Stenhousemuir 4 Stirling 5
Albion edged a nine-goal thriller at Ochilview as we recovered from a 2-1 half-time deficit to claim our first win in League 1 in dramatic fashion.
Bryan Hodge and Sean Dickson scored either side of a Craig Wedderburn header but top scorer Gordon Smith equalised and Sandy Cunningham gave us the lead two minutes later.
Darren Lee Smith made it 4-2 and Gordon Smith got the fifth after Hodge pulled one back. Martin Grehan’s last-minute strike gave Stenny hope but we held on for a memorable victory.
Goalkeeper Greg Paterson returned to the side and there was a first start of the season for skipper Darren Smith as Callum Reidford and Willie Robertson dropped to the bench.
This was the first league meeting between the sides since 2011/12, when we suffered a pair of 4-0 defeats on the plastic pitch, but it was a different story this time.
Scott Booth’s side were the better team in the first half but four Stirling goals in an incredible 15-minute spell after the break turned the game around.
Hodge opened the scoring in 16 minutes when we failed to clear our lines and he found the net with a low shot but Wedderburn headed the equaliser from a Craig Comrie corner.
The Warriors were back in front when Dickson lashed a 30-yarder up and over Paterson and Josh Watt should have added a third goal but fired wide.
Within 10 minutes of the restart we were in front. Gordon Smith made it 2-2 when he steered the ball into the net after Greg Fleming had been forced to rush from his goal to challenge Cunningham.
Then the teenage striker got on the mark himself, turning the ball home from close range after Darren Lee Smith had driven it across goal.
It was soon 4-2. Graham Weir forced a good stop from Fleming and Darren Lee Smith latched on to the rebound, with the stand-side assistant ruling it had crossed the line before being cleared.
Hodge pulled one back when he coolly converted after his initial effort came back off the post but Darren Smith then sent Gordon Smith clear and he rounded the keeper to net his sixth goal of the season.
Grehan’s last-minute effort was helped into the net by Comrie as he attempted to clear but we survived the three minutes of stoppage time to come out on top in a goal-laden game and head for Airdrie next Saturday on a high.
Stenhousemuir: Fleming, Meechan, Lithgow, McMillan, Summers, Hodge, Reid (R Millar 66), Faulds, Grehan, Dickson (Sludden 78), Watt (McMenamin 66).
Subs (not used): Greacen, Duncan, K Millar, Shaw (GK).
Scorers: Hodge 16, 65, Dickson 37, Grehan 90
Stirling Albion: Paterson, Hamilton, Forsyth, D Smith, Wedderburn, C Smith, D L Smith, Comrie, G Smith (Coult 85), Cunningham (Creaney 80), Weir (McClune 72).
Subs (not used): Fulton, Robertson, McGeachie, Reidford (GK).
Scorers: Wedderburn 31, G Smith 53, 69, Cunningham 55, D L Smith 61
Referee: Kevin Graham
Crowd: 613
