Reds' boss calls for big effort

Jan 14 2009 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Wednesday

STIRLING Albion boss Allan Moore has challenged his players to step up their play-off bid by sinking second-placed Ayr United at Forthbank this weekend.

The Binos made it nine points out of 12 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Division Two leaders Raith Rovers on Saturday – a result that moved them to within three points of fourth-placed Peterhead, who entertain Alloa next, writes David Ogilvie.

East Fife, who go to Arbroath this weekend, are also three points in front of Moore’s men but Albion have a game in hand on the Fifers, who they were due to face at Forthbank on February 7.

However, that match will now be postponed as the Methil men defeated Stenhousemuir in the Scottish Cup and now travel to Aberdeen in the last 16. February 7 could yet see Albion face Alloa in a rearranged fixture but that is only a possibility if Ayr beat Kilmarnock in their cup replay a week tomorrow.

Moore said: “It was a big three points and the spirit in the dressing room was brilliant. We battled at Arbroath to win our last game and it was the same against Raith. It’s going to be like that between now and the end of the season.

“The conditions made it hard for both teams but we managed to get ourselves in front, which hasn’t happened too often this season, and dug in deep for the victory. There was a wee panic when they got the goal from the corner and there was half an hour to go, but I don’t think they had many chances after that.

“Everyone was buoyant when we beat East Fife before Christmas then in our next game we were tanked by Queen’s Park so it’s up to myself, John O’Neill and Roddy Grant to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

“We have given ourselves a wee glimmer with only a three-point margin to the play-offs. The aim in the next few weeks has to be to get in that fourth spot and if we get there we have to try and hold on for grim death.

“We have a good record against the teams at the top. Raith are up there on merit but I thought we should have won at their place earlier in the season. We have struggled against some of the teams below us and that has to change.”

Nathan Taggart will again miss out because of injury when Ayr – fresh from a 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock – visit but Moore was pleased to welcome back Ross Forsyth and Andy Graham on Saturday after long spells out.

He said: “It was good to get Ross and Andy back, although I think Andy was knackered at the end! The back four looked very solid. Andy Lawrie and David Lowing weren’t too pleased at missing out but we felt that the competitiveness of Andy and Ross would be important in the conditions and so it proved.

“David McKenna got on the scoresheet again and we are hoping that is him on a wee run. He got two at Arbroath and managed to finish that one off against Raith and that will do his confidence the power of good.”

The Albion gaffer admitted that he got a fright when the linesman came in at half-time and said the referee was checking the pitch. Heavy rain and strong winds made conditions difficult but Moore said: “I told him he must be joking because there hasn’t been a game called off for a waterlogged pitch since I came here. To be fair, he said it was just a precaution because there was a bit of water on the far side so I told him he could call it off if we went 2-1 down!”

Striker Ian Harty and defender Kevin Ross have left the club recently but Moore has brought in Dundee United midfielder Ryan McCord for a month and the teenager looked good when he featured as a late substitute.

“Ryan is more of a central player in midfield but John O’Neill and Paul Murphy were doing well in the engine room and we didn’t want to change it which is why we took Chris Hamilton off,” said Moore. “You saw with a couple of passes that he has quality and if people make runs he will be able to pick them out.

“We are still trying to bring in a striker but where do you find someone who is available and is going to score you a lot of goals? We have phoned about but we don’t just want to bring in a young lad for the sake of it because we have Liam Corr and Jon Boyle here who are talented youngsters.”

Raith boss John McGlynn, whose side have won only one of their last 11 games against Stirling, said: “It’s disappointing not to have taken the opportunity to cash in on the fact we were the only game on in the division. I don’t think we played particularly well .”