Albion to take on warriors in opener

Jun 19 2009

STIRLING Albion will kick off their Irn-Bru Division Two campaign with a home game against local rivals Stenhousemuir on Saturday, August 8.

The Warriors, managed by John Coughlin, led the Third Division for a time last season but hit a slump and looked to have blown their promotion hopes. However, they recovered to make the play-offs, where they overcame Queen’s Park before defeating Cowdenbeath on penalties in the final following a 0-0 draw at Ochilview.

The teams have not met in a competitive game since September 2002 when Allan Moore’s men won a thrilling League Cup tie on penalties after a 3-3 draw at Forthbank and the clubs last clashed on league business way back in 2000-01

After facing Stenhousemuir, the Binos are away to relegated Clyde then have back-to-back home games against Brechin and Peterhead, who both made the play-offs last season.

The first meeting with Alloa is at Recreation Park on September 12 and Albion return there on January 2, following a Boxing Day trip to Brechin, where they end the campaign on May 1.

With home friendlies against Dunfermline, Partick Thistle and Dundee United followed by the visits of Raith and Ayr in the Challenge and League Cups, there will be no shortage of football at Forthbank in the early weeks of the season and assistant boss John O’Neill admits they must make the most of home advantage.

Despite some notable Forthbank victories over the likes of promoted Ayr and Raith in 2008-09, Stirling actually took more points away from home and won just seven matches out of 18 at Forthbank – something that will need to improve if promotion is to be achieved next term.

O’Neill, who saw Albion lose their SFL opener 2-1 at Brechin last August, said: “Stenhousemuir will be a difficult game and they will be on a high after winning promotion but it’s good to start at home. We need to make Forthbank a place visiting teams fear to come. I think Ayr showed that last season by not losing at home while we dropped too many points.”

Stirling have a poor recent record in their opening league fixture and last came out on top when they thrashed Arbroath 5-2 in 2004-05. O’Neill added: “It’s important that we get off to a flyer. It can make all the difference and can help get the fans behind us. We have three of the first four games at home in the league and we need to make that count.”

Albion resume pre-season training on Tuesday by which time 21 year-old midfielder Scott Robertson should have sealed his switch to Stirling from Queen of the South.

O’Neill said: “Scott was one of the players we had targeted at the end of the season and we are really pleased he has agreed to come. He will be signing on Monday. Greig McDonald was another one we wanted and that has gone through as well which is great. We would still like to add a couple of players but won’t make signings just for the sake of it.”

One player who won’t be returning to Forthbank is David O’Brien. The left winger was wanted by the Albion management team following his release by Dundee but O’Brien, who spent several years with Stirling, has instead signed for Ayr United.