Match Report

Albion Rovers v Stenhousemuir at Cliftonhill, Coatbridge on 5.3.13

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                               Att 206

Albion Rovers 4 [Dallas 8, Crawford 19, Reidford og 50, Sally 68] Stenhousemuir 3 [Gemmell 51 pen, 85, Reid  90]

Stenhousemuir always seem to struggle on their visits to Cliftonhill but they would have been hoping that they would come away with a win as their hosts had lost their last nine games and were rooted at the bottom of the league. The Warriors made one enforced chance to the side that drew with Brechin on Saturday as Kevin McKinlay was injured so this meant that Iain Thomson came into the midfield and Sean Dickson dropped to left back. John Gemmell was able to play pending the result of his dismissal for violent conduct versus Brechin and was thus able to play against his old club for the first time this season.

It was obvious from the start of the game that the Warriors were below par as they gave an abject performance that subsequently gifted Albion Rovers victory in a far more convincing manner than the final winning margin of one goal suggests.

The game had started all right with John Gemmell firing a freekick on target in the second minute that Ryan Scully saved but that hid the horrors to come. In the 6^th minute Joe Mbu lost possession to Chris Dallas and the Rovers player dragged the ball just wide of the target though he would have felt that he should have done better. Mark Corcoran then had an attempt saved at the other end before Dallas made amends by firing the home side into the lead in the eighth minute after being played through by Scott Sally. Gary Phillips should have doubled the lead in the 13^th minute but failed to do so with Stenhousemuir once again at sixes and sevens. The home side were not allowing Stenhousemuir to settle at all and a tired looking side were unable to cope with the energy levels of the younger team.

There was an enforced change in the 15^th minute when David Rowdon had to leave the field and he was replaced by Jamie Reid. This was a blow for Stenhousemuir as he has been influential in recent games.This weakened the midfield as Bryan Hodge was not at 100% after a knock on Saturday and effectively shackled by Rovers and the game was bypassing Iain Thomson in his first start for a while. Rowson’s replacement Jamie Reid is a different type of player who is still finding his way in the game but he almost made an instant impact but saw a shot deflected for a corner.

David Crawford scored Rovers second goal in the 19^th minute with a superbly struck curling effort that gave Reidford no chance. The room that he was given though to execute the finish though was shocking from a defensive point of view.

Rovers keeper Ryan Scully then did performed heroics at the other end saving a Darren Smith effort and then denying Mark Corcoran who met the rebound. A goal at this stage could have gave Stenhousemuir belief but Rovers looked the hungrier throughout and it was only an amazing escape when the ball was cleared off the line before eventually being smothered by Reidford that kept the margin at two goals when the whistle blew for the half time whistle.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first with another Gemmell free kick saved before Stenhousemuir handed the initiative back to Albion Rovers. They went three up in the 50^th minute when Alan Reid swung a cross in from the right that somehow Callum Reidford dropped into his own net. Although Reid was given credit for the goal it was clearly an own goal by Reidford and only he will know what he was trying to do.

Reid was probably still in a daze when he conceded a penalty at the other end a minute later when he tripped Sean Dickson. Gemmell took the penalty hitting a powerful shot low into the net past Scully who went the right way but it was just struck too well for him.

This goal gave Stenhousemuir a momentary lift but it was not to last and Scott Sally extended the lead in the 68^th minute with a strike from outside the box. Once again it was a decent effort but he telegraphed his intentions and questions have to be asked about how easy it was to score.

In the 85^th minute Brown Ferguson crossed for Gemmell to head home a glancing header, then in the last minute Jamie Reid volleyed home his first goal for Stenhousemuir.

These goals though just papered over the cracks in a totally abysmal display that was certainly the worst of the Martyn Corrigan stewardship and indeed one of the worst for many a year.

Albion Rovers – Scully, Reid, Russell [Boyle h/t], Innes, Green [b44], Donnelly [b47], Crawford, Sally [C.Stevenson 76], Walker, Dallas and Phillips. Subs not used – Tiffney, Marriott and McGinley

Stenhousemuir – Reidford, Ross, Dickson [Ferguson 84], Buist [b65], Mbu, Hodge, I.Thomson, Rowson [Reid 15], Gemmell, Corcoran [Kean 60] and Smith. Subs not used – Brash and Shaw

Referee – Andrew Dallas             Assistants – John McCrossan and Alex Frame