2Match Report
Albion Rovers 1 [Donnelly 27]
Stenhousemuir 2 [Ovenstone 36, Motion 88]
Stenhousemuir rung the changes for this game after their defeat to Forfar. In defence Chris McGroarty and Chris McLeod returned to defence with Alan Reid moving from left back to a more natural right back berth. In midfield Iain Thomson and Andrew Brand stepped into the starting eleven whilst Robert Love took a welcome berth after injury has curtailed his appearances.
Going into this game both sides had been struggling to string results together though Rovers had a morale boosting draw against Annan in their last game. The Cliftonhill side started brightly and forced two corners within 90 seconds of the start of the game but the Warriors almost took the lead in the 2nd minute when Alan Benton sliced a clearance just over his own bar. A minute later Ciaran Donnelly came close with an effort that went just wide. It was a frantic opening spell but the closest that either team came to opening the scoring was when Iain Diack tested Jamie Ewings with a well taken effort from practically on the ground in the 18th minute but the keeper proved up to the task. Two minutes later Rovers came even closer when Donnelly was allowed a free header at a corner kick but McGroarty was in position to clear off the line. Lessons were not learnt from this escape though and in the 27th minute Donnelly headed a Danny Ferry freekick home once again not being picked up. The Warriors equalised in the 36th minute when a Kevin Motion corner was headed back across goal and into the net from John Ovenstone. Within a minute it should have been the Warriors a goal ahead but after a deflection was stopped by the keepers legs and a further effort cleared off the line Thomson blasted the ball over the bar from close range. As the half drew to an end Ferry had a great chance to put the home side ahead after a defence splitting pass to him from midfield but he shot wildly wide and high as he lost his balance and composure.
Albion Rovers made a couple of changes at half time as both sides required to go for the win and in the early stages of the half they did have the better of the play with the strong running of Michael McGowan being a feature. They failed to test Scott Bennett though and as the game progressed it was the Warriors who came closest to scoring. Love had a long range effort cleared off the line after Ewings miskicked a clearance in the 72nd minute. A minute later Scott Dalziel came on as Stenhousemuir pushed for a goal but the balance didn’t seem to be right for a while as players tried to adapt. They almost got their rewards though in the 82nd minute when an Ovenstone throw was fumbled by Ewings under pressure and Dalziel was able to send the ball goalwards but he was to be denied by yet another clearance off the line. Robert Love struck the woodwork two minutes later and the rebound saw Motion test Ewings. With only two minutes left Stenhousemuir did eventually take the lead with a goal that keeps their season alive when Motion struck with a daisy cutter into the bottom corner of the net from 25 yards.
This meant an anxious end to the game with Stenhousemuir trying to run down the clock and referee Stevie O’Reilly added to the pressure by adding at least four minutes added time to the puzzlement of the Warriors ranks but in the end the whistle eventually blew for a Stenhousemuir victory.
This win sets the Warriors up nicely for the game on Saturday against Dumbarton as they move back into play-off contention but they know that they will have a tough task against the team that is now second in the league
Albion Rovers – Ewings, Walker, McGowan, McKeown [b53], Benton [b55], McGoldrick [Crozier h/t], Barr, Donnelly [b61], Pollock, Archdeacon [Andreoni h/t] and Ferry [b40]. Subs not used – Adam, Fleming and Scott
Stenhousemuir – Bennett, Reid, McGroarty, McLeod, Ovenstone, Thomson [b53][Dalziel 73], Love, Molloy [b83], Diack [Shirra 82], Brand and Motion. Subs not used – Morgan, Stirling, Renton
Referee – Stevie O’Reilly
Assistants – Craig Young and Steven Mitchell
