Binos battle back to give rivals high five
Stirling Albion ......... 5 Elgin City ................. 2
David Ogilvie Stirling Albion stormed back from two goals down to take their unbeaten run to four matches with an ultimately emphatic win over 10-man Elgin.
The visitors appeared to be cruising after goals from Kerr Hay and Shane Sutherland inside 20 minutes, but the Binos were 3-2 in front by the interval thanks to counters from Darren Smith, Neil McLaughlin and Dylan Mackin.
City had Jordan Lowdon harshly sent off for a challenge on Danny Jardine as the hour mark approached and goals from Smith and Dominic Docherty added to Elgin’s woes.
It was the first time since hammering Montrose 7-0 in February 2016 that Albion had netted five goals in a game.
Smith bagged a hat-trick that night and marked his first start of an injuryplagued campaign with a double as Stirling moved to within seven points of the promotion play-offs.
Elgin had won 4-0 at Forthbank against Stirling Uni in the Scottish Cup the previous weekend to set up a tie against Hibs, but their swift return south ended in disappointment.
Forthbank passed an 8.30am pitch inspection following heavy rain on Friday and in the early stages Albion probably wished it hadn’t.
Shane Sutherland is as talented a player as any in League Two and his wonderful pass allowed Kerr Hay to steal in behind a static defence and the former Forfar forward kept his composure to take the ball out of reach of Cammy Binnie to score.
There was worse to come five minutes later.
Sutherland seized on an error by Jason Marr and still had plenty to do, but the ex-Peterhead striker found the corner to seemingly put the Black and Whites on course for victory.
Instead, Stirling were soon back in it when on-loan Hamilton Accies midfielder Ronan Hughes picked out Smith and last season’s top scorer guided the ball past Thomas McHale from six yards.
If that was a routine finish, McLaughlin’s equaliser was a thing of beauty.
His performance in the early part of the match frustrated his manager but the on-loan Motherwell man superbly skipped past a couple of defenders and lashed a low drive beyond McHale for 2-2.
It was a game when neither defence looked comfortable and the Elgin back four were breached again a minute before the interval.
Smith hung up a perfect cross from the left for Mackin and he didn’t miss with a controlled volley from six yards.
Elgin boss Price reckoned it might have finished 5-5 if his side had kept 11 men on the park and they started the second half brightly, but left-back Lowdon was dismissed for flooring Jardine on the touchline as the midfielder tried to go past him.
Most onlookers were probably expecting a yellow card but referee John McKendrick opted for red. The game was all but beyond Elgin five minutes later when defender Kyle Banner pitched a cross into the box from deep and Smith managed to squeeze a header into the net.
In an open encounter, City still looked capable of inflicting damage and Sutherland had a goal ruled out for offside but the return of Smith and the recent addition of Mackin from Falkirk have made Stirling more potent.
Docherty grabbed a fifth goal in stoppage time, his fourth of 2018/19, with a neat turn and finish after good work by Jardine. Stirling Albion: Binnie, McGeachie, Allan, Hughes, Banner, Marr (Barr 82), Jardine, Docherty, Mackin, Smith (MacDonald 84), McLaughlin (Thomson 69). Subs not used: Ferrie (GK), Horne, Moon, Miller.