Rampant Reds blast the Blues

Jan 28 2009 by Donald Morton, Stirling Observer Wednesday

STIRLING made a bit of history at Stair Park with an astonishing eight-goal spree against a team who had beaten them on the same venue back in August.

After watching his players ship seven goals in the second half, Stranraer boss Derek Ferguson parted company with the cash-strapped club. Division Three beckons but relegation is nothing compared to the threat of closure for a team who have been around since 1870. Chairman Nigel Redhead rates survival 50/50.

Fear of missing something remarkable, as well as the obvious loyalty, is what keeps football supporters going week after week, even to outposts such as this, when your sanity might be questioned by friends and family.

Even a bad day at the football beats shopping, housework or trudging round a DIY store but occasions like this are special. When the talk turns to matches to remember – “were you there that day at Stranraer?” – is sure to crop up.

At 1-1 at half-time the outcome was in the balance. The Blues – who had lost star player Gregory Tade to Clyde on Friday - missed a great early chance, Scott Christie made a stunning save from Danny Mitchell and Andy Graham made a remarkable last-ditch tackle on Michael Mullen before the same player equalised.

Almost unbelievably, Allan Moore’s men scored seven times in the second half, with Chris Hamilton claiming a hat-trick and Martin Grehan denied one after the club confirmed David McKenna landed the final touch to one of his efforts.

Scott Gibb and a James McKinstry own goal meant it all added up to the first time Stirling had scored eight goals in a league fixture since beating Forfar 8-0 in a Division C match against in 1946.

However, Albion’s record league success is officially 7-0 – most recently achieved against Queen of the South in 1996 - as the post-war Division C contained Reserve teams of some SFL clubs and was soon scrapped.

It is no exaggeration to suggest the Binos could have racked up double figures, something that has not been done in Scottish League football since December 1967 when Rangers trounced Raith Rovers 10-2.

They missed several chances in the first half, during which Grehan had a goal disallowed for offside and Graham hit the post. In that spellbinding second period, gifted substitute Ryan McCord came close, as did Paul Murphy and Mark Docherty, as Stranraer caved in completely.

One more would have sealed the club’s biggest league triumph but Albion can make do with knowing their 20-0 Scottish Cup trouncing of Selkirk in 1984 remains the biggest victory in British senior football since 1886. We’ll gloss over the unwanted record of 14 successive games without a goal in 1980/81.

A fourth straight Division Two win, plus a massive boost to the goal difference, means Albion will climb into the play-off places if they can beat Brechin at Glebe Park on Saturday. It’s a tantalising prospect that seemed more distant than the moon only a few weeks ago.

Here’s how an incredible 90 minutes at Stair Park panned out:

0-1: The ball is hoisted into the box from the left wing. David McKenna prods it towards goal and, as young keeper Fraser Cantley hesitates, winger Chris Hamilton nips in to give Albion a sixth-minute lead.

1-1: With 40 minutes played, Michael Mullen does well on the right and cracks in an angled drive which beats Scott Christie and goes in via the post.

1-2: A brilliant Andy Graham tackle allows Martin Grehan to deliver a low cross which James McKinstry turns into his own net. Time 54 minutes.

1-3: Sixty seconds later fine work by McKenna releases Hamilton for a shot at goal and he fires a beauty into the corner.

1-4: In 66 minutes, Grehan loops a header against the crossbar and Hamilton follows up to score. It’s the first Albion hat-trick since David O’Brien’s treble in a 4-0 demolition of Forfar in January 2007.

1-5: Grehan gets in on the act with the easiest goal he’ll ever score. He fluffs McKenna’s delivery but defender Steven Noble makes a hash of the clearance and it’s a simple tap-in for the ex-Motherwell man on 69 minutes.

1-6: With 15 minutes left, Grehan nods a corner towards the bottom corner. It looks to be going in but McKenna makes sure and is credited with the goal.

2-6: A rare Stranraer attack sees former Dundee United frontman Stephen McConalogue curl a fine shot in off the post to immediately reduce the deficit.

2-7: Ryan McCord swings the ball into the box from the right and Scott Gibb finds the corner with a well-struck volley. There are still eight minutes remaining.

2-8: Yet another cross from the right does the damage, McCord setting up Grehan to steer the ball inside the post with 87 minutes on the clock.

McCord, on loan from Dundee United, fired wide at the end with McKenna unmarked in the middle as a sensational encounter drew to a close.

But spare a thought here for a Blues mascot James Kennedy. In the match programme, the nine-year-old predicted a 2-0 home win. You can only hope Saturday’s experience hasn’t put him off football for life.

Stranraer: Cantley, McKinstry, Noble, Kane, Mitchell, McBride, Gibson (Anglade 76), Mutch (Bradley 72), Mullen, McConalogue, Connolly (McColm 55). Sub not used: Frizzell.

Stirling Albion: Christie, Graham, Lowing, Gibb, Roycroft (Lawrie 70), O’Neill, Hamilton (McCord 67), Murphy, McKenna, Grehan, Devine (Docherty 70). Subs not used: Boyle, Hogarth.

Referee: Gary Hilland