Reds keep play-off hopes alive

Mar 20 2009

DAVID McKenna smashed home a superb winner with just five minutes left as Albion revived their play-off hopes and ended Peterhead’s nine-match unbeaten run.

Allan Moore’s men now trail the Blue Toon by just four points and have a game in hand at home to East Fife next weekend but tomorrow (Saturday) face Queen’s Park at Hampden while Peterhead must travel to Division Two leaders Ayr United.

This was a crucial victory following the disappointing 3-2 to defeat against Brechin on Saturday and the recent home draws with Arbroath and Alloa. Neale Cooper’s men came into the game in fine form but Stirling deserved the three points. They created the better chances and were rarely under pressure from the visitors.

Albion were almost made to pay for squandering a number of chances and again failed to keep a clean sheet but they kept going to inflict Peterhead’s first defeat since losing to Queen’s Park on January 3.

There is no doubt the Blue Toon are a stronger force on home turf but there had been nothing between these two this season, with a 0-0 draw at Forthbank followed by a 1-1 draw in the North East snow.

Visiting boss Neale Cooper was fulsome in his praise of Stirling after the game and hid any frustration at the loss of such a late goal while Moore thought the squandered opportunities were set to haunt his squad.

There were barely 30 seconds on the clock when John O’Neill missed the first of them, knocking the ball against the post from close range after good work by Liam Corr. The young midfielder was himself then denied by Polish keeper Michael Kula.

Martin Grehan, probably Stirling’s best player on the night, beat the offside trap but dragged his shot wide of goal as the interval approached then the ex-Motherwell man saw his diving header from O’Neill’s cross clawed away by the keeper as Corr failed to net the rebound.

For a side who hadn’t failed to score in the league since mid-December, Peterhead looked less of a threat than might have been expected but they almost snatched an interval lead when the unmarked Callum McDonald sent a header wide.

With an hour gone, Moore introduced Michael Mullen for Corr and the ex-Stranraer striker made a swift impression, surging down the right and delivering a tempting ball that Grehan diverted beyond Kula.

One goal looked as if it might be enough but Stirling shut-outs have been rare and they were breached just six minutes later when Graeme Sharp’s corner from the left was headed firmly past Scott Christie by central defender McDonald, who was lurking at the back post. McKenna then missed a decent chance before Neil McVitie might have won it for Peterhead but his shot on the turn was blocked for a corner.

It was Stirling who struck with just five minutes left to secure only a fifth home win of the season. McKenna lost his marker on the edge of the box to gather a cross from the right but still had plenty to do. His control was impressive and the finish emphatic and Albion had the victory they craved.

Stirling Albion: Christie, Lawrie, Forsyth, Gibb, Roycroft (Devine 76), O’Neill, Corr (Mullen 60), Murphy, McKenna, Grehan, Docherty. Subs not used: Boyle, Dunn, Hogarth.

Peterhead: Kula, Donald, Moore, Smith, McDonald, McVitie, Sharp, Gunn, Bavidge, Anderson, MacKay (Ross 88). Subs not used: Bagshaw, Skinner, Cowie, Jarvie.

Referee: Crawford Allan