Albion succumb to title-chasers

Apr 22 2009

TWO years ago Stirling gloriously overcame Raith in the play-offs en route to Division One but on Saturday it was the Kirkcaldy club who took a massive step towards promotion with victory in a tight, scrappy encounter of few chances.

Given Rovers’ recent record against Albion – one win in 12 attempts – they must have feared this could be the weekend when their title bid came off the rails but instead substitute Steve Hislop’s winner took them to the summit as Ayr lost top spot with defeat at Brechin.

This setback also all but ends Stirling’s already-slim play-off hopes. Peterhead’s late penalty winner at Stranraer means the Binos are eight points adrift of the Blue Toon with nine up for grabs. Victory at Balmoor this weekend is therefore essential but Stirling must also beat East Fife and Queen’s Park and pray Neale Cooper’s men lose to Arbroath and Ayr.

It looks a long shot, not least because this was a fourth defeat out of five for Stirling, who have lost their way at just the wrong time. There was little between the teams but Raith held on comfortably after going ahead in 53 minutes on a day when neither goalkeeper had much to do other than lap up the spring sunshine.

Allan Moore made two changes to the side that crashed 2-1 at home to relegated Stranraer the previous week. Out went David Lowing and Mark Docherty and in came Stewart Devine and Sean Roycroft, a move that saw Ross Forsyth pushed into the left of midfield where he certainly showed plenty of dig.

Raith were missing banned ex-Hearts midfielder Stephen Simmons but welcomed back Iain Davidson from suspension into the centre of the park as they chased a sixth successive win, having conceded just one goal in their previous five outings.

Beaten at Forthbank in January and twice held 1-1 by the Binos at Stark’s Park this season, Rovers looked intent on revenge and within 20 seconds John O’Neill was forced to clear a dangerous delivery as Raith threatened an early opener.

They almost got it in 13 minutes when top scorer Kevin Smith, on loan from Dundee United, saw his shot deflected just over the bar. From Robert Sloan’s resulting corner, Chris Hamilton was handily placed on the line to clear Mark Campbell’s net-bound header.

After a shaky start, Stirling established themselves in the game and should have taken the lead midway through the first half. O’Neill swung a free-kick into the area and the ball broke off a defender into the path of Martin Grehan. Under pressure from a defender, the 11-goal striker was forced to shoot early and dragged his effort just wide of David McGurn’s far post.

Minutes later, Grehan and David McKenna combined to set up Forsyth but the ball didn’t reach the ex-St Johnstone man quite quickly enough and he couldn’t hit the target with what was probably Albion’s last clear-cut chance of the match.

With Brechin v Ayr and Stranraer v Peterhead both goalless at the interval there was an awful lot at stake in the second half across the Second Division and Stirling made a positive start, only to fall behind eight minutes after the restart.

A ball over the top released Hislop in behind the defence – unsure whether to push up for offside or not – and he kept his composure with Scott Gibb in pursuit to smash a low shot past Christie. It might have looked a routine finish but was the sort of effort so often scuffed against the legs of the goalkeeper.

Having missed most of the season through injury, you could hardly blame the ex-Ross County striker for almost diving into the away stand to celebrate. It earned him a yellow card from Stuart Dougal - in his final season as a referee - who had earlier booked O’Neill and Grehan for what looked minor offences.

Hislop may find himself with a key role in Raith’s remaining games against Brechin, Queen’s Park and Arbroath as the Fife club seek to avoid a third successive season in the play-offs, as Smith was carried off with what looked like a nasty ankle injury late in the first half.

But Raith’s success this season has been built on the meanest defence in the division by some distance. Centre-halves Marvin Andrews and Mark Campbell may lack pace but they present an imposing presence at the back and offered Albion little encouragement as the Binos failed to score for only the second time in 2009.

Stirling Albion: Christie, Graham, Devine, Gibb, Roycroft, O’Neill (Docherty 74), Hamilton (Corr 70), Murphy, McKenna, Grehan, Forsyth. Subs not used: Boyle, Dunn, Hogarth.

Raith Rovers: McGurn, Wilson, Ellis (Wardlaw 89), Campbell, Andrews, Sloan, Williamson (Walker 83), Davidson, Smith (Hislop 36), Weir, Ferry. Subs not used: Lumsden, O’Connor.

Referee: Stuart Dougal