I can safely say that's our worst league performance in years. Really really disappointing.

Did we deserve to win?

Yes, but Queens were poor. We were diabolical.

Yes, although we started well and went downhill when Cramb was taken off (dropped by the stretcher carriers!). The penalty was a stick-on despite the protestations of the Queens fans.

From there we went downhill. Hogarth had an absolute nightmare for Queens' first although was relatively untested despite QotS pressure until half-time. I felt we started the second half fairly well actually with David McKenna lobbing just over and I'm sure we had another half opening. Anyway, the 2nd Queens goal came from a breakaway from which we should have had an effort on goal from and failed. The Doonhamers broke, won a foul on the right. Free-kick was easily dealt with but the clearing header was poor. Fell to Tosh who volleyed home as sweet a goal as will be scored in Britain today.

From there we were shambolic although Bell did hit the post. Penalty at the end in reflection was the correct decision although I was dubious at the time.

My match report makes the game sound much closer than it was due to my forgetfulness when it comes to Queens' chances. I remember Dobbie had a miss to rival Darcheville after the 2nd and Hogarth redeemed himself a little with a good save

I'm going to try not to read this thread again as it will no doubt remind me of 2 of the most depressing hours of the year.

On a slightly more depressing note for Stirling fans - the league table does not make good reading. Anything less than a win next week and we are in severe trouble. We could be effectively down by the end of the festive period unless we pull our fingers out.

Let's not kid ourselves on - we are down now.

We've won just ONE game all season! Where are the points going to come from to close the gap.

Time for Moore to go methinks.

January 2nd - Morton (h)
Happy to help.

A poor game from a football point of view.Very little good possession football from either side and the ball spending too much time on the air.
The penalty was a penalty.The challenge from Harris was rash and worse still it was not needed as there was no direct threat to the Queens goal.
Tosh scored a great goal but could have cost us a goal two minutes before when he was caught dithering on the ball in midfield and left us completely exposed at the back.
Pleased with the result but the performance left a lot to be desired.

Outplayed us in all areas of the park, but didn't look as dangerous up front as most teams in the league I thought.

Great goal by Tosh to give you the lead, but might have (unluckily) had to settle for a point if it hadn't gone in.

I was hoping we could build on this result but it sounds like another false dawn.

Can we trust Chisholm to make decent signings in the window?

And despite our good showing against Livi today, you could still be in with a shout next Saturday. Though I feel a bit more confident about us staying up tonight.

We'd have to improve massively. We are leaking goals all over the place at the moment - 14 in 4 games. Queens almost doubled their away goals tally today.

First game for a few weeks and quite frankly Stirling Albion were a disgrace to their fans. It cost me £30 today and I don't think anyone would claim today was value for money, it was dire very dire.
Stirling are not going to get off the bottom of the league on this and other showings I have witnessed this season, players like Aitken, Hay, Forysth, Hogarth, Harris & Easton look completely out of their depth and at times today Easton, Aitken & Forsyth were embarrassing.
I'm now aware that Forsyth may have been unwell today and only played due to the lack of players, that said he has been pants every time I have seen him.
Cramb's injury changed the game, any news on him?
The QoS 2nd goal was a cracker, full marks for Tosh for that goal.
Why are all the Albion players about 10 - 11 stone, 5 foot 9 inches (except Graham) and not very physically strong, do they possess any physically strong players?
Thought Stirling Albion players would give 100% at all the games this season and that this would make up for the lack of ability, sharpness and general fitness, sadly once again many (if not all) of them failed.

Hopefully a win like we had today will kickstart our season , a point next week at the pars would make for a better christmas.

Thought what was comfortably the better side won the game as they deserved too. I realise Albion were down a few players whilst we were only down two long term injuries but there was a clear gap between the sides on the park at least.

Think it's harsh to say as one Albion fan above did that we were poor. We've played better this season (we played much better in a 0-0 draw a fortnight ago) but we did okay and it would have been a very rough justice if we hadn't won.

We could have been up early as Graham forced a fine save from his own keeper and O'Connor wasn't alert enough to get the rebound.

Personally I thought the penalty we had given against us was unbelieveably harsh. Cramb appeared to get a bad injury as he landed but that was unfortunate. I couldn't see a foul in it. Harris jumped higher, arms by his sides and won the ball cleanly. Cramb didn't really jump high at all and made it look far more than it was. I couldn't believe he gave a penalty for it though given his showing for the rest of the game I shouldn't have been surprised. Certainly Aitken gave MacDonald no chance with the spot kick.

