Jordan’s late winner seals cup draw spot Tranent next up after Binos leave it till last minute
BERWICK RANGERS ............................... 1 STIRLING ALBION ................................... 2
Stirling Albion squeezed into the third round of the Scottish Cup thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Jordan McGregor to set up a Forthbank meeting with Tranent on November 27.
Dylan Mackin had given the Binos a first-half lead with his fifth goal of the season but a beauty of a strike from onloan Hearts midfielder Aidan Denholm soon levelled things up.
Berwick missed a glorious chance to go in front midway through the second half and deserved a replay but were shattered by the loss of a 92nd-minute goal following a corner.
Stirling’s opener also came from the same source – as did their goal against Stranraer last week - but they didn’t create enough from open play and would probably have been thankful for a replay had stand-in skipper McGregor not grabbed the dramatic winner.
The Binos beat Berwick 3-0 at this stage of the Scottish Cup last season in what was a very comfortable afternoon for Kevin Rutkiewicz’s side but it was a different story this time round.
Stuart Malcolm’s men are sitting seventh in the Lowland League with eight wins, one draw and seven defeats but they looked a much better team than that record suggests.
Stirling resume cinch League 2 business on Saturday with a trip to play leaders Kelty Hearts at New Central Park on the back of an impressive run of eight matches without defeat but they were far from at their best at Shielfield.
Albion were again without Paul McLean, Ross McGeachie and Ray Grant and striker Dale Carrick was also missing. There were two changes from the 1-1 draw with Stranraer, with Dylan Bikey and Kieran Moore in for Marc Laird and Nathan Flangan. Adam Cummins was forced off just before half-time due to injury and was replaced by on-loan Hearts full-back Leo Watson.
On a blustery day on the North Sea coast, the hosts were shooting down the slope in the first half but clear-cut chances were at a premium at either end in the opening stages before Stirling took the lead in 25 minutes.
Jack Leitch’s corner was headed back into the danger area by McGregor and Mackin nodded the ball in off the post but Berwick were level within eight minutes when teenager Denholm arrowed a superb angled shot into the corner from around 20 yards.
Home keeper Andy McNeil saved well from Leitch before the interval and
Moore headed a Bikey cross wide shortly after it but the Borderers enjoyed good spells in the second half.
Sean Stewart should have given them the lead in 66 minutes when he was played through one-on-one but the former Penicuik Athletic striker dragged his shot wide of the post.
Blair Currie then came to the rescue with a crucial save from Kieran McGrath while at the other end Kyle Banner saw his net-bound shot cleared off the line by Jordan Sinclair.
Berwick were undone right at the end when the Binos’ threat from set-pieces proved decisive. Leitch delivered the corner from the left - the ball was headed down by McGregor and Bikey did well to gather and tee up the centre-half, who lashed it into the net from six yards.
Berwick Rangers: McNeil, Nelson, Ferguson, Cook, Pyper, Sinclair, Taylor, Denholm, Smith, Stewart, McGrath. Subs not used: Swinton (GK), Ward, Heeps, Dow, Baker, Allan.
Stirling Albion: Currie, Banner, McNiff, Cummins (Watson 44), McGregor, Omar (Scally 67), Moore (Flanagan 82), Roberts, Bikey, Leitch, Mackin. Subs not used: Law (GK), Laird, Heaver, Creaney.