Albion Rovers v Stenhousemuir at Cliftonhill Stadium, Coatbridge on 17.9.11

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                 Att 369

Albion Rovers 1 [Acquah 83] Stenhousemuir 1 [Murray 67]

 

 

For the second week in a row the Warriors were on their travels and were hoping to improve on the draw at Forthbank the previous week. This time the venue was Cliftonhill, Coatbridge with Albion Rovers the opponents. Stenhousemuir despite having several players unable to participate fully in training through injury and illness in the build up to the game fielded the starting eleven for this match.

 

In the first half of the game the Warriors were sluggish to get going and the home side were certainly the better team for most of the half without creating too many chances. The pitch was not in the best of conditions with the grass overgrown and although that to an extent inhibited the Warrior’s play it also had a detrimental effect on the Rovers as well so that could not be blamed for the lacklustre first half showing.

 

Robert Love was looking lively against his old team and Ally Brown had to look sharp to clear the danger when Love was played through by a John Gemmell flick on. Love later dragged an effort wide of the target after a defence splitting pass by Scott Chaplain. Stenhousemuir were struggling but could have opened the scoring in the 35^th minute when Mike O’Byrne almost turned the ball into his own net but Derek Gaston was able to save. With two minutes remaining in the first period Iain Thomson should have scored from an Andy Rodgers flick on but Gaston was quick to block and the chance was gone though if the Warriors had went in ahead at half time it would have been harsh on the Rovers to say the least.

 

Just before the first half ended there was a cloud burst and this persisted through the interval and although it cleared away it made the conditions difficult in the opening stages of the second for both keepers with the ball slippy and this almost contributed to the Warriors opening the scoring when Gaston was unable to hold a Stewart Kean cross but no one was able to capitalise on the mistake.. 

 

Gradually Stenhousemuir stepped up the play and they took the lead in the 67th minute when Andy Rodgers picked out Stevie Murray in the middle and he stroked his effort past Gaston and into the net. This gave the Warriors a lift and Brown Ferguson almost doubled the lead when he was picked out making a late run but his shot went across goal and past the far post. The best chance though fell to Rodgers when Eric Paton played a ball behind the Rovers defence and Stewart Kean hit a decent ball across goal for Rodgers but from close range he shot wide when it looked easier to score.

 

They were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when the home side equalised in the 83rd minute. It was substitutes Chris Hamilton and Larry Acquah who combined to make the breakthrough when Hamilton beat Sean Dickson and crossed for Acquah to head home. After this Stenhousemuir stepped up the pressure in an attempt to restore the lead but they almost lost another goal in stoppage time when Hamilton crossed once again for Acquah but this time Ally Brown made a superb one handed intervention to keep the scores level.   

 

When the final whistle blew and the scores level it was obvious that the home side were the happier with the state of affairs as all their players and management left the field with smiles on their faces whilst the Warriors bore a look of frustration that they had failed to kill the game off when in the lead. As well as dropping two points there were further concerns as Ross McMillan had to be carried back to the changing room after being injured in the last minute of the game.

 

Albion Rovers – Gaston, Reid, Scott [Hamilton 63], Stevenson, Marriott, O’Byrne, Love [Ferry 68], Canning, Gemmell, Chaplain, Boyle [Acquah 68].

Subs not used – Gilmartin and Fahey

 

Stenhousemuir – Brown, Lyle, Dickson [b27], Corrigan, McMillan [Quinn 90], Thomson, Ferguson, Rodgers [b90], Kean, Paton and Murray.

Subs not used – Fraser, Lawson, Plenderleith and McCluskey.

 

Referee – Gary Hilland 

Assistants – Gavin Ross and Nick Walsh