OPENING days surely don’t get much better than this. In the club’s first match since being taken over by the supporters trust, and with new boss John O’Neill at the helm, Albion claimed a thrilling victory over their local rivals in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to book a surprise place in the second round of the Alba Challenge Cup, where they will now face a trip to East Fife on August 10 or 11. It was only Stirling’s second win over Falkirk since 1980 and the manner of the triumph only added to the sense of occasion. The Bairns dominated large swathes of the match but squandered chance after chance, failing to find a way past inspired keeper Scott Christie. A Falkirk native, he was presumably keeping a low profile on Saturday night. His performance was anything but. Christie made so many important stops to force extra time and penalties that you lost count but his best was reserved for the shoot-out. He denied Mark Millar, Carl Finnigan and Mark Stewart and was beaten only by Bairns skipper Burton O’Brien. When Stewart Devine and Derek Colquhoun had Albion 2-0 ahead it looked over but Andy Gibson and Scott Buist’s weak efforts were saved. Christie came to the rescue and that allowed Ross Forsyth to smack the decisive kick just inside the post to give the Binos a famous win in what was their first penalty decider since knocking Stenhousemuir out of the League Cup after a spellbinding 3-3 draw in 2002. There were no goals here but it was always a compelling contest. Two divisions separated the clubs last season and it could still have been that way had things turned out differently on the final day. But Albion scraped a draw at Brechin to clinch the title and Ryan Flynn’s late miss at Kilmarnock saw the Bairns’ four-year SPL stay come to an end. With a lack of striking options, O’Neill opted for a 4-5-1 formation that saw Martyn Corrigan make his debut at right-back and Buist make his bow in the centre of defence. Both excelled. Corrigan, once of Motherwell and latterly at Partick Thistle, looks an assured customer and was rarely flustered, despite the heavy pressure exerted by Falkirk. Buist, snapped up from Alloa, is a towering presence although he is unlikely to be rushing to take the next penalty. Tidy midfielder John Kane was the third new face, while Ryan Borris made his debut as a substitute. Former Rangers goalkeeper Callum Reidford, signed from Clyde, had to settle for a place on the bench and he will remain there if Christie continues in this form. Falkirk had impressed in pre-season friendlies against Dundee United and Oldham and rolled into Forthbank as odds-on favourites to progress. With three previous triumphs in the Challenge Cup, silverware would have been their aim but the lack of a cutting edge, which proved so costly in 2009/10, was again their undoing. Scott Arfield has been sold to Huddersfield and Scotland defender Darren Barr is now with Hearts but eight of the squad who featured at Rugby Park in May started and there were debuts for Celtic pair Jason Marr and Mark Millar and Rochdale winger Kallum Higginbotham. New boy Kenny Deuchar was missed through injury, probably a blessing for the Binos. Falkirk made a strong start and in just four minutes Gibson made a spectacular clearance to keep out a Millar header before winger Jack Compton fired wide then was foiled by Christie when clean through. Stewart’s header was saved and the pacy striker then ran on to bash a shot against the upright as the pressure mounted. Albion’s attacks were fleeting but they kept their shape and their work ethic was exceptional, as would have been Chris Aitken’s effort from inside the centre circle had Robert Olejnik not managed to recover ground and flip the ball over the bar. But it was Falkirk who were largely dictating play. Pressley encourages his side to move the ball and a goal looked inevitable. Christie made a block from Compton then somehow kept out a Flynn header before again repelling a Compton drive. You’ve got the picture by now. Stirling were struggling to make headway but gradually eased further up the pitch and the introduction of a second striker in Derek Colquhoun was beneficial. The former Falkirk Amateurs man held the ball up well and you wondered if Albion might nick a goal. They worried the Falkirk defence on occasion but the best chances continued to fall the visitors’ way in extra time. Sub Finnigan almost won it but his curling finish was tipped away by Christie then Stewart fired wastefully into the side-netting late on to howls of frustration from the 1000-strong travelling support. Falkirk’s inability to find the target continued in the shoot-out but they don’t have long to wait for the chance of revenge. The teams meet again at The Falkirk Stadium on league business on August 21 and Pressley’s side won’t be short of motivation. Stirling rode their luck at times but their spirit was unquestionable, their fitness enduring and in Christie they had someone who played the game of his life. The keeper will be hoping he is less busy when Forfar come calling in the Co-operative Insurance Cup this weekend. STIRLING ALBION: Christie, Corrigan, Forsyth, Allison, Buist, Kane, Gibson, Aitken (Devine 65), Mullen (Borris 90), Robertson, Taggart (Colquhoun 78). Subs not used: Reidford (GK), McDonald. FALKIRK: Olejnik, Marr, Twaddle, McLean, Scobbie, O’Brien, Higginbotham (Khalis 103), Millar, Stewart, Flynn (McLeish 100), Compton (Finnigan 74). Subs not used: Barclay (GK), Mitchell. Referee: John McKendrick | 
