Stirling Albion go into their local derby with East Stirlingshire at Forthbank tomorrow (Saturday) aiming to bounce back from Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Berwick Rangers at Shielfield.
Lee Currie’s deflected free-kick three minutes from time ended Albion’s run of seven matches without defeat and means they stay seventh in the table, six points short of the play-offs and one off the bottom in a congested Third Division.
Greig McDonald’s side have yet to beat East Stirlingshire in 2012/13, with the most recent meeting at Forthbank last month ending in a 1-1 draw. Shire have also been in good form of late, winning three games in the space of a week before impressing in a 3-1 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.
The teams are level on points in Division Three as the final quarter of the season gets under way and a home win would be the perfect end to a busy spell of nine matches in 29 days.
McDonald, who will be without suspended defender Gary Thomow, said: “It was obviously disappointing to see our seven-match unbeaten run come to an end, particularly given the effort we had put into the game and with the goal coming from a deflected free-kick in the last few minutes.
“Sam Filler made a great save from a penalty early on and, despite not playing our best, I thought we were looking good for at least a point.
“I really felt for the players and the supporters who made the journey because once again the guys put in a phenomenal shift. Unfortunately, unlike at Elgin last weekend, there was no reward this time.
“The squad should be proud of what they have done over the last few weeks. To play so many games in such a short space of time and to rack up four wins and three draws is a great effort and a real testament to their fitness. The level of performance has also been excellent and we can’t speak highly enough of them.
“We are yet to get the better of our local rivals this season and are determined to put that right. The red cards for Scott Davidson and Gary Thom were big turning points in the away games. We got our noses in front when the teams met here last month but allowed Shire back into it.”
Albion have not lost at home to East Stirlingshire since August 1985, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Annfield on the opening day of the season.
Admission prices for tomorrow’s game are £10 for adults, £7 for seniors/students and £5 for U16s. Kick-off is 3pm and the referee is Mat Northcroft.
Tickets for Stirling Albion’s game against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday, March 23, live on ESPN at noon, are on sale from the club office at Forthbank. Prices are £17 for adults, £13 concessions and £5 for U16s. They will also be available before the game with East Stirlingshire.
Stirling Albion Lotto numbers this week are 3,18, 29 and 39. There was no jackpot winner so next week’s jackpot is £13,500. Three three-number winners get £83.33 each.
