Depleted Binos head for Methil

Dec 12 2008

STIRLING Albion will again be without several key players when they take on East Fife at Methil tomorrow (Saturday).

Allan Moore’s men are set to return to league business for the first time since the 1-1 draw at Peterhead on November 22. That match was followed by an impressive performance in a 3-2 Scottish Cup defeat to Partick Thistle before Saturday’s meeting with Raith Rovers fell victim to the freezing weather.

That match was originally rescheduled for Tuesday December 16 but Raith’s 2-1 cup defeat at Alloa in midweek means it will now go ahead at Forthbank on Saturday, January 10, which is Scottish Cup fourth-round day.

Moore (above) said: “Hopefully we will have a few players back by then but we are still struggling at the moment and only 11 trained on Tuesday night. Ross Forsyth and Andy Graham won’t play on Saturday and Liam Corr is struggling with his knee.

“Myles Hogarth still can’t train following his recent car accident and Stewart Devine was ill so we are down to the bare bones. On the plus side, John O’Neill managed to train on Tuesday so hopefully he will be available.

“The lads had a good session with John and Roddy Grant but I was at the Alloa v Raith match. Alloa were the better team then Raith took the lead out of nothing – the difference with us is that we seem to need several chances to score.

“Hopefully that will change on Saturday against East Fife. It’s an important game given that they are just above us in the table but I’ve said before that there is very little between the teams. We need to get ourselves a goal in front rather than being forced to chase the game.”

On-loan Falkirk defender Scott Gibb’s loan is up after tomorrow’s encounter but Moore is keen to keep the youngster at Forthbank for another month, by which time defensive duo Graham and Forsyth should have returned from injury.

He said: “I think the lad is enjoying it here. He’s getting regular first-team football and I’ll speak to Falkirk to see what we can do. The SPL Reserve League shuts down for the winter and there might not be many games for him if he goes back so it could suit him to stay with us for longer.”

Albion go into tomorrow’s clash six points adrift of the play-offs – East Fife and Peterhead are joint fourth but the Fifers have played a game more, beating Alloa with a controversial penalty last time out – and could do with a good haul of points from their remaining three games of 2008 against the Methil men, Queen’s Park at home on December 20 and Arbroath away the following weekend.

The New Year begins with consecutive home games against Alloa, Raith and Ayr United and Moore is keen to bolster his squad in January – but only positive results this month will keep the Binos in play-off contention.

Albion and East Fife drew 1-1 at Forthbank back in August – one of only three games in which Stirling have scored first this term – but the clubs have not clashed at New Bayview since February 2003 when the hosts prevailed 2-1. Stirling’s only win at that venue was 3-2 in November in 1998 but tomorrow would be the ideal time to end that barren run.