Probably a fair result over the 90. Thought we deserved to be ahead and for few minutes it appeared as if the Fifers were out of ideas. Stirling should have had a penalty when Harty was barged in the back following a fankle in the visiting defence but the officials bottled it. Once they equalised East Fife possibly had the better chances and on another day may have sneaked it. Thought both teams were out of sorts and neither will be anywhere near the top on that evidence.

Reasonably good game today, and a draw is probably the fairest result, as both teams had their chances.

East Fife started the stronger of the two but we came back into it well, and when the goal came it was deserved.

As always though the footballing Gods tend to conspire against us, and minutes after being denied an absolute stonewall penalty when Harty was clearly fouled by the goalkeeper, East Fife ran up the pitch and scored the equaliser.

The officials today were atrocious, particularly the home stand side linesman who clearly doesn't understand the offside rule, and did their best to ruin what was otherwise a decent game.

A point better than nothing then, but had we got the penalty and scored at 1-0, I don't think EF would have come back from that.

That was as clearcut a penalty as you're likely to see, travesty it wasnt given. Also, the fifer scum were up to their old tricks, manhandling the opposition with impunity.

1-1 was probably fair overall though, East Fife started stronger, but ran out of legs. Stirling finished strongly, and I was disappointed they never got the winner.

Hey XBL...were you at the game with a bloke wearing a Blackburn top ? If you were then the rumours of your resemblance to a slightly overweight Ivan Campo appear to be true

Just slightly overweight??

And aye, that was me, were you nearby?

Agree it was a fair result in the end, but EF were certainly the better team in the first quarter. We gradually got into the game and started creating a few chances. The penalty incident was a shocker - admittedly I didn't have the best view but it looked a stonewaller and a sending off for the goalie. In fact the officials were poor for most the match. The ref gave us 4 bookings (I think) of which only 1 was deserved - if he was being consistent anyway.

East Fife looked reasonable going forward but the final ball was poor and they didn't create many chances - a better team would have scored 2 or 3 against our shaky defence. Once we got into the game we did quite well attack-wise but just couldn't get a sustained period of pressure going.

Overall, a fairly entertaining match but not the best quality. As Redweb says, it's hard to see either team challenging for the title.

Compared to our last few performances, that was a huge improvement. Hopefully it will help our players' confidence. We had so many chances towards the end of the game that I think most Fife fans will have come away a wee bit dissapointed.

He wasn't that bad. There were a couple of decisions that the crowd went mental at that he got spot on.

The ref cost us 2 points with his non-decision. It was a clear penalty and red card. Would have been undeserved as East Fife were the better team. We were pretty poor today.

Redweb is omnipotent.

Today's Ref was impotent.

He was shocking. He might as well have scored your goal for you. I reckon he was bad for both teams but I really only paid attention to our injustices. He was incredibly inconsistent.

All said tho, I enjoyed the game and was relieved that a real East Fife team turned up today. More of the same (slightly better if they can) and we should be ok.

beast fife r still crap

I was talking about the home stand linesman, not the ref.

If that's the real East Fife, then you're not very good. Granted we're no particularly great either, but I expected that and didn't spunk away backing us to win the league

For all the money that's being spent, that was a pretty poor showing. Other than a tip over at the beginning of the match and the shot right down his throat at the end from Linn, I can't remember Hogarth having to do much.

The ref had one big decision to make in the match and got it hopelessly wrong even when there wasn't much of a decision to be made. Two minutes later it's 1-1.

I also saw xbl... I believe Benni McCarthy was his player of choice?

He made a bad decision prior to that to make it 1-0.

If you had to sit and watch the dross that was served up on Wednesday you would understand me heaping some praise on our players. If we play like that every week, we will at the very least survive in Division 2 which has always been my ultimate goal (regardless of how much money has been spent). I think today that Baikie is as close as dammit to his starting 11. I would rather it was sussed out a few weeks ago but hey, it's a marathon etc etc!

I was much happier with the team selection today. Stanic and Cameron swapping positions with Young and Stewart in the middle. Over the game, I thought we were slightly the better team but a draw was a fair enough result.

I agree with whoever said it was our final ball that was letting us down, some of the crosses into the box were shocking although they did get better at the end. It was dissapointing too to lose Tweed so early. That's three corners we've conceded in the past two games with Tweed missing. Hope he's back next week.

Overall, a better performance, better line-up, a decent enough point and something to build on. I can't see Stirling bothering the top 4 but the same goes for us without further improvement.

Also, I didn't think the McCulloch/Harty incident was a penalty at all. The ref was pretty poor though.

Click to view attachment

Explain what happened then.

Ahem....... almost as clear cut as the penalty we should have had up in Peterhead today!?