Could have gone to pieces then but didn't. Hogarth was a bit lucky. I've seen keepers sent off for that and indeed less. He DID catch it in the box but he was well out of his box when he dropped the ball and I think he knew fine well both where he was and in catching it rather than chesting or kicking away that he was going to go out. I'd probably be a lot more annoyed he got away with it if we hadn't actually equalised from the free kick. People can talk about Dobbie's lack of movement all they want but when there's a goal to be had in the box he moves alright. Loose ball in the box and he was first there for 1-1.

Next hour turned into the Scott McDonald show as he booked players from both sides all over the place for precious little to be honest. For a time it was every foul's a booking! Eight bookings and only Hogarth (who deserved more) and Gilmour, whose tackle was a bad one, probably deserved it.

McKenna almost nicked a goal for Albion against the run of play but having got away with it we took the lead with a screamer from Tosh as a free kick wasn't headed far enough clear. What a hit!

To their credit Albion started throwing bodies forward after an equaliser though apart from a Bell shot that hit the outside of the post and was never looking like going in they didn't actually get very close to one. The bigger result was we had chance after chance in the closing spell. Dobbie missed a sitter from six yards set up by O'Connor (who was being fouled in the box as he set it up) and then Hogarth pulled off a fine save from O'Neill before Bingham's first touch on as sub was to run onto an O'Connor pass and get pulled down in the box for his troubles. Looked a stonewall award to me? O'Neill duly added to his penalty tally anyway with his first goal of the season.

Good result, decent performance, decent gap to 10th and even 9th now and in touch with Morton and Livi again for now. Good day.

Not bad for a pub team

Again I thought the keeper should have walked. It was a deblirate action to handle outside the box and he knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. Although there were two defenders bahind O'Conner he had a clean run through on goal and to me he denied a goal scoring chance

The important thing about today was getting three points. Think how much worse the league would have looked had we drawn or lost.

A much better game than week but still a tendancy to play the ball too much in air. We are better playing to feet than head tennis or expecting Dobbie to get on end of O'conner flicks.

I thought Harris was rash with challenge on Cramb. He appeared to climb all over the back of the forward and was a set on pen. Thought keeper should have walked for handball.

Burns made a huge differnce to midfield. He was always a willing runner, willing to take on a defender and get a cross/shot in or take and play a simple ball. At times he switched with Tosh and played more centrally.

Goal by Tosh was as sweet as you will see all season. Like most weeks we then started to sit too deep. Too many players wanting to defend in penalty box and leaving acres of space just outside box for Stirling to explore. Fortunatly this week we didn't lose a goal but could have. Was it an inspired change by Chisholm. First play after Bingham came on he was on end of a O'conner through ball and with one touch he waited until he was inside the box and took the challeng. O'neil made no mistake from the spot.

Well deserved 3 points today. Screamer from Tosh. Well played the pub team

It is now beyond an absolute fucking joke.

Chisholm must go!

I didn't think we played as well as we did against Clyde or indeed against Thistle in the first half last week.
I'm fairly sure some of the bookings were not for the fouls but for the reaction(mouthing)of the players booked.I thought the booking of Scally was for dissent.The Ref gave the foul and was ready to move on when took exception to what Scally said to him.
I thought both linesmen were poor in terms of offside decisions.The one in front of the home stand gave one decision apparently thinking the ball to be passed forward - it wasn't but he kept his flag up anyway.The other one gave a decision against Dobbie when he was just inside the Queens half when the ball was played.

I have to say in all honesty I don't think ANY of them were for dissent. He certainly wasn't interested in producing his book when a couple of times Stirling players very obviously kicked the ball away in protest at decisions. It just appears to be his style to want to pull players away and have them walk to him before he goes to his pocket.

Thank Gawd for the 3 points

Can someone please explain the relevance of 12 year old fanzine quote ? We have played QOS several times since then and it's not even remotely interesting or relevant any more to anyone except you. Time to give it a rest. You were a pub team in 1995/96...you're not now..I'm sure even big Steve would agree

As for the game...we were crap and I'm starting to get irritated losing to teams who are nothing special. Bring on the East Fife.

We are definitely not a 'pub team'.
The fact that we often play like one has disguised our real quality very successfully.

Hopefully it's starting to irritate you as much as it irritated us at the time. It certainly appears to be.

