Good win for Stirling and a decent performance, although we made it much harder than it needed to be for ourselves towards the end. Stirling started slowly and after 5 mins or so ex-Stirling Dougie Wilson collected a slack pass and hit a cracking shot into the net from 25 yards. We got back into it quickly with a long range effort of our own from Andy Graham and soon took the lead courtesy of Ian Harty.

For most of the rest of the half Stirling were playing good passing football and creating a few chances, one of which was scored by Liam Corr, his first for the club. Alloa came right back into it in the last 5 mins and got a second with a tap in after poor defending at a corner.

The second half started with Albion creating a few good chances and having a couple of penalty shouts turned down (personally I thought neither was a penalty, but others said the Alloa defender didn't get the ball when he challenged Grehan). Alloa came back into it again and the next 15 mins or so produced some good football from both sides (mainly Alloa to be fair). Alloa gradually asserted control and the last quarter saw them camped in the Albion half as we shut up shop far too early.

Although they didn't create much of note the Albion fans were relieved when the ref finally ended the match after 5 mins of stoppages.

Overall, it was a good attacking perfmance by Albion for much of the game but we were let down by some poor defending and we sat far too far back in the last quarter. Ok, it was good enough for the win against Alloa, but a better team would surely have created better chances and equalised with all the possession and territory.

Good first half but Moore got way too negative in the second period. That said Alloa didn't look like equalising and on the first half alone we probably just about deserved the win. Cracking goal from Jinky but after that Martin Grehan marked him out of the game. Referee was pish and I can only assume he was related to John Grant after letting him away with trips, elbows and shirt tugs before even speaking to him. On today's evidence neither side is likely to require champagne on ice come May

Referee was born in Annfield House. How else can you justify his biszarre decisions? Dougie Hill put in a perfect tackle which resulted in a booking and a free kick which led to an Albion goal.
We were poor today. Our midfield never started and the defence gifted the three goals. Never mind neither team are going down or up on today's showing.

Also am I allowed a rant

I didn't get a programme today as they were being sold outside the ground. Last time they were being sold inside the ground. Where is the consistency? (If anybody can provide me with a programme send it tio the IT department at Greenfield, Alloa thanks). Also why don't you sell 50/50 draw tickets in the away stand. I would have bought one,so would my mate and probably many other Alloa fans.

Alloa did get some strange decisions against them today, but I think you are being unfair on the referee. He showed an even handed level of incompetence all afternoon. For every bad decision against Alloa he did even things up with one against the Albion. Being kind, perhaps he was embarrassed by that terrible kit the officials have to wear these days.

As far as the goals are concerned, we did get two deflections but neither of Alloa's goals were the result of skillful attacking football, a misplaced pass in our half and inability to clear the ball in the 6 yard box indicate another two defensive errors for your goals.

A pretty so-so performance from the wasps today, we were poor in the first half and once again gave away sloppy goals, particularly the 3rd. I thought the Albion had a couple of good performers, No.2, No.7 and Harty caused our defence quite a few problems. As for us, no-one really had a good game, Jamie & Jinky were kept relatively quiet by a fairly robust Binos midfield and with a lack of pace up front most of our efforts were long range.

The ref was rotten, but probably equally bad for both sides although he did seem reluctant to book any of the Albion players who continually looked to break up the play with little trips and pushes in the 2nd half.

Anyway, we are not going to emulate last season's forth spot finish, I thought todays first eleven was near to being our best eleven (maybe the exception of Kyle starting instead of Graeme) and we still didn't have enough to win the game. Mid-lower table at best for us the season I'm afraid.

First of all - fair play to the binos. They wanted it much more than we did.

Sad to say but this seems to be a recurring theme. Have to say that I thought we we started ok for the first 10 mins but after that we were hopeless. Absolutely sh*te defending, weak midfield play and up front well the less said the better. Hard to give anyone pass marks - maybe the 2 Dougies. All the rest were well below par in my opinion.

Is Maitland the man to take us forward? For the first time I'm questioning this seriously.


Both teams are pretty poor IMO. Neither of us will bother the top half on todays showing.

Thought Alloa were garbage today, really dissapointed by that performance. Perfect start with an excellent strike by Jinky but thereafter our players seemed strangely subdued and Stirling won all the 50/50 balls and really dominated midfield in the first half. We were a bit unfortunate to concede two deflected goals but in the case of the second in particular we asked for it by failing to clear the ball despite 3 or 4 chances to do so. Similar with Stirling's third goal. Mind you Id imagine the Binos would also have been pretty unimpressed by their own defending for our 2nd goal with Andy Ferguson totally unmarked at the back post following a corner.

