LET’S END ON A HIGH NOTE
Manager McLaren sets sights on defeating Clyde
Stirling Albion boss Stuart McLaren saw his side beat promotion-chasing Annan 2-1 on Saturday and wants to end the season on a high against Clyde at Broadwood.
Goals from youngsters Moses Olanrewaju and Ross Kavanagh earned the Binos an impressive victory but dealt a major blow to the play-off aspirations of their opponents.
Stirling can finish no higher than sixth in Ladbrokes League 2 but could do Annan a turn by sinking Clyde in Cumbernauld in what is a tight battle to make the top four.
Barry Ferguson’s men went down 2-1 to Queen’s Park at Hampden on Saturday and lost 1-0 to Albion at Broadwood in October but have won twice at Forthbank this season – the second a controversial midweek match that saw the Bully Wee convert two disputed penalties.
Clyde will be without former Albion midfielder Jon Paul McGovern due to injury but ex-Stirling defender Chris Smith is likely to feature, having been named Player of the Year at the weekend.
McLaren said: “We want to finish the season by making it six games without defeat and also sign off in the way we aim to start next year.
“I’ve also assured Annan manager Jim Chapman that we will do everything we can to beat Clyde because the Annan game and this one are important for the integrity of the league.
“From our point of view, we can look back at so many games from all four quarters of the campaign and it is annoying that we have just come up short. If we have to single one thing out, it’s that we haven’t scored enough goals.
“Over the course of the season we have left the fans disappointed so it was good to finish at home with the small consolation of a result and a performance like we did against Annan.
“Particularly in the first half, I was very comfortable with the way we played. There were periods when I thought we were excellent - we passed the ball well and were pretty solid at the back for the most part.
“We found it harder in the second half but Annan had a lot to play for and they are a team that are very good at committing bodies forward and getting the ball forward early. Even the goal they scored has come off one of our defenders when the ball had been going straight to Cammy Binnie.
“The league position means we are not going to be in the play-offs but the boys worked really hard to get the result. I never felt we were under massive pressure. In most games you are not going to create lots of chances and it’s about being clinical and I thought we did that against Annan.”