5Match Report
Alloa Athletic v Stenhousemuir at Recreation Park, Alloa on 14.07.09
Stirlingshire Cup Section Two Att 211
Alloa Athletic 0 v Stenhousemuir 0 [Stenhousemuir win 5-4 on penalties]
Stenhousemuir secured a Stirlingshire Cup Final spot after beating Alloa Athletic on penalties after a no score draw at Recreation Park against Second Division rivals Alloa Athletic. In scenes reminiscent to the play off final victory against Cowdenbeath it was Andy Brand who stepped up to secure the win with the final penalty of the match. Prior to that Scott Agnew, Adam Coakley, Gary Carroll and Andy Scott had all scored for the Wasps but John Grant had seen his effort saved by Chris McCluskey. Stenhousemuir had already scored through Scott Dalziel, Willie Lyle, Pat Scullion, and Kevin Motion before Brand’s strike.
The 90 minutes prior to the penalty shoot out saw both teams had chances but it was the home side who created the majority of them. In the second minute Alloa keeper David Crawford was called into action to deny Andy Brand after a Motion freekick had been headed back to him as the Warriors started the game with promise.
In the 12th minute Scott Agnew looked likely to score when he drove an effort goalwards from close range but somehow McCluskey managed to push the low strike over the bar for what is already a candidate for save of the season. This was followed shortly afterwards by a Greig Spence effort that was punched clear. In the 18th minute it was the turn of Crawford in the home goal to be called into action tipping a pat Scullion freekick over the bar. Before the end of the half Spence came close again with a burst from the halfway line after winning possession but his shot failed to test Bennett.
The second half started with two substitutions for the Warriors and Iain Diack showed a turn of speed to create an opening down the right flank but he tried to be too precise with the cut back to Scott Dalziel and Crawford was able to smother the ball. After this bright start by Stenhousemuir it was the home side who had the better of the play and McCluskey was called into action to prevent Spence from opening his account with another one handed stop. He was then to deny Jamie Hay and John Grant with fine saves as the Wasps pushed forwards.
The Warriors were creating few chances but they should have taken the lead in the 70th minute when a corner was laid back across goal to Gary Thom but the defender who would normally have scored from that position failed to make contact with the ball.
The game flared up with four minutes to go when there was a very late tackle on Robert Love by Gary Carroll but luckily Love’s evasive action meant that damage done was lessened. An incensed Kevin Motion got involved in some pushing and could have been cautioned at that stage. Carroll was shown the yellow card when few would have complained if he had been dismissed. At the next opportunity he jumped into Motion clearly committing a foul that was flagged by the assistant but the referee read the incident differently and booked Motion for his involvement and gave Alloa a freekick.
It is just as well the incidents came at the tail end of the game as things could have bolied over if it had continued a bit longer. The final whistle blew three minutes later though and then the game proceeded to the victorious penalty shootout for the Warriors.
Alloa Athletic – Crawford, McClune, McCafferty, Buist [Townsley 57], Walker, Brown [Hay 55], Carroll, Grant, Spence [Coakley 69][t], Agnew and Scott. Subs not used – Kerr and Hall [t]
Stenhousemuir – McCluskey, Lyle, S.Thomson [Diack h/t], Thom, McLeod, Brand, Stirling [Love 63], Scullion, O’Reilly [Dalziel h/t], Bradley and Motion. Subs not used – Molloy and Bennett
Referee – Craig Charleston
Assistants –Iain Craig and Peter Kinney
