Away to Clyde for last game of season
Stirling Albion bring down the curtain on their League Two campaign when they make the short journey to play Clyde at Broadwood tomorrow.
Stuart McLaren’s men head for Cumbernauld on the back of a fivegame unbeaten run, and having beaten Annan 2-1 at Forthbank last weekend, but the match is of greater importance to Clyde.
They currently occupy the final play-off place but their 2-1 defeat to Queen’s Park means they need a win to be sure of finishing in the top four, with Annan hoping to overhaul them.
Stirling won 1-0 at Broadwood back in October but have lost twice to Barry Ferguson’s men at Forthbank and those defeats have arguably been one of the main reasons for Albion’s failure to make the play-offs.
Binos boss McLaren said: “We haven’t achieved our targets this season and that is disappointing but there is an opportunity to finish on a high and extend our unbeaten run to six games. We played well against Annan last week, particularly in the first half, and we’ll be looking for the same against Clyde.”
Recent history is on Albion’s side as they have won their final league fixture in each of the past five seasons. In 2010/ 11 they ended a miserable run of 25 league games without a win by defeating Morton 3-2 at Forthbank then a year later triumphed 2-1 at Albion Rovers despite a second successive relegation having already been confirmed.
In 2012/ 13, the Binos came from behind to see off Clyde 2-1 at Broadwood before beating the Bully Wee 4-1 at Forthbank on the last day of 2013/14 before going on to earn promotion via the play-offs with memorable victories against Annan and East Fife.
Season 2014/ 15 was one to forget, with relegation from League 1 confirmed with several games to spare, but McLaren’s men signed off by beating Stenhousemuir 3-2 at Forthbank.
You have to go back to April 26, 2008 for Albion’s most recent lastday defeat, which was a 3-0 reverse to Clyde in a First Division fixture at Broadwood.
Meanwhile, the club has confirmed that the Forthbank pitch will be lifted and re-seeded in time for the new season. The decision has been taken by Active Stirling, with complete agreement of the club – the current pitch has been in place since the stadium opened in April 1993.
Work is due to begin in midMay and chairman Stuart Brown said: “Based on expert advice, I am confident this is the best way forward for Forthbank and, in groundsman Graeme Glen, we couldn’t wish to have a better man at the helm of pitch maintenance.
“I am excited about the prospect of having a playing surface that will, I’m sure, be the envy of many clubs across all levels of Scottish football. Whilst I have every confidence that the timescale between re-seeding and the start of next season’s revamped League Cup on July 16 will be sufficient, I have taken the precaution of approaching the SPFL to request that consideration be given to our opening couple of fixtures being scheduled away from home.”