BINOS GOING FOR HIGH FIVE Away day form is keeping Stirling in the hunt
Stirling Albion are chasing a fifth successive away win when they travel to Fife to play Cowdenbeath in Ladbrokes League 2 tomorrow.
The Binos go into the match on the back of a 3-1 home defeat to Queen’s Park, meaning they are five points outside the play-offs places and seven behind the Blue Brazil.
It was 1-0 to Gary Bollan’s men when the teams last met at Central Park in August before a 0-0 draw in a midweek match at Forthbank at the end of October.
Stirling’s last win in this fixture was 2-1 last March thanks to goals from Peter MacDonald and Darren Smith.
Cowdenbeath drew 2-2 at Stenhousemuir last weekend but their home form has been outstanding this season, with nine wins, one draw and just one defeat – to leaders Cove Rangers on November 2.
Albion skipper Ross McGeachie admits last week’s defeat to Queen’s Park was a blow but believes there is still time for Stirling to claim a topfour place.
Dylan Bikey headed Stirling in front but Kieran Moore equalised and Peter Grant fired the Hampden side ahead after a mistake by keeper Nicky Hogarth before Moore grabbed the third at the end.
McGeachie said: “We played well in the first half and we possibly should have been more than 1-0 up with the wind behind us.
“There was a penalty shout that we didn’t get when Dylan Bikey went down and another in the second half with the handball, which we were unlucky not to get.
“The wind picked up in the second half so the conditions were difficult – it’s up there with the worst I have played in and the wind made it so hard to get out.
“We should have dealt with it better and the first goal comes from a ball dropping in the six-yard box. From a defender’s point of view, that can’t happen because strikers are always anticipating a defender missing it.
“Nicky Hogarth has been brilliant for us and he had two or three wonder saves against Edinburgh City the week before that keep us in the game and we go on to win. He is only 18 and nobody is being too harsh on him because the conditions played a big part in the goal.
“The biggest disappointment is that we are fighting for a place in the play-offs and we have lost to one our rivals. It’s not ideal but there are still plenty games to go – Queen’s Park have signed a lot of players but we have a strong squad here and we just need to string a few wins together.
“We want to improve at home but we have been doing fairly well away from home. We don’t want it become an anxiety playing at home but I don’t feel that is the case.”
The referee for tomorrow’s game at Central Park is Gavin Ross and kick-off is the usual 3pm.
Goalkeepers Blair Currie and Cammy Binnie remain out, along with full-back Jordan Lowdon. Midfielder Kevin Nicoll could return to the squad after missing the last three matches with a foot injury.
Stirling Albion are away this week which will probably come as something of a relief to them as their curious sequence of results continued.
Last week’s defeat at home to Queen’s Park was their fifth defeat in a row at home, but they have won their last four games on the spin away from Forthbank.
So the trip to Fife to play Cowdenbeath should hold no fears and Stirling are 2/1 to win at Central Park, the Blue Brazil 6/5 favourites and the draw 12/5. First scorers include Dylan Bikey at 5/1 and Max Wright at 11/2.
In the Lowland League, Stirling University face BSC Glasgow at Forthbank. BSC gave Hibs a run for their money last week in the Scottish Cup and are 1/5 favourites.
The students are 11/2 and a draw is 6/1.