Home defeat is a sickener for Binos
STIRLING ALBION ........................................................... 1 ELGIN CITY ........................................................................ 2
So much for home comforts.
Stirling Albion returned to Forthbank for the first time since before Christmas on a run of three successive away victories, only to suffer a fourth straight loss on their own patch.
With Annan beaten by leaders Cove Rangers, a draw would have lifted Kevin Rutkiewicz’s men into the play-offs for the first time this season but they fell short against an Elgin side who now occupy fourth spot.
Stirling were two goals down before they got going and a late rally wasn’t enough to rescue a point against Gavin Price’s men, who they had already beaten home and away this term.
There is plenty time to right the wrongs of Saturday – the Binos are only two points outside the top four with a game in hand at home to Cove – but it felt like a significant result for Elgin, who had lost in the last minute to Stenhousemuir the previous week.
Things might have been different had Darryl Duffy – with five goals in his last two games and one short of a double century in his career – not fired wide after a defensive error early on but the visitors generally carried more threat and played with more cohesion.
Rutkiewicz had warned of the danger posed by Shane Sutherland and Kane Hester, and he was proved correct – both scored and Sutherland again showed his class throughout, leaving the home fans wishing Inverness
CT had signed him this month rather than waiting until the summer.
Stirling showed one change to the team that beat Annan 3-2 at Galabank with Danny Jardine replacing the injured Kevin Nicoll in midfield.
On-loan Rangers goalkeeper Nicky Hogarth made a fine save from Daniel Mackay and Sutherland struck the post with the follow-up before Duffy’s miss at the other end. Clear-cut chances were few but Elgin looked sharper and scored five minutes before the break.
Brian Cameron threaded a lovely pass through the middle and Sutherland dinked it beyond Hogarth for his 24th goal of the campaign.
It looked all over five minutes after the break when Hester danced past a couple of defenders and drove the ball low into the net for his 16th goal in 2019/20 but the introduction of Dylan Bikey and Sean Heaver lifted the home side and they were soon back in it.
Stephen Bronsky headed the ball against his own crossbar and Jordan McGregor nodded the rebound past Thomas McHale, who allowed it to squirm over the line when he should have made the save.
Heaver wasn’t far away from equalising with a drive from the edge of the box then David Wilson smashed an angled shot inches past the junction of post and bar but Elgin held on to follow Clyde, Brechin City and Edinburgh City in winning at Forthbank in the last couple of months.
Stirling Albion: Hogarth, McGeachie, Creaney, Jardine, McLean, McGregor, Wilson, Docherty, Wright (Bikey 53), Mackin (Scott 75), Duffy (Heaver 53). Subs not used: Trialist (GK), Banner, Truesdale, Peters.