Icy conditions call halt to derby day
Officials end proceedings as temperatures drop
STENHOUSEMUIR ...................................................... 0 STIRLING ALBION ...................................................... 1
(Match abandoned after 30 minutes)
Stirling Albion were beaten by the weather on Saturday as their hopes of making a winning start to 2021 were scuppered by the big freeze.
A total of seven SPFL matches were postponed and this local derby became the eighth casualty when referee Chris Graham called a halt after around half an hour.
The fixture had originally been scheduled for Forthbank but earlier in the week the clubs had agreed to switch the game to Ochilview’s artificial surface in the hope it would go ahead with Stirling now hosting the Warriors on March 13.
Albion were leading 1-0 through Dom Docherty’s 14th-minute goal but a lengthy break in play due to a bad injury to Stenhousemuir’s Adam Mccracken – who collided with a team-mate and was taken by ambulance to Forth Valley Royal before thankfully being released on Saturday evening – allowed the officials time to assess the surface. They were particularly concerned about a shaded area in front of the stand and took the decision to call time.
Stirling were without midfielders Jack Leitch (suspended) and David Wilson (injured) who scored the goals in October when the sides drew 2-2. Defender Lewis Magee was also sidelined but manager Kevin Rutkiewicz sprang a surprise by including striker Dylan Bikey in the squad after his return from injury.
The match passed a pitch inspection at 12.15pm and both sides looked committed to starting the New Year on the front foot. The Warriors threatened early on and keeper Cammy Binnie made a fine save from a header and also did well to punch away and inswinging corner, with Davie Irons’ men claiming the ball had already crossed the line.
Andy Ryan sent a header against the bar and fired a shot just wide after being played in by Declan Byrne as the visitors sought a second goal after going ahead through Docherty’s opener. The midfielder latched on to a long throw from Ross Mcgeachie – helped by a home player slipping on the tricky surface – and his deflected shot from around 15 yards beat Paddy Martin.
Binos boss Rutkiewicz said: “The decision to stop the game was, for me, probably the right decision. The safety of the players is the most important thing but the game should probably not have gone ahead. I usually have a run about on the park before the game and I was doubtful when I was on it.
“If we had got to 60 or 70 minutes and the temperature had dropped, I would have had the ref’s back but there is absolutely no way the park was worse after 20 minutes than it was at the start.
“There was still an hour or so to play so who knows what would have happened given that the last game was similar with us 1-0 up. The injury had nothing to do with the park but it gave the referee time to assess things and speak to his assistant who was on the stand side. To be honest, I think it would have been called off at half-time anyway.”
Stirling Albion: Binnie, Mcgeachie, El-zubaidi, Mclean, Mcgregor, K Roberts, Ryan, Banner, Byrne, Docherty, S Roberts. Subs not used: Currie (GK), Mitchell, Thomson, Heaver, Bikey, Moore, Johnston, Mackin.