Last chance to keep in touch

Apr 17 2009

STIRLING Albion assistant manager John O’Neill admits time is running out on the club’s play-off bid after Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to relegated Stranraer.

The Binos trail fourth-placed Peterhead by five points with only four games remaining and the Blue Toon also have a much better goal difference, making them strong favourites to claim make the cut despite going down 1-0 to Brechin at the weekend, writes David Ogilvie.

Albion take on second-placed Raith Rovers at Forthbank tomorrow (Saturday) then face away games at Peterhead and East Fife – who this week parted company with boss Dave Baikie following a poor run of results – before ending the season at home to Queen’s Park.

The shock loss to a Stranraer side who hadn’t won for six months looks to have ended any hopes of a return to Division One at the first time of asking and O’Neill said: “I think to have any chance now we will need to win our last four games and that might not be enough.

“We still have to go to Peterhead and they have to play Ayr on the last day so there is still a chance but losing to Stranraer was a big, big disappointment. There were just too many poor performances on the day and losing the goal at the end just topped it off.

“We got ourselves in the lead but we couldn’t get the second goal that would probably have finished it and you are always at risk when it is only 1-0. We just haven’t done well enough in some games this year.

“We seem to do better against the teams at the top and Raith haven’t beaten us this season. Perhaps Stranraer will take confidence from their win against us and take something from their home game with Peterhead, but to be honest that won’t matter unless we beat Raith.”

Albion have an excellent recent record against John McGlynn’s men and won 2-1 at Forthbank in January during a run of five successive victories. Albion have also drawn twice at Stark’s Park this season but have struggled to recapture the form of early 2009 and continue to concede too many goals.

The impressive haul of front pair Martin Grehan and David McKenna – both into double figures after a slow start – has been a positive factor – but four defeats in the last six outings is not good form ahead of a game against a Raith side who have recovered from a bit of a wobble to post five straight wins with just one goal conceded.

Marvin Andrews has returned from long-term injury to bolster the Rovers defence but the visitors will be without suspended midfielder Stephen Simmons following his red card during the first half of last weekend’s 3-1 win over Alloa at Stark’s Park.

Having suffered regularly at Forthbank over the years, Raith’s fans may well be nervous ahead of tomorrow’s game – their only win here was 1-0 in appalling conditions in January 2007 – but the momentum is with the Fife club and McGlynn and his players will be seeking revenge for defeat on this venue three months ago.

Tomorrow’s IRN-BRU Second Division clash is due to be refereed by experienced SPL official Stuart Dougal.

Defender Sean Roycroft is available for Stirling after serving a one-match ban and there were no new injury worries after the Stranraer game. Winger Nathan Taggart remains sidelined with the back problem that has kept him out since the middle of November.