2 Points dropped today, good game to watch though

It certainly wasn't a stonewaller. There was obviously a bit of a push but things like that are not given all the time by any means. You guys seem pretty adamant about this, maybe you had a better view of it. I didn't expect a penalty and I wouldn't be raging if a decision like wasn't given to us if the positions were reversed.

It was nowhere near a 50/50 ball and if there was no push, Harty would have got the ball and almost certainly scored. Should have been a penalty and sending off.

Therefore it's a penalty. And as Harty would have had an open goal had he not been pushed, it should have been a red card. The ref knew this, and he bottled it.

Disappointing Gordon.

You've instantly crumbled from a "That wasn't a penalty" stance to an "It wasn't a stonewaller" stance.

Followed by a "There was obviously a bit of a push" admission.

Another couple of posts and we can throw away the key.

What exactly would I get out of coming on here and blindly defending the ref's decision when I actually thought it was a penalty?

When I saw it, I didn't think it was worthy of a penalty, that's all I can say. It was one of these ones that might be given, it might not. So what? We were unlucky that Tweed and Linn got injured (all by themselves I might add), that might have swung the game in our favour. It was a draw and it was a fair result.

"was one of these ones that might be given, it might not"

Have a field day with that one Phoenix!

Truce!

A draw was a fair result.

BTW - Great turn out at the Cricket Club before the game from the EF Faithful.

Cheers Lads (and Lasses)!

Were East Fife employing their usual tactics of "passing is illegal, punt it"?

No

When do you guys have the highlights up on the Stirling site ? (Great service by the way -wish we had it)

http://www.stirlingalbionfc.co.uk/webcasts/index.htm

Tomorrow tea time, I think - SFA restrictions.

Have to say I am very surprised that any Binos fan thinks they were the better team. We should & probably could have been 3 up before Albion even crossed the halfway line. Granted the last 10 of the first half & a ten minute spell in the 2nd they looked on to be on the up but we had the chnces to win in the last 15 mins.
I have to say we were lucky not to concede the penalty, Willie def put his body between Harty & the ball but it would have been soft.
Big improvement and the promise there IS more to come from EF, once the forwards link we'll be fine

...

Hows Goran been playing

Very dissapointing in the first 3 games when he was deployed at left midfield but much better today when playing left back. I expect a lot more from him in the future in his correct position.

Good away result today for the Fife against one of the favourites which should steady the ship and calm the nerves.

I don't see today's result as being good or bad. I don't think Stirling will be up there challenging but given the last couple of results and it being away from home it's a decent result. If I had to score it out of 3, I'd say it was a 1.

More happy about Baikie changing the team around.

If you had lost today there would probably have been an air of crisis at New Bayview

Definitely.

If we had lost today there would have been an air of despondency at Forthbank.

It must have been an exciting game with the stakes so high for both clubs

LEFT MIDFIELD!! no no no doest have the legs for those sort of capers, leave him at left back and he will be your player of the year.

2/1 favourites pre season, you have to laugh, ill slice aff my bawsack if the Fife win the league.

I can't see us doing that, but can I quote you on your promise if we do???

In 1900 my great-grandad said he'd slice off his bawsack if Arbroath ever won a league. He still has his bawsack intact.

And does it still work fine?

You'd have to ask him.

Due to a variety of reasons todays game was my first view of Stirling this season and like many have said before me, they didn't impress. I was expecting something from East Fife as usually the team coming up has a real go in the first 4 or 5 games then starts to fade, but I felt there was very little from their display today.
I think the vast majority of Stirling fans know we will be at best 5th or 6th this season, unless we find some decent players before the end of August and if I am honest there is more chance of me wearing my red and white scarf at Old Trafford than Stirling signing a few decent players before the end of August.
The penalty decision was a turning point, had we got it and possibly went 2-0 up, we probably would have gone on to win the game, but as we all know the referee bottled it and as is usual in those situations, we lost a goal not long afterwards.
I liked Grehan and was surprised he was subbed, then I was informed he appeared to be injured.
Taggart played well and if he can just get that great final ball, he would make a great player for Stirling this season.
Wasn't impressed by any East Fife player, the bloke Cameron was lucky to stay on the field and certainly annoyed a lot of Stirling fans, who appeared to think he was a chap called Fotheringham!
Dreadful day for the home side linesman, not sure what he was up to, but he really had a stinker.
Going to be a long hard season for both clubs I think, with Stirling perhaps just having enough to stay up, whilst East Fife fight hard to survive.

I'll pass on that one - I was hoping you'd save me the bother as you seemed to know

Actually, I was once told somewhat similar 'if..then' story by a Methil old timer:

Its believed that the statue of the soldier as you pass thru Denbeath lifts its rifle and fires a shot into the air if a local virgin over the age of 15 passes by it.

He told me the story but, unfortunately for you, he dosen't give me regular updates on his scrotal well-being.

Wouldn't know about the other thing. I'm a lino-licker.