Irn Bru Scottish Second Division               Att 459

Stenhousemuir 2 [Anderson 88, Thom 90] Alloa Athletic 3 [Noble 12, McGowan 15, Gormley 73]

 

Alloa were the first foots to Ochilview for what was David Irons first game in charge of Stenhousemuir. The Wasps had the upper hand in the build up to this game as they had managed to play a number of competitive matches whilst the Warriors had been in cold storage.

 

Stenhousemuir started the game by taking the game to the visitors and Ross Clark headed a Grant Anderson cross over the bar in the first minute of the game. In the fifth minute of the game Alloa should really have taken the lead when a Bryan Prunty effort from a Kevin McDonald was superbly pushed out by Ally Brown and Scott Walker from only five yards out contrived to hit the post with the rebound.

 

The Warriors looked to punish Alloa for that miss minutes later when Paul Quinn was picked out by a pinpoint Stevie Murray cross but Quinn with only the keeper to beat failed to do so and Stevie Robertson made a comfortable save.

 

At this stage the game ebbed and flowed but that was to chance in the 12^th minute when Alloa went ahead. A through ball by Michael McGowan looked as if it would be gathered by Brown but Stuart Noble got there first and tapped the ball into the empty net.

 

In 15 minutes McGowan put his old club to the sword as he cut in from the left skipping past a number of weak tackles before dispatching the ball home for his first ever goal for Alloa the day before his contract expired.

 

For the rest of the first half Alloa looked to be comfortable and they could have extended their lead in the 40^th minute when Prunty was once again denied by Brown this time the keeper saving with his legs to deny the normally deadly marksman.

 

At the other end a Warriors looked to have a chance when Paul Quinn played in Grant Anderson but he was dispossessed by Scott Walker who was controlling the Alloa defence

 

Stenhousemuir began to come more into the game in the second half but they showed their vulnerability when McGowan played another through ball for Noble but this time Brown got there just in time. With 73 minutes on the clock Alloa extended their lead when David Gormley past his marker as if he was not there and fired past Brown to make it three nil.

 

The Warriors scored with two minutes later through a fine Anderson strike after Alloa had failed to clear a Stevie Murray cross. As the game moved into stoppage time the Warriors scored once more when Gary Thom rose to head home a Murray corner.

 

Alloa by this stage were beginning to look nervous and had lost their composure at the Warriors pushed forward but there was not enough time left to get the equaliser as the visitors just held on for victory that until the latter stages of the game looked guaranteed.

 

This match would have given the new management team some food for thought and they were happy with the fact that Stenhousemuir fought to the end despite their frailties being highlighted on a number of occasions.  

 

Stenhousemuir – Brown, Lyle, Dickson, Thom [b39], Smith, Clark [Scullion 62], Anderson, I.Thomson, Quinn [b61][Plenderleith 62], Murray and Motion. Subs not used – Dalziel, Stirling and McCluskey

 

Alloa Athletic – Robertson, McClune, Dunlop, Gibson, Walker, Hay, Scott [Grant 24], McDonald [Gormley 52], Prunty, Noble [Lister 69] and McGowan. Subs not used – Thomson and Ewings

 

Referee – Brian Colvin   Assistants – Ross Haswell and David Munro