We have to start winning

Oct 31 2008 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Friday

STIRLING Albion manager Allan Moore admits his side need to start winning games sooner rather than later if they are to keep their promotion hopes alive.

The Binos are currently sixth in the table, six points adrift of the play-off places, and have managed just two victories in 11 games. Too many draws have seen them lose ground on the leaders and Moore knows that can’t go on.

“I feel like I am saying the same thing every week but draws are killing us,” said Moore. “They are the reason we ended up back in this division in the first place and could be the reason that we don’t get out of it.”

Albion entertain bogey team Stranraer tomorrow (Saturday), desperate for all three points, but Moore warned: “There are no easy games in this league and we lost 1-0 down at Stranraer earlier in the season. They might be below us in the table but they had a great result (a 2-1 win) in their last away match against East Fife and it will be a difficult game.

“Our aim this quarter is to try and push into the top four. If we can take nine points from the games coming up against Stranraer, Alloa and Arbroath then I’m sure we will climb a couple of places but we are also relying on other teams to slip up.”

Albion drew 1-1 at Ayr last weekend as Stranraer went down 2-0 at home to Raith Rovers but Moore was frustrated that his side were forced to settle for a point at Somerset Park.

He said: “At half-time I’d probably have taken a draw as we hadn’t played that well in the first half and were giving them too much space in midfield. We had words at the interval and John O’Neill scored a great goal. I felt we had a grip on it even before Ryan Stevenson was sent off but it is another game when we missed great chances to win it.

“I was actually going to take John off at half-time because I didn’t think he was playing as he can but it’s just as well I didn’t. He took his goal really well and came on to a game after that.

“I’d be more worried if we weren’t creating anything but we have to be honest and admit that we are not scoring enough goals. Martin Grehan had three great chances on Saturday after coming on, particularly the one where he was played in by Andy Graham. He said he tried to curl it into the top corner but I think that was the wrong decision in the conditions.

“If we can’t put things right in that area then I might need to see if I can do something in the transfer window but it’s not easy to find quality strikers that other teams don’t want,” added Moore, ahead of the meeting with a Stranraer team who have beaten Albion in the last four league encounters between the teams.

Moore reported no injury worries after training on Tuesday night so will have to decide whether to stick with the team that started at Ayr, or give the likes of Ian Harty, Grehan and Stewart Devine – who all came off the bench – starting slots this weekend.

Top scorer Harty looks set to return in place of David McKenna after a slight calf strain saw him listed as a substitute last weekend, while Moore is likely to keep Liam Corr in the team. He said: “Everyone is fit so I’ve obviously got one or two decisions to make. Ian Harty did well when he came on and Liam deserves to keep his place. Chris Hamilton will also come back into contention. He wasn’t injured on Saturday but I gave Nathan Taggart the nod because of how well he had done against Ayr the last time.”

Stirling’s only home win so far this season was 3-2 against Alloa and another against Stranraer would give them a much-needed lift as the campaign enters a crucial stage.