The Binos were held to a draw at Forthbank today, facing off against Annan Athletic. Annan kicked off the game and certainly set the pace for the first half.
Early in the match, Tommy Goss tested the Stirling defence with a powerful shot, which was brilliantly parried by Jordan McGregor. Dale Carrick, known for his trademark pacey runs down the wing, made a tremendous attempt but was unable to get the ball into the box. Robert Thomson, seizing an opportunity, unleashed a powerful shot, but it unfortunately went high and wide over the bar.
Annan, determined not to be outdone, saw Aidan Smith miss a golden opportunity when his header went over the bar. In response, Aaron Dunsmore attempted an ambitious shot from the corner of the pitch, but it landed neatly on the roof of the net.
The deadlock was broken in the 9th minute by Annan, when a skilfully floated ball found its way to Dom Docherty, who clinically fired it beyond Blair Currie’s reach, putting Annan ahead. In response, the Binos ramped up their efforts, with Jack Leitch and Robert Thomson coming close but unable to convert any of their chances.
An intense phase of the game saw Jordan McGregor and Lewis Hunter both receiving yellow cards as the match’s physicality increased. Stirling’s attempts to breach Annan’s defence were met with staunch resistance, as Annan sat back to maintain their one-goal lead. However, Annan’s backline was eventually breached in the 41st minute by a great strike from Dale Carrick from the left side of the area, assisted by a brilliant ball in by Murray Miller.
Half-Time: 1-1
As the second half kicked off, both teams came out flying. Aaron Dunsmore’s deflected shot and a series of clever plays from Albion demonstrated renewed vigour. Annan remained packed in their own half, effectively keeping Stirling at bay. Greg Fleming made a series of crucial saves for Annan, crucial in maintaining the draw for the visitors.
The match’s intensity continued to escalate, with both teams creating opportunities. A great free kick found Carrick inside the Annan box, who tried to turn around to get a shot away, but it was stolen from him and sent back to the wing. There, it found Dunsmore, who crossed the ball in once again to Carrick. However, his shot agonisingly hit off the crossbar.
Josh Cooper was also particularly threatening, but Annan’s defence, along with the man between the sticks, Greg Fleming, kept the score level. Lewis Milnes thrashed an ambitious volley from 20 yards out which clattered against the post. Stirling Albion looking very confident
A controversial call arose when Thomson was brought down in the Annan box, but the referee, Dan McFarlane, waved play on, much to the dismay of the Binos fans in the stands. Substitutions from both sides added fresh legs and kept the intensity high. Stirling’s Ewan Wilson and Adam Cummins, along with Annan’s Josh Dixon, made late entries as both teams searched for a winner.
More controversy arose when Josh Cooper received a lovely pass from Hilson and began his run towards the goal. However, Matthew Douglas slipped on the wet surface and blocked Cooper’s run with his hand. Bafflingly, Dan McFarlane did not penalise this and allowed play to continue. This gave Michael Garrity the opportunity to weave through the Albion defence and get a shot off, but he fired it well over the bar.
The final whistle blew, marking the end of a real game of two halves. The first was mainly dominated by Annan, but the second half saw the Binos come back strong, creating numerous chances but unfortunately not being able to capitalise on them, resulting in the points being shared after the 90 minutes.
Full-Time: 1-1
Stirling Albion: Currie, Clark, McLean, McGregor, Dunsmore (Cummins 83′), Carrick (Hilson 64′), Leitch (Banner 59′), Miller, Cooper, Thomson (Wilson 83′), Milne
Substitutes: Weir, Cummins, Banner, Wyles, Curtis, Wilson, Brown, Hilson
Annan Athletic: Fleming, Gibson, R. Muir, T. Muir, Trialist, Hunter (Graham 57′), Douglas, Docherty, Smith, Goss (Dixon 88′), Garrity
Substitutes: Mitchell, Kilsby, Galloway, Graham, Dixon, Watson, McMenamin