Aye...whatever peels yer onions

Progress indeed. From a pub team to one that is nothing special. Mind you, correct on both counts TBH

Never made today and missed my 1st game for years due to lack of funds trully gutted. Heard we outclassed Stirling and desevred win delighted thoroughly bring on the pars. Tosh is a hero

a result which merely papers over the cracks. it was a good result and was desperately needed but a long hard season beckons

You're maybe not far wrong mate. We were absolutely horrific today although you did look better than the Clyde team that beat us.

SD, I have to say I thought the penalty we got was a stonewaller. The defender completely flattened Cramb, who never really got a chance to jump. I know he buys a lot of free-kicks that way but that seemed a very obvious penalty to me. Not entirely sure how he could have sustained ligament damage had he not left the ground. Not that it matters; as you say the better team won

Can you stay away for the rest of the season Twynholm please? Are you playing against Dunfermline supporters next week?

I never said he didn't leave the ground. He did. He certainly didn't sustain ligament damage in the challenge either way. He got it in landing which has hee haw to do with whether or not it was a foul.

For me Harris wanted the ball more, climbed higher for it, headed it cleanly above Cramb with his arms by his sides. I thought it was unbelievably harsh at the time and still do. To be fair plenty of Queens fans on here have said they thought it WAS a penalty. I was at the wrong end of the stand to be honest to be right in front of it but I still thought I had a fairly good view. Fortunately in the end it doesn't really matter as you say except to Cramb who hopefully won't be out too long.

Harris ironically didn't get booked for it which was odd when you consider just about everyone else was for any other foul awarded. He will however miss the next two games through suspension anyway thanks to going over the points threshhold v Thistle last week so McQuilken will be back in for the Dunfermline and Dundee games.

Utter, utter pish yesterday.

I can sense Drifter's happiness from here, as he clearly hates Albion. Been wondering why for a while. But it's obvious he's still irked by a stupid comment made by a former player in another centrury. Sad really, from someone who comes across as pretty intelligent, but there you are.

Anyway, the game. Jeez. Our two worst performances this season have been yesterday and at home to Clyde. Unbelievable. We're gettting no breaks at all this year, and the lack of a midfield, the excellent Stevie Bell excepted, points to us going straight back down.

Oh, that, and McKenna's stopped scoring, and now looks like the awful player we saw in pre-season. And Cramb's out for at least 6 weeks. What a great day.

I would but i just couldnt face it, Yesterday was utter agony went shoppin with pals and all i did was talk on the fone getting updates or listen to radio although celebrating Dobbies goal in Tesco was sweet must have had the whole of Tesco looking at me No im not getting the 10am bus up big of a nightmare to get there for 7.30 bus im afraid and my footballing abilites are well questionable. Are you playing out of interest?

I'm happy we won, and deserved to. No more than that. I'm no happier than if we'd beaten Hamilton, Dundee, Morton, Partick, St Johnstone, Clyde, Dunfermline or Livingston and the bottom team had lost elsewhere, whoever they might have been.

It both amuses me and bemuses me constantly in equal measures as to what exactly it is that makes you and your alter ego Mr Clements think I have some issue with Stirling Albion. Apparently it stems from the use of a 12 year old quote from Steve McCormick (which isn't unique to me and I wasn't the first to use it this week. You admit you actively promoted it when it was made so don't come over all precious when it's thrown back at you, such is football banter), the fact that I described you as "pish" at Gretna in a 6-0 defeat a couple of years ago I took in as a "neutral" (though hoping you won actually but don't let that get in the way of your agenda) when in fact you were "pish" and the fact I wanted Airdrie to win the playoff last season, sat in the Airdrie end and had the temerity to criticise some of your players for diving and time-wasting when they were in fact diving and time wasting.

Presumably should we happen to beat Albion again in either of the next two meeting I should avoid posting as any suggestion of happiness would just add fuel to the Stewarty Mac / Paul C "SD hates Stirling Albion" campaign!

I can also no doubt expect a pile of "Get it right up you SD" posts if you beat us.

For what it's worth, whilst I thought the better team undeniably won the game and your penalty was harsh, I also thought Albion knocked the ball about quite well at times and aren't the worst side we've faced this season. Clearly there's a lack of genuine quality in the side that's only to be expected. You're the only part-time side in this division and don't have the funds to attract top standard players in division terms. There but for the grace of God go we. You can only hope to compete by working as a team and playing to your strengths. I think you do that. You grabbed a draw at palmerston doing it and if McKenna scores yesterday at 1-1 when he lobbed over from inside the six yard box who knows what happens? Or if Bell's shot goes in instead of hitting the post you probably get a draw. You don't look terribly likely to win a lot of games though and you need to find that ability from somewhere soon or the gap to the rest will be too big.

