FRUSTRATION FOR BINOS
League shutdown harder to take when team’s going well
Stirling Albion should have been preparing for a trip north to face promotion rivals Elgin City tomorrow but Scottish football below the Championship remains suspended until at least until the end of the month.
With the lockdown measures across this country this week extended until at least the middle of February, it is unclear at this stage when lower-league football will resume.
Albion haven’t completed a match since the 3-0 Scottish Cup win at Berwick Rangers on Boxing Day and their last League 2 fixture that went the distance was the 3-2 success away to Edinburgh City on December 19.
The New Year derby at Stenhousemuir was abandoned after half an hour due to the icy conditions, then the Scottish Cup second-round tie with Raith Rovers was the victim of a frozen pitch.
Kevin Rutkiewicz’s men are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, February 6, when Albion Rovers visit Forthbank.
It should become clearer next week whether that is likely or whether football outside the top two divisions faces a longer break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Stirling boss (right) said: “We just need to deal with the situation and it’s possible we might have lost more games to the weather this month anyway.
“The players are disappointed because we are in a good place and they want to be playing but we have given them their own training programmes to keep fit.
“I’m very much in favour of finishing the season when we can because that is the fairest thing for everyone but we just need to wait and see. As a management team, we can do more analysis on the games we have played and also consider potential signing targets for next season.
“The break should mean that David Wilson will be close to a return when we get back playing but Lewis Magee is a long-term absence and Jonny Mitchell will be moving on.
“He was unfortunate not to get more game time due to others being ahead of him and he also picked up an injury when he looked like he was going to get his chance.”
Stirling’s home game with bottom club Brechin City last weekend was postponed when football was suspended by the Scottish FA and the away matches against Elgin City (tomorrow) and leaders Queen’s Park (January 30) will also require to be rearranged.
There was some good news for the club this week when they landed a Scottish League 2 awards double for December.
Rutkiewicz was voted Manager of the Month after steering the team to seven points from a possible nine while top scorer Andy Ryan was named Player of the Month.
Stirling drew 2-2 at Stranraer and beat Cowdenbeath 1-0 at Forthbank before a 3-2 triumph over Edinburgh at Ainslie Park to strengthen their position in the top four.
Ryan has scored seven goals this season and the former Airdrie striker has been a valuable addition to the team since leaving Dunfermline in the summer.