Victory pulled from Binos in injury time
Clyde deny Stirling their second win on the trot
Clyde ..................... 1 Stirling Albion ...... 1
An injury-time equaliser denied Stirling their second win in a row as they were forced to settle for a point in the pouring rain at Broadwood.
Midfielder Danny Jardine gave Kevin Rutkiewicz’s side the lead early in the second half but defender Dylan Cogill equalised for Danny Lennon’s men in the 91st-minute.
It was a tough one to take for the Binos, who had put so much into the game and limited Clyde to few clear-cut chances, but it was another pleasing performance under the new manager, to follow the comprehensive 3-0 win over Berwick at Forthbank the previous week.
Albion were dismantled 3-0 by Clyde when the teams met back in August but a repeat was never likely here. The visitors had a good shape about them and were strong and organised. It was almost enough to inflict what would have been a fourth defeat in five games on a Clyde side who remain third in the table behind leaders Edinburgh City and Peterhead.
There was one change to the Stirling line-up that battered Berwick, with Darren Barr replacing the injured Kevin Moon in a midfield holding role. Goalkeeper Calum Ferrie, striker Mark Stewart and defender Lee Hamilton were again ruled out through injury but Peter MacDonald returned as a late substitute after more than a month on the sidelines with a shoulder problem.
Clyde were unchanged in the wake of their victory at Edinburgh City and had more possession in the early stages but didn’t create much and it was Stirling who had the ball in the net after 13 minutes.
Jardine steered a header in off the post from a Jordan Allan cross but the celebrations were cut short when it was disallowed, apparently for a push by striker Dylan Mackin on Martin McNiff. It was hard to spot any infringement and even the stadium announcer called it as 1-0.
The 20 year-old had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside against Berwick last week and this looked another harsh call - later Clyde boss Danny Lennon admitted: “I think we got away with one there,”
Defences were largely on top in a tight first half but the hosts came close eight minutes before the interval when Cogill rattled the post from close range after John Rankin whipped in a great ball from the right. Chris McStay – son of Celtic legend Paul – might have done better than knock the rebound wide.
Cammy Binnie made a good stop from a Rankin free-kick early in the second half as Clyde resumed on the front foot but it was Stirling who struck the first blow in 56 minutes. Binnie’s long clearance allowed Neil McLaughlin and trialist Michael McIndoe to combine on the left, Mackin met the cross to force a good save from Blair Currie but Jardine reacted quickest to turn the loose ball into the net.
Stirling had lost 2-1 on their previous visit to Cumbernauld in April but looked set for revenge. David Goodwillie has scored nine goals this season but was kept very quiet – when he did threaten to race clear of the defence in the first half he was twice thwarted by great recovery tackles from Allan.
Albion rarely looked like adding a second goal but it appeared one would be enough until they were caught out at the end. Jason Marr gave away a careless free-kick - when the ball was flung into the penalty area it broke for Cogill and the ex-Huddersfield defender lashed it into the net from 12 yards.
In a frantic finish, Currie was forced to claw Kyle Banner’s cross from under his crossbar as it ended all square. It’s a result most Stirling fans would probably have settled for before the game and the 170-strong travelling support applauded the players off the park.
Rutkiewicz now takes Stirling south to face his former club Annan Athletic at Galabank on Saturday with his new team seemingly heading in the right direction. Stirling Albion: Binnie, McGeachie, Allan, Horne (Banner 74), Marr, McIndoe, Jardine, Barr (Hughes 62), Docherty, McLaughlin, Mackin (MacDonald 80). Subs not used: Law (GK), Thomson, Smith, McLaren.