Irn Bru League Three                      Att 311

 

Stenhousemuir 4 [Smith 1, Dalziel 31, Love 58, McLeod 71] Elgin City 2 [Wright 47, 52]

 

Both teams went into this game struggling with form with Stenhousemuir winning only one of their last 7 home league games, a run that saw them slip from the top of the table. Elgin’s form was even worse with only one point in the last 8 league games but that was a surprising draw against league leaders Cowdenbeath in the game prior to this one.

 

Elgin would have been hoping to secure their first win for newly appointed manager Ross Jack in his game in charge and the supporters would have been hopeful as well though the last victory for Elgin was back on the 18^th of October at Borough Briggs when they shocked the then unbeaten Warriors by four goals to two.

 

Stenhousemuir made several changes for this game in personnel and formation with Chris McLeod making a starting debut whilst Craig Molloy made his first appearance from the bench. The 3-5-2 formation looked to add attacking power to the side and they were to see instant rewards when they took the lead in only 40 seconds of the game. The goal came from an unexpected source with Jordan Smith netting for the first time in his Stenhousemuir career when he pounced on a rebound after a Willie Lyle effort was fumbled by Andy McNulty. [Could this be the worst start to a managerial career in the Scottish League?] A minute later Lyle almost made it two nil when he just failed to get on the end of a cross field pass with the keeper beaten.

 

The Warriors continued to press forwards and Dalziel, Diack and Motion all coming close to getting the second goal with Motion’s 30 yard effort being the closest with McNulty doing well to tip it round the post. Eventually the home side doubled their lead in the 31^st minute when Andy Brand combined with Willie Lyle who whipped in a cross for Scott Dalziel to head home.

 

At half time it looked as if it was just going to be a case of how many Stenhousemuir would win by but they were to have a wake up call at the start of the second half when a David Craig shot was tipped onto the bar by Scott Bennett and Kenny Wright was the quickest to react and tapped the rebound home. This game the Elgin players a lift and in the 50^th minute a Craig Campbell shot flashed just wide of the post. Still the lessons were not learnt and Wright scored his second in the 52^nd minute with an effort that hit both bar and post before going in.

 

At long last the lethargy that had set in seemed to lift and Robert Love, who had came on for the injured Diack, hit the bar with an effort from a Dalziel cross. Three minutes later Love had better luck taking his opportunity to score the Warrior’s third after Elgin had struggled to clear a Motion corner. Elgin responded with a Campbell curling effort that went just over before the home team eventually got their fourth goal of the day. Once again a set piece, this time an Iain Thomson corner in the 71^st minute , paid dividends when John Ovenstone headed a deep corner back across goal for new boy McLeod to head home. Elgin saw McNulty and Campbell booked for dissent when the goal was allowed as they felt that the ball had went out of play before Ovenstone’s header.

 

Three minutes later Kenny Wright should have had his hat trick when he only had the keeper to beat but Bennett saved the day with a fine save. Elgin’s attempts to get back into the game were ended in the 79^th minute when Craig Campbell was sent off following his second caution, but they almost had the last word when Dale Gillespie struck the crossbar in the last minute of the game 

 

Stenhousemuir – Bennett, Lyle, McGroarty, McLeod, Smith, Ovenstone, Thomson, Brand [Molloy 71], Dalziel [b79], Diack [Love 33] and Motion [Shirra 81]. Subs not used – Tyrrell and Renton

 

Elgin City – McNulty [b71], Jack, MacDonald, Nicolson, Kaczan [b8][Gillespie 23], Keogh, Campbell [b71][so79], O’Donoghue, Wright [McKenzie 78], Mackay and Craig [Crooks 64]. Subs not used – Cameron and Ridgers

 

Referee – Frank McDermott      

Assistants – Steven Craven and Andy Tait