Match Report

Albion Rovers v Stenhousemuir at Exsel Group  Stadium, Coatbridge on 10.9.16

Ladbrokes League One                                   Att 301

Albion Rovers 4[Boyd 65, 79 Willis 67, Wallace 74]  Stenhousemuir  0

Albion Rovers – R.M.Stewart, Reid [b57], Turnbull, Ferry, R.Dunlop, M.Dunlop, Willis [Gilmour 78], Boyd, Wallace [McManus 81], RC.Stewart [Shields 83] and McBride. Subs not used – Young, Lightbody and Potts.

Stenhousemuir – McCabe, McCormack [b67], Paterson [McMenamin  44], Meechan, Hamilton [b82], McCroary [b58], Furtado, Stirling, Shaw, Roy [Millar 81] and Cook. Subs not used – Smith, Gilhaney, Howarth, Runciman and McMaster.

Referee – Scott Millar                     Assistants – Gary Hilland and Chris Phillips

After the disappointing performance at Dumfries the previous week there were several changes to the starting eleven at the Warriors sought their first league win of the season, Albion Rovers has been a bogey team for Stenhousemuir in recent years and the Warriors hadn’t won against them in the last 8 attempts. Stenhousemuir had Jim Paterson back for the first time this season in competitive action as Ciaran Summers was injured and with Fraser Kerr suspended Grant Hamilton came back into the starting eleven. In midfield new boy Wills Alves Furtado had received international clearance and he made his debut after signing from United Sportive Ivry Football. The 19 year old replaced captain Mark Gilhaney who dropped to the bench with Paterson donning the armband. Up front the experienced Colin McMenamin also took his seat in the dugout with Alistair Roy starting for the first time.

The changes looked to have a positive effect with the front line having a bit more pace and the two loan players of Shaw and Roy linked up well in the early stages. Indeed the first chance fell to Roy who shot over in the first minute of the game. Shaw then shot wide as Rovers struggled in the early stages. Shaw saw a shot blocked after a Jamie McCormack cross in the 11^th minute then McCormack had to be alert at the other end to block a Rovers effort. That attack showed that Stenhousemuir were not going to have all their own way and Colin McCabe pushed a Michael Dunlop half volley wide.Steven  Boyd then shot just wide after being allowed to turn and shoot. McCormack was unlucky with a header from another Cook free kick that hit off Mark Ferry and out after 35 minutes and three minutes later Roy show a shot saved low down. As the half was drawing to a close a Ross Dunlop flick from a corner was scrambled off the line. Just before half time Paterson had to be replaced after another back injury and although he was clearly not 100% he had been a calming influence on the rest of the defence.

His replacement Colin McMenamin came close with a first time strike after good play by Furtado in the 51^st minute. The Warriors had to rearrange after Paterson’s injury and the defence didn’t look as solid and on the hour they were opened up but Paul Willis’s shot was blocked for a corner. Willis was thwarted once again in the 67^th minute when McCabe saved his effort but the Rovers player wouldn’t have minded as Boyd reacted first to tuck the ball home.  Two minutes later Willis did get his goal as the Stenhousemuir defence crumbled once again. It should have been three in the 72^nd minute  when Boyd only had the keeper to beat but McCabe stopped the effort and Ross C.Stewart saw his effort cleared off the line by Ross Meechan.  Once again though Rovers didn’t have long to wait until the next goal though as Hamilton was exposed at the back and Ryan Wallace beat him for pace before tucking the ball into the net. Furtado saw a shot go just wide but all the action was at the other end and the Rovers scored their fourth in the 79^th minute when a cross from the left was met by a combination of Hamilton and Boyd and went into the net.

At that time the Stenhousemuir supporters were just wanting the game to finish as the team had fell to pieces and Rovers looked as if they would score every time they ventured up the park. In the last minute of the game they had two chances to go nap when a Scott McBride free kick flew just wide thanks to the faintest of touches and from the resultant corner another chance was headed wide.

This was a difficult game to fathom as the Warriors had been on top in the first half but the lack of confidence in the side was noticeable once they went into arrears.