BINOS BRACED FOR DONS TEST

Stirling Albion will face Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup in July following the draw for the group stages at Hampden Park.

Joining them in Group A will be Raith Rovers, Peterhead and Dumbarton with all four games to be played in July.

Jim Goodwin’s side are appearing in the group stages for the first time after finishing 10th in the Premiership and will be aiming for a big improvement in the forthcoming campaign.

It will be the first meeting of the teams for 25 years when the

Dons won 2-0 at Forthbank in a League Cup quarter-final thanks to goals from Joe Miller and Stephen Glass after the Binos had stunned Kilmarnock 6-2 in the previous round. Aberdeen also won 2-0 at Forthbank in a Scottish Cup tie at Forthbank in February 1996 but before that you have to trace back to season 1976/77 for the most recent encounters. Alex Smith’s team lost the first leg of a League Cup quarter-final 1-0 at Pittodrie but won 1-0 in the Annfield return to set up a Dens Park replay, which the Dons won 2-0 en route to lifting the trophy.

It’s still to be confirmed whether the game will be home or away but it’s a big match for the club to look forward to. It will also be a notable occasion for manager Darren Young, who was with Aberdeen as a player from 1995 until 2003, when he moved to Dunfermline.

Stirling will also face Raith Rovers in Group A – the Kirkcaldy club just missed out on the promotion playoffs last season after finishing fifth in the Championship. Rovers this week named Ian Murray as their new boss after the departure of John Mcglynn to Falkirk.

Dumbarton are another of Albion’s opponents and the teams will also cross paths in League Two after the Sons were beaten by Edinburgh City in the play-offs.

Stirling beat Peterhead in last season’s Premier Sports Cup as they came close to reaching the last 16 and the teams will again do battle in a few months’ time.

The full fixture list and TV selections are expected to be confirmed in the coming days, with ties to be played across five matchdays – July 9/10, July 12/13,

July 16/17, July 19/20 and July 23/24. The eight group winners and three best runners-up will join European representatives Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Dundee United and Motherwell in the last 16.

Meanwhile, experienced defender Martin Mcniff has has joined League Two rivals Dumbarton after his departure from Forthbank was confirmed this week.

Numbers drawn on Wednesday in the Stirling Albion Supporters Trust lottery were 4, 12, 24 and 27. There were no jackpot winners so it rises on Wednesday, to £3,050.