to go professional and have made some notable signings in recent weeks – including Morton centre-half Peter Grant and midfielders Craig Slater (Partick Thistle) and Ross MacLean (Falkirk). Jake Davidson (Dundee United), Stuart Morrison (Dunfermline Athletic) and Josh Doig (Hibernian) have all arrived on loan.
Rutkiewicz said: “We are going through a wee period when our home form has not been as good and we need to put that right. Our away form is carrying us but if you look at the last couple of home games, I felt we were unlucky to lose against Edinburgh and we had enough chances to at least get a point against Elgin in our last home match, although we didn’t play particularly well.
“We are maybe better when teams come on to us because in the early part of the season we had a lot of possession in games and it didn’t help us. I thought we looked very dangerous on the counter attack against Edinburgh City and we obviously defended very well.”
He added: “I think it’s important to remember that we beat Elgin, Annan and Albion Rovers comfortably at home and we should have beaten Stenhousemuir when it ended 1-1. We can play well at home – the Elgin game is gone and we need to go into the Queen’s Park match full of belief. There is no doubt we will be going for the win – I’d rather win one and lose one than draw two at this stage.”
“It will be tough because Queen’s Park have strengthened considerably but it is what it is and we have good players here. Beating Edinburgh was important because I had challenged the players to beat one of the top teams for the first time this season and they did it.”
Albion beat Dundee 5-3 in a midweek bounce game thanks to goals from Josh Peters (2), Paul Willis, Kyle Banner and Fraser Scott. Long-term absentees Blair Currie, Cammy Binnie and Jordan Lowdon will all miss out again tomorrow and the match is likely to come too soon for Kevin Nicoll.