Match Report

MATCH REPORT

Stenhousemuir v Alloa Athletic at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 18.11.17

William Hill Scottish Cup Third Round         Att 444

Stenhousemuir 1 [Paterson 27] Alloa Athletic 2 [Malcolm 50, 66]

Stenhousemuir – Smith, Meechan [Marsh 84], M.Dunlop, R.Dunlop, Paterson [Scott 73], Ferry, McGuigan  Paton, Longworth [McMenamin 84], Ferns [b45]and Donaldson. Subs not used – Gilmour, Allan, Murray  and McMinn.

Alloa Athletic – Parry, Taggart, Crane, Graham, Fleming [Cook 73], Robertson, Cawley, Hetherington[b30], Malcolm, Crossan [Renton 73] and Flannigan. Subs not used – Martin, Hoggan, Goodwin and Wilson .

Referee – Kevin Clancy          Assistants – David Doig and Drew Kirkland

The Warriors took a break from league business to play local rivals Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Cup. The game would give a good test to see how we have changed this season compared to last with Alloa sitting third in League One and on a run of victories.

For most of the game Stenhousemuir proved to be up to the task and especially in the first half were the better team but they were to be beaten by a clinical Alloa side that improved in the second period with two Craig Malcolm goals seeing the Wasps through to the fourth round.

Stenhousemuir had the bulk of the first half play but Neil Parry hadn’t been too troubled apart from a Michael Dunlop challenge before he had to pick the ball out of the net in the 27^th minute. An Eddie Ferns cross took a slight deflection and Nicki Paterson was on hand to fire the ball home at the back post. . Ferns, who probably had his best game in a Warriors jersey, then picked out Michael Dunlop but his header was blocked for a corner. Jamie Longworth looked to have put the home side further ahead in the 37^th minute when he tucked a Ferns cross home from almost on the line but the goal was disallowed for a very marginal offside.  Nevertheless the Warriors had another chance to get a second goal when Mark McGuigan picked up a through ball and descended on goal but just before he shot the ball bounced awkwardly and he fired over with just the keeper to beat.

The second half started with more promise for the Wasps and they took only five minutes to level the score through Craig Malcolm who has a habit of scoring against Stenhousemuir. This time a Steven Hetherington cross went just over the head of Mark Ferry and Malcolm hit a first time shot past Chris Smith and into the net.  To their credit Stenhousemuir responded well and Ross Dunlop had a chance a minute later but lacked power with a header that Parry saved comfortably and it was a similar situation minutes later  with a McGuigan strike that also lacked power.

Alloa took the lead in the 66^th minute of the game from a Kevin Cawley corner kick. Malcolm once again doing the damage though the home side may have felt aggrieved that a push on Nicki Paterson wasn’t picked up to allow the ball to travel to the back post and when it got there it could be said that there was cleared high feet by Malcolm as Ross Meechan turned his head out of the way to stop getting a possible kick in the head.

With the game drawing to a close Stenhousemuir came very close to equalising when a speculative header from Colin McMenamin struck the crossbar and Jimmy Scott was unable to convert the rebound. With the last kick of the ball the Warriors captain Michael Dunlop struck a volley from the edge of the box just the wrong side of the post for what would have been a deserved draw.

Although the game ended in defeat there were plenty of positives to take from the game although Alloa were the team that were in the draw for the next round where Dundee United will be their opponents.