Stirling team:- Christie, Lawrie, Lowing, Gibb, Graham, O'Neill, Molloy, Murphy, Grehan, McKenna, Docherty.
Subs:- Hamilton, Waddell, Corr, Ross, Hogarth.

Peterhead team:- Kula, Donald, Smith, Skinner, McDonald, MacKay, Sharp, Ross, Bavidge, Anderson, Gunn.
Subs:- Flemming, Bagshaw, Kozmanski, Davidson, Jarvie.

Stirling Albion made the long trip north this weekend to Peterhead to take on the Blue Toon who are sitting in the final promotion playoff spot. Earlier in the season when Peterhead visited Forthbank the match ended in a goalless draw but since then it has looked like the Binos fortunes have taken a couple of steps back as we have only managed to win one game since then. Since last week’s match against Arbroath Allan Moore has yet another injury worry as Sean Roycroft has been sidelined again, Moore’s problems only got worse last week after skipper Ross Forsyth visited the specialist about his knee injury and it is likely that Forsyth will miss a couple of months of action as he awaits an appointment for surgery. The starting eleven sees the return David Lowing and Andy Graham but Allan Moore was forced to make a late change just before kickoff as Nathan Taggart was injured during the warm up due to the condition of the pitch.

As the fans entered Balmoor Stadium there was one question being asked by both sets of supporters as why did the referee allow the game to go ahead as it was clear that there was around 2 to 3 inches of snow on the pitch and with the temperature dropping it was looking like the snow was going to become solid but however the referee allowed the game to go ahead despite the conditions not favouring any form of football.

I was the home side who got the match underway but it was the Binos who had an early chance to take the lead from a corner that was headed just wide by Martin Grehan. We were no sooner into the match though and referee Stevie O’Reily had stopped play to book Stirling Albion’s Scott Gibb after what can only be described as a good tackle for the conditions. From the resulting free kick the ball was delivered into the box but Scott Christie was able to punch the ball clear.

The Binos were still looking the better side and after some good linkup play between David McKenna and Mark Docherty a goal looked certain but David McKenna just didn’t manage to take his chance and his effort was blocked. Peterhead were starting to find their way into the match as a good cross into the box caught the Stirling defence off guard and was picked up by Martin Bavidge who hit his effort well wide of the right hand post. Stirling were served another good chance to take the lead as Mark Docherty managed to pick up a spilled ball and make some space before playing in John O’Neil who set himself up on the 18 yard line for a shot but unfortunately for the assistant manager his shot was more like a rugby kick. It was now apparent that the conditions weren’t doing any favours for either team and with the snow starting to fall again it was looking like the referee may abandon the game.

Peterhead were now starting to pressure the Stirling defence more and after a poor clearance from a corner Peterhead managed to capitalise as Stuart McKay gathered the clearance before setting up Graeme Sharp who noticed that Scott Christie was off his line and in a position where at full stretch he wouldn’t be able to make the save as Sharp hit the ball into the back of the net to take the lead for Peterhead. Stirling were soon to try and get back on terms after winning a corner that fell nicely for Martin Grehan who had a free header at goal but Grehan’s effort went out past the post. Soon after Grehan’s effort he set up Mark Docherty who managed to get to the by-line and behind Michel Kula before trying to knock the ball in at the far post however Docherty was sorely disappointed to see his effort go sailing across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

As the Binos continued with their chances David McKenna must have thought he had scored as he noticed that Michal Kula was off his line and managed to chip the ball over the helpless ‘keeper but yet again for the striker the ball failed to go into the goal. He must be thinking now that he is one of the unluckiest strikers out there as he has only managed to score one goal since last October but he has had so many chances to score more. As the first half came to an end it was Peterhead who seen the last action from a free kick that was put into the box before being headed goal wards only for the lines man to flag for offside.
As the teams headed in at the break it was clear that the game should have been called off as the players were finding it difficult to play football in the snowy and icy conditions.

Half Time: Peterhead 1 v 0 Stirling Albion.

The teams were back out on the pitch warming up after the interval prior to the restart and even the referee must now have been questioning himself as he warmed up for the second half. If the first half was anything to go by the second half was not going to be much better as the Binos restarted the match and had a chance to when Martin Grehan managed to gather a long ball up field before playing in John O’Neil who’s effort was easily cleared by Peterhead ‘keeper Michel Kula.

Peterhead had a brief spell pressuring the Stirling defensive lines when at first Martin Bavidge sent a shot across the face of goal just before a corner was delivered low into the box before being hooked to safety by the Stirling defence. The Binos soon had the game back on level terms after Mark Docherty delivered a free kick into the box where Assistant Manager John O’Neil was waiting to pounce with an excellent overhead kick that had Michel Kula well beaten. The great goal from the Assistant Manager came at a price though as he limped of injured from landing on the now icy surface. O’Neil was replaced by youngster Liam Corr. Stirling’s Andy Graham was soon having his name noted down by the referee after a going in to a challenge slightly late.

The Binos nearly took the lead after a corner wasn’t cleared by the Peterhead defence and the ball was nearly turned goal wards by Peterhead’s David Donald in the end after the Peterhead defence panicked the ball was eventually cleared. The Binos maintained the pressure on the Peterhead defence as Liam Corr managed to break free from the Peterhead defence before hitting his shot over the bar from just 10 yards out. Peterhead managed to put the Binos under pressure again as Scott Christie was forced to knock the ball around the post for a corner. Peterhead then suffered a worrying moment when David McKenna and Martin Grehan linked up before Grehan hits his effort at Michel Kula who fails to hold on to the ball and let it break free for Grehan’s second effort that hit the post before David McKenna had a go it hitting the rebound goal wards only to mis kick and give Kula a chance to clear his lines.

Just as the match was coming to an end Peterhead were awarded an excellent chance to steal the points when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box up stepped Stuart Smith to take the kick the initial free kick was saved by Scott Christie but somehow the ball was put into the back of the net and it looked to be all over for the Binos but luckily for some reason the goal was disallowed, there was no indication of offside and even the linesman had given the goal but the referee must have seen something as he chalked the goal off.

The final formality of the game came when Peterhead made their only substitution of the game when Craig Gunn was replaced by Konrad Kozminski and Stirling made their second change of the game when Martin Grehan was replaced by Steven Waddle. The referee was soon calling an end to the match and the players and fans didn’t hang around too much as they went looking for somewhere warm to defrost.

Today’s game wasn’t special at all for either side as they couldn’t play attractive football in the extremely poor conditions. The game should have been postponed due to the snow that was on the pitch but the referee decided to allow the game to go ahead. It was one of those surreal sort of days in many ways as from the outset on the supporters bus there was no clear picture as to what was going on at Peterhead when we set out as the first pitch inspection at 9.30am was good and the game could go ahead but by 10.30am the game was thrown into doubt again as it started to snow and another inspection would be carried out at lunchtime by then the supporters, players and officials were all ready over halfway to Peterhead if anything the match officials should have considered the weather forecast the night before and made their decision on this and what sort of condition the pitch was in at 9.30am. Apart from that at least we came away with a point that’s about the only positive thing I can say about the match apart from that all the players both for Stirling Albion and Peterhead played well in the poor conditions.

Full Time: Peterhead 1 v 1 Stirling Albion.

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