Three second-half goals saw off Albion Rovers as we made it seven games without defeat thanks to a comprehensive victory.

Darryl Duffy, Jordan McGregor and Sean Heaver were all on target to secure our biggest win since beating the same opponents 5-0 at Cliftonhill in January.

Kevin Rutkiewicz’s men leapfrogged Rovers in the table – they are three points above bottom club Brechin City and only five behind fourth-placed Elgin City in a tightly-packed division.

The team showed one change to the XI who started the 0-0 draw with Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night. James Creaney, who suffered a head knock, was left out and Paul Willis came in, with Cammy Thomson reverting to left-back.

We were again without Josh Peters, Dylan Bikey, Gareth Rodger and Jordan Lowdon for the game against Kevin Harper’s team, who had lost 3-0 at leaders Cove in midweek.

Duffy had a goal correctly disallowed for offside and Thomson rattled the woodwork in a goalless first half but the breakthrough arrived shortly before the hour mark.

Duffy had scored in the Caramel Wafer Cup at East Fife but this was his first goal in League 2 – the 35-year-old former Airdrie frontman pounced from inside the six-yard box after Willis had done well to turn the ball into the danger area.

The outcome was inevitable after that. It was a quiet afternoon for home keeper Blair Currie and it was all over when centre-half Jordan McGregor headed home a 69th-minute corner from Willis for his first goal of 2019/20.

The third goal with eight minutes left was the pick of the bunch. Duffy provided a superb assist with a perfect through ball to release Heaver and he ran on to smack a low shot beyond Daniel Potts. It was the 27-year-old’s fourth goal in eight appearances since joining from Bannockburn Amateurs and capped a fine afternoon’s work.

Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, Thomson, Nicoll (Mackin 88), McLean, McGregor, Jardine, Wilson (Docherty 84), Heaver, Duffy (Wright 87), Willis. Subs (not used): Binnie (GK), Banner, Scott, Hawke.

Goals: Duffy 59, McGregor 69, Heaver 82

Albion Rovers: Potts, Fagan, Clarke, Phillips, Krones, Stewart (McDonald 73), Roberts, Graham, See, Byrne (Scally 65), Osadolor (East 56). Subs (not used): Goodfellow (GK), Doherty, Morena, Fee.

Referee: Peter Stuart

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