We can hit them for six
Mackay out to keep run going with win over Bully Wee
Stirling Albion are going for six wins in a row when they make the short journey to Cumbernauld to play Clyde tomorrow.
Dave Mackay’s men head down the M80 on the back of a 1-0 victory over Annan at Forthbank, which kept alive their outside hopes of a top-four finish. Five wins on the bounce have hoisted Stirling to fifth in the Ladbrokes League 2 table and, while the run is likely to have come too late for the playoffs, they travel to Broadwood in confident mood. Clyde, in contrast, have only won one league game since November – at home to Edinburgh City last weekend – and were beaten 2-0 by bottom club Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night.
Experienced players Jon Paul McGovern and Peter MacDonald are in caretaker charge of the team following the recent departure of Barry Ferguson, who was at the helm when Clyde deservedly knocked the Binos out of the Scottish Cup in a fourth-round replay at the end of January.
Stirling won 3-0 at Forthbank at the beginning of that month on league business, following a pair of 1-1 draws earlier in the season.
Mackay said: “When we played them at Forthbank and beat them 3-0 it was a bit of a going over and we could have scored more goals but in the cup game we were probably a little bit fortunate to get a replay, then in the second game we were poor and they had one of their form nights. They had a good win last weekend but lost in midweek and we are good enough to go and win there.
“We didn’t play particularly well against Annan but we ground out a result and the players worked very hard. We almost got dragged into the way Annan were playing, which was pretty route one and getting the ball forward to Peter Weatherston.
“I would rather we gave the ball away trying to play football, making angles, getting it off the keeper rather than just letting him launch it and playing off that, but second half we were certainly a bit better and Darren Smith took his goal well.”
Albion’s last visit to Broadwood came in the middle of a dreadful week and was book-ended by defeats to Annan and Montrose, which left the team in real danger of occupying the relegation play- off place come the end of the season.
However, Stirling are now unbeaten in seven matches and have won the last five, conceding only a single goal during that winning run. It’s a stark contrast to the dark days of winter and Mackay admits there is relief that the team are now in a stable position in League 2.
He added: “The pressure was right on everyone and we were well aware of that – it was building due to the performances we were putting in and the results – but we have stuck together and turned it around. It was looking pretty grim for a while but I always had faith that we could turn it around and thankfully we are doing that.”
Midfield trio Calvin Colquhoun, Willie Robertson and Jack McCue remain sidelined through injury but full-back Liam Caddis is available again after serving a one-match suspension against Annan following his red card in the 3-1 win at Montrose the previous week.
Gavin Ross is the referee for tomorrow’s game and kick-off is the usual 3pm. Admission is £12 for adults and £6 concessions.