Moore optimistic after latest blow

Nov 19 2008 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Wednesday

STIRLING Albion boss Allan Moore believes his side can turn their season around despite disappointing recent defeats to Alloa and Arbroath.

Albion went down 2-0 at home to bottom club Arbroath on Saturday, having lost the derby match 4-3 the previous week, and now face fourth-placed Peterhead at Balmoor before taking on Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup at the end of the month.

Despite winning just three out of 14 league games, Moore’s men are only six points short of the play-off places in a division where the leading trio of Raith, Brechin and Ayr have broken clear of the pack.

Stirling drew 0-0 with Peterhead at the end of September and should have taken all three points but Neale Cooper’s side are a different proposition at Balmoor. They recently ended Brechin’s unbeaten run with a 5-1 victory and followed it up by hammering Queen’s Park 4-1.

Their latest match resulted in a 3-0 defeat at Raith Rovers but it was 0-0 when Neil McVitie was sent off on the hour mark and Albion face a tough task this weekend after conceding eight goals in the last three games.

Losing to Arbroath on Saturday was a massive blow but Moore said: “We have been in worse situations since I came to the club and we just have to stick together and try and put things right. I know the fans aren’t happy and I’m not happy either.

“We had several players sitting in the stand because of injury and that doesn’t help. We will be stronger with everyone available and it might be possible to strengthen in January. Ross Forsyth in particular is a big miss and we will hopefully know how long he is going to be out for after he sees the specialist on Tuesday.”

Albion have only managed one shut-out this season but Moore believes the team’s failure to convert enough of their chances has been a key factor in a difficult campaign.

He said: “We are missing far too many chances. At 0-0 on Saturday, Nathan Taggart played a lovely ball into Martin Grehan and he only had the keeper to beat but hit it straight at him and it was the same the previous week at Alloa. We have told him to keep the ball low in those situations and have worked on shooting in training.

“We are in a situation where we need the confidence that going in front would give us and that was a big turning point in the match. To be fair, at half-time I couldn’t see Arbroath scoring but we got caught on the break for the first goal and once they got the second it gave us a mountain to climb.

“I don’t think we were any better or any worse than Arbroath but they took their chances and that was the difference. We changed things to go 4-3-3 to try and get some width but it didn’t happen for us. It just shows how important it is to get that first goal. If you don’t, it puts pressure on the defence because one mistake can cost you the match.”

Moore will hope to have Andy Graham (knee), David Lowing (back) and Ian Harty (hamstring) back for this weekend’s match after being forced to shuffle the pack on Saturday.

He said: “Ian phoned me on Friday night to say he wouldn’t be available and I think we missed him while we had to change things about at the back. Sean Roycroft has been out for 19 months but I didn’t think he did much wrong.

“I would have expected more from some of the others this season and the likes of Mark Docherty and Craig Molloy have played at a higher level with St Mirren. But it’s up to the players in the dressing room to turn it around.”

Meanwhile, Arbroath manager John McGlashan admitted his side took heart from going in level at the interval before going on to record their first win since the opening day.

He said: “We didn’t do that well in the first half but Stirling weren’t great either and I told the players the game was there to be won,”

Albion have signed Falkirk defender Scott Gibb on loan for a month. The 20-year-old from Northern Ireland spent most of last season on loan at East Stirling and gives boss Allan Moore much-needed cover at the back. He made his debut against Arbroath on Saturday.