Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Stirling Albion at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir at 23.8.14

SPFL Division One            Att 613

Stenhousemuir 4 [Hodge 15,65, Dickson 36, Grehan 90] Stirling Albion 5 [Wedderburn 30, G.Smith 53,69, Cunningham 54, D.L.Smith 61]

It is not very often that a team scores four goals at home and picks up no points, this though was what happened in this game as the support left shell shocked after Stirling ran out winners with a 5-4 victory. This was the same score line for the corresponding date last season when the Warriors threw away a lead through a spell of madness for Dunfermline to be victorious.

The cast in both games was different but the way the game unfolded was very similar as Stenhousemuir should have built an unassailable lead but failed to make their first half supremacy tell and were left to pay the price.

 The Warriors during the first 45 minutes moved the ball around the pitch with purpose although there was a tendancy for the move to break down in the final third of the pitch. They definitely were the better team but could have found themselves in arrears in the ?? minute when Gordon Smith screwed an effort wide after getting the better of Ross McMillan. Stenhousemuir though opened the scoring in the 15^th minute when Bryan Hodge converted after the ball bobbled about in the danger area with no one seemingly willing to have a shot at goal and it looked as if the opportunity was going to be squandered.

Stirling responded with an equaliser on the half hour. Ex Warrior Darren Lee Smith was denied by a fine block by Greg Fleming but from the resultant corner Craig Wedderburn headed home taking advantage of poor marking. Fleming managed to get a hand to it but was unable to stop it going in. In the 36^th minute Sean Dickson decided to have a pop at goal from at least 35 yards and although his strike dipped and swerved Greg Paterson in the Stirling goal will feel that he should have saved it. He was helpless in the 45^th minute when Martin Grehan set up Josh Watt but the winger hit the side netting when he should have scored. That may have ended the game if it went in but gave Stirling a lifeline they gratefully accepted. In the 53^rd minute a short pass back by Ciaran Summers  put Fleming in all sorts of problems and he had to slide tackle to prevent Sandy Cunningham getting there first but unfortunately the ball fell to Gordon Smith and he fired into the empty net. A minute later the Albion took the lead with Darren Lee Smith crossing for Sandy Cunningham to convert at the back post. They extended their lead just after the hour when Darren Lee Smith pounced on a parry out by Fleming to convert. Robbie Duncan managed to kick the ball away but the referee and assistant gave the goal immediately.  The home side did get back into the game in the 65^th minute when Hodge scored his second of the day. A loose ball fell to him 14 yards out and his initial left footed shot struck the post but fortuitously rebounded back into his path and this time a right footed effort ended in the net.

That goal summed up the madness of the game but any realistic chance of a comeback ended in the 69^th minute with Gordon Smith once again being the marksman. This time it was Darren Smith as opposed to Darren Lee Smith who was the architect as he won the ball on the halfway line before sliding the ball through the Stenhousemuir defence for Gordon Smith who took full advantage of the high line of defence to advance on goal before tucking the ball into the net.

There was a consolation goal in the 90^th minute for Stenhousemuir when a Martin Grehan goalbound shot was turned into his own net by Craig Comrie from less than a yard out under pressure by Paul Sludden. That ended the scoring in a game where the Warriors shortcomings were brutally exposed in a tension ridden performance after a first half where they got somewhere near the standard that they want to be.   

Stenhousemuir – Fleming, Meechan, Lithgow, McMillan, Summers, Hodge, Reid [McMenamin 65], Faulds, Grehan, Dickson [Sludden 78] and Watt [b63][R.Millar 65]. Subs not used – Greacen, Duncan, K.Millar and Shaw.

Stirling Albion – Paterson, Hamilton, Forsyth, D.Smith, Wedderburn, C.Smith, D.L.Smith, Comrie, G.Smith [Coult 85], Cunningham [Creaney 80] and Weir [McClune 72]. Subs not used – Fulton, Robertson, McGeachie and Reidford.

Referee – Kevin Graham              Assistants – John McCrossan and Thomas Shaw.