Second half the team at least put in a decent effort and had most of the possesion but there was no real cohesion or creative spark and it looked like a load of individuals rather than a team pulling together. A lack of confidence and some real basic errors. We probably merited a point on the balance of play but hard to complain about losing when the performance was so poor. The team 1-11 today looked decent on paper but the performance, and the league record so far this season, is unacceptable. The manager must sort it out soon.

As for our neighbours I thought they played at a good tempo in the first half and reacted very well to going behind so early. The young lad Corr had a fine game and was unlucky not to score what would have been another very good goal in the second half, looks a good prospect.

As for the ref I thought his performance was bizarre, dont know where the SFA find these guys .

Have to say very level headed responses from everyone here.

Both times played ok, I feel to be honest we probbaly edged the game but a draw may have been a fair result. Poor defending rather than glorious attacking play was my take on the game, although Jinky and Liam's (apparently) goals were well taken.

Officials were embarrassing, they had no idea the concept of advantage, twice for the Binos first half and three or four occasions second half, including one where it appeared it was a 4 on 3 coutner attack which he pulled back.

Dissapointing crowd, but there is no surprise.

We will take the 3 points and move on. As other have stated, i suspect neither team will affect either the top or bottom half of the league table this year.

ps, as regards to 'roboust midfield' - Our midfield was so lightweight it was embarrassing today, i personally felt it was the weak link in our overall performance, and they were far from roboust. A tiny winger, two 5 foot 9 centre midfielders both of who stuggle to defend and a centre forward on the other wing.

Feel free to rant away PC but it won't do any good.

Away from the playing side the Club couldn't run a piss up in a brewery.

I'm certain an Albion Fan on here will be able to get you a Programme.

The reason there were no 50/50 sellers in the away stand was probably because the Club have progressively pissed volunteers off with their shambolic organisation.

Think yourself lucky you only have to come to Fawlty Forthbank twice a season.

Great to win today, always good to beat these tinks

I actually thought Alloa were the better side in the 2nd half, but we hung on, despite the ref playing, and this is confirmed, SEVEN minutes injury time. SEVEN????

Jessuz.

Well, Waspie, we've beat you again. Nae luck, eh?

I made it 4 minutes at the most.

between 4-5 mins of injury time was played.

A reminder to all that highlights of the match will be on the Stirling Albion Official Website from 5pm on Sunday.

Are you one of the volunteer programme sellers that the club has pissed off?

Second half must have kicked off well after 4pm then.

Nope but I did do the 50/50 tickets in the away stand for a while (without taking advantage of the free entrance on offer) until I got a row one week for allegedly* not letting the Club know I wasn't available!!

*I had advised them but thanks to their magnificent internal administrative structure the message "got lost".

Has the Club pissed off the programme sellers?

Second half kicked of at 4:01 and 33 secs on my watch.

The referee blew for full time at 4:51 (sorry didn't note the seconds ).

Personally I feel the added on time was pretty much justified with the injury to Hogarth and our "poncing about" during the last ten minutes.

I did note the seconds and it was almost exactly 5 minutes stoppage time!

We were poor in the first half but at least showed some fight to get the second.

Although we still aren't playing well as a team, it was good to see that Allan Maitland sorted out the defence for the second half with Chris Townsley winning far more ball. We were going forward better in the second half too with fewer long balls that were just food and drink to the Binos defence in the first.

Impressed by the Binos front line and the big winger, no 11.

The Video Highlights of this match are now on The Stirling Albion Official Website

This has got me thinking. Does anyone own a digital watch anymore, they were all the rage in the 80's when I was still at school and I think I even had one. Can't remember if it did the seconds though
I have an analouge watch now which is useless at the football.
Should we have a campaign to bring back digital watches, or even install a digital clock on top of the gazebo at the recs?

I hate analogue watches but digital watches are seen as a bit 'down market' or for kids or sport. Much as I don't like following fashions, I always get watches which have a dual display. Analogue for show, digital so I can tell the time.

You're a timex in a digital age

We made a great start, with a great strike from Jinky for his goal, before falling out of the game until the dieing minutes of the first half by which time we had conceded three goals. Thankfully Andy Ferguson was able to pull one back after Stirling failed to deal with a corner. Second half Stirling started brightly and were unlucky not to score before we took over possession and huffed and puffed without ever really looking like scoring.

The most worrying thing about that performance is it had all the weaknesses of last season, poor defending, no cover for the defence from midfield, and a lack of pace from the strikers plus an all new weakness of unbalancing the team by not signing a left sided midfielder. I think we've got some good players in that team - Jamie, Jinky, Andy and Brown Ferguson, Dougie Hill, Jelly and Kyle MacAuley but at the moment we're struggling to mould them into a team.

All in all that was pretty poor game and one we can't complain too much about losing given that we created so few chances. Things have to start improving soon.