CAN’T OFFORD TO STOP NOW!
Young wants to build on crucial win after Kieran’s late strike
Boss Darren Young downplayed his contribution after two of his subs combined for a crucial win on his 100th game in charge.
The Binos were struggling to get the decisive goal against Montrose despite shading most of the limited action.
But subs Greig Spence and Kieran Offord combined two minutes into added time, with Offord’s cool finish sealing a crucial three points which maintains the gap to the relegation play-off spot in League One to four points.
Stirling gaffer Young believed his side thoroughly deserved the win – and insisted his two subs’ contribution to the game had been a slice of good fortune.
Young said: “Sometimes these things go for you and sometimes they don’t! I just had a gut feeling that Dale [Carrick] and Hilly [Dale Hilson] had run themselves into the ground, we know we have quality with Kieran and Spenny coming on.
“Spenny does brilliantly for the ball with his awareness of where his strike partner is and then the composure from Kieran is tremendous.
“It was brilliant to get that last minute goal and not give them any chance to get back into things. I’m delighted with the performance from start to finish, we competed all over the park and forced them into changing their formation.
“I asked the boys for a reaction after last week and they can take the credit for that.
“There were chances where you are just looking for the final ball or strike on target to make the goalie make a save.”
The significance of the result wasn’t lost on anyone at a tense Forthbank, with victories for both Annan and Queen of the South putting pressure on Albion to do the business to avoid losing further ground in the fight for survival.
The Stirling boss and goalscorer Offord both admitted in their post-match sessions after the Montrose win that the tension in the stands and the pressure coming from scores elsewhere was used by the home players to drive them on.
It sets up a titanic final six games of the season, beginning with a trip to Cove on Saturday where Stirling will hope to address a poor league away record and further stretch the gap back to ninth place. Young said: “The other teams won, it drags Kelty back into a little and there are four of us fighting and scrapping to the end.
“We need to take a lot of confidence from this and build on things for next week ahead of the trip to Cove.”