Having surrendered leads against Dunfermline and Livingston in their previous two matches Stirling Albion welcome Queen of the South to Forthbank on Saturday in the knowledge that Second Division football is virtually assured next term. Both games were characteristic of Albion’s return to the First Division as the Binos looked comfortable in both matches before erroneous play was fully punished by their opposition.

Queen of the South have a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen to look forward to next week and, after two defeats, this will be a final chance for some of their squad players to impress in the lead-up to the Dumfries club’s big day. Like Albion, Queens also suffered at Almondvale in their last outing, losing one-nil to Livingston in controversial circumstances.

Albion Team News
A settled squad is again a luxury that Allan Moore can only wish for as the Albion manager has lost Craig Malloy, who played his most impressive game for Stirling last weekend, due to the end of the midfielder’s loan stint. Malloy will go back to St Mirren Park along with left-back Ryan McCay, who failed to really impress in his spell at Forthbank.

While there is disappointment to lose Malloy there is relief that Steven Bell’s knock, which forced him off immediately prior to half-time at Almondvale, is little more than that. Moore should be able to reinstate the midfield player to the right side of the central four should he wish. Alternatively Bell could play in the centre of the field alongside Chris Aitken, allowing new signing Gary Muir to make his first start for the club having signed previous to last Saturday’s fixture.

Muir made a handful appearances as a trialist for the Albion however there was one entirely new face in the squad as Liam Corr, the Scotland schoolboy captain, made his first appearance from the bench. McLaren High pupil Corr impressed during the twenty minute spell he was on the field and will likely get more game time against Queen of the South.

Otherwise the Binos’ team news is almost identical to last week, with Forsyth, Harris and Roycroft still missing due to injury. Harris could return for next weekend’s tricky looking trip to Dundee while John Paul McBride sits out the final game of his three match ban.

Queen of the South Team News
Like Albion, Queen’s have a sprinkling of injury concerns, although given the importance of next weekend’s clash with Aberdeen it is likely that they will take a rather more cautious approach with those players in their squad carrying injuries.

 Allan Moore will be delighted that Sean O’Connor and Paul Burns, two players who terrorised Albion at Palmerston when the sides last met, will both miss the trip north. O’Connor has a neck injury while Burns was sent-off in stoppage time at Livingston and is suspended.

Steve Tosh, who scored a spectacular volley at Forthbank earlier this season, will hope to return to the match-day squad after suspension and a virus, while Jamie McQuilken will also line-up for the Doonhamers.

This Season
Sat. 29^th Sep ‘07
Queen of the South 2 Stirling Albion 2:

Willie Easton steers Albion into a one goal lead after seventeen minutes but the troublesome strike duo of O’Connor and Dobbie score for Queen’s in the second half in front of an Albion support horrendously depleted due to roadworks. Those that did persevere are rewarded by McBride’s fine equaliser two minutes from time.

Sat. 15^th Dec ‘07
Stirling Albion 1 Queen of the South 3

Steve Tosh smashes home a superb volley for Gordon Chisholm’s side with quarter of an hour remaining; a goal that proved a huge turning point in the fortunes of both sides. Earlier, Albion had again hit the front, Chris Aitken with the goal but this was quickly levelled by Dobbie. John O’Neill converts a last minute penalty to underline the dominance of the guests.

Sat. 16^th Feb ‘08
Queen of the South 3 Stirling Albion 1

Paul Burns toe-pokes the Doomhamers ahead wonderfully just prior to half-time; his second goal of the game. Weak defending from Stirling had gifted him a first but Aitken again struck to level matters for the Binos. Albion rarely threaten to challenge the home side’s supremacy after Jim Thomson heads home a third early in the second half from an unlikely angle.

Previously at Forthbank…
Wed. 10^th Aug ‘05
Stirling Albion 2 Queen of the South 1: Second Division Albion achieve a rare early season victory over First Division Queen’s as both sides struggle to start the season positively. Neither would end anywhere near trouble however; a Paddy Connolly brace early in the match wins it for the Binos despite McNiven halving the deficit before the break.

Sat. 28^th Apr ‘01
Stirling Albion 1 Queen of the South 1: A dark day for Albion as Ray Stewart’s side are sent spinning into Third Division oblivion. Craig Feroz levels Peter Weatherson’s opener.

Sat. 21^st Oct ‘00
Stirling Albion 0 Queen of the South 1: Largely a nonentity of a game. Warren Hawke scores the only goal of the game with twenty minutes remaining. Gordon Hunter, who rarely featured for the Binos, is sent-off ten minutes later.

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