Twynholm, yer footballing skills are not simply questionable...more non existant .

Yeah i'm playin, although i never played in the last game against eastriggs, so i might have to be content with a place on the bench and come on and run riot! Hopefully we can grab a double win, stay undefeated and have a fantastic day out! I'm going for a night out in glasgow after it so i can't wait! C'mon the Queens!

Life's a b*****d, isn't it - shite at football and turned down for Mastermind.

Nice i will be a good day out and hoping "we" can do the double



Oh the irony

Hats off to you mate. Good of you to start pre-planning and thinking about next season already.

Now, just to assist you, to East Fife you can add Peterhead, Cowdenbeath, Ayr, Airdrie etc. etc.

Hopefully that list will include the pishy Pars but not us!!

Happy with the result, I am just going to comment on the talking points.

There penalty, I thought it was never a penalty as Harris just jumped higher and won a clean header from where I was.

Hogarth should have walked.

Tosh took his goal very well.

Good to see Johnjo back on pens, yes I know Dobbie had just went off but still good to see.

The ref seemed to miss about 6 handballs from either side, he was rotten.

Harris and Burns for men of the match, for youthful exuperance.

Why?

It was neither a clear goalscoring opportunity nor deliberate handball as he actively tried to get to get rid of it as soon as he knew he was outside the box, he was just a tad slow. In my opinion, it was obviously a free kick, but it didn't even merit a yellow card, never mind a red.

With McDonald as the ref though, anything could have happened.

What an ego you have Sir...please don't over inflate yer own irrelevance

Well spotted! Just as well I checked all the thread before coming on, as I was going to mention this.Nobody else appears to have picked up on it ("it" being something that generally merits a yellow card.)
Regarding the main talking points.Penalty was a joke ,NO WAY.You (SD) saw it the same as most and you were sitting not that far behind me.
Tosh....What a "belter", goal of the season so far.
Dobbies miss...Taking lessons from Sean?
Our penalty....Just a bit of clumsiness from the bino man,as Bingo was taking/had pushed the ball away from goal at the time.John O'Neill just icing the cake.
Stirling should have had a second half penalty as well.
Stirling were poor,we were better without needing to be great and we thoroughly deserved to win.
Smallest away league crowd for a while was the only wee disappointment.
Oh,and the referee was a tool!!

Was our potential 2nd half pen when Wee Nathan Taggart went down in the box and got booked?He falls over alot but isn't rea;;y much of a diver. The fact he kept ptostesting makes me think their might have been something in it, but I couldn't really say at the time.

Tosh is now our penalty taker unless O'Neill is on the park. Dobbie isn't on them any more.


All about opinions of course but I thought he knew fine well what he was doing when he caught it. He DID catch it in the box but he knew he couldn't stop without carrying it outside the box and did it anyway since O'Connor was bearing down on him. He could have opted to chest it or volley it away and didn't. I think he was very lucky. I've seen keepers sent off for less.


What's the phrase again? Oh aye, "whatever peels yer onions" I think it was.

I didn't think it was a red card because there were two defenders there to potentially alleviate any further problems plus the ball was bouncing and would by no means have been a simple finish even if O'Connor, who I was impressed with in general, had got to the ball first. It was still rubbish goalkeeping.

On the Taggart penalty appeal, my first instinct was, when McDonald blew for the foul, it was a penalty. The two defenders seemed to sandwich the wee man and it seemed entirely plausable to me that his foot may have been tangled. We're never likely to get 2 penalties in one game though, particularly as the first was the variety you only see given 70% of the time (even if it was, in my eyes, a stick-on).

Thought the Stirling penalty was harsh, but frankly without a replay I can't be sure..... Harris definitely got there first, and he didn't use his arms, but if he goes over the guy before the guy can jump, I can see why the ref would give a penalty.
I didn't expect the Stirling goalie would be sent off, it was obviously a foul but it was a bit short of a clearcut goalscoring opportunity.
I was very pleased with Burns today, slightly surprised he went off, maybe he wasn't wholly fit.
I was also pleased and surprised with some of Dobbie's movement in the second half, had he been injected with something at half time?
I thought we always looked the likelier to win, but nearing the end I was expecting a rerun of the 2-2 at Palmerston, complete with late Stirling equaliser as we sat too far back. However, we did try to go out and kill it, and for once successfully.
Very needed three points. We need at least a draw next week, and I'll begin to feel slightly more confident.

Yes, thats the kind of thing I should know!

Get a room!