Stirling Albion and Queen of the South clashed in an intense draw at Forthbank, with the Binos having the opportunity to go into seventh place with a win.
Early in the game, Adam Cummins almost made the Binos go 1-0 up in the early stages of the match, only for the goal to be disallowed due to a foul. This set the tone for the match, which was filled with several chances and near-misses. Stirling, showing early dominance, saw Josh Cooper deliver an impressive free kick into the box, only to be thwarted by the opponents goalkeeper, Harry Stone.
Blair Currie once again showcased his tremendous skills with a great save against Lee Connelly, keeping the score level. As the first-half progressed Lewis Milne and Dale Hilson consistently tested the Queen of the South’s defence, creating several chances, the most notable being a rocketing shot from Aaron Dunsmore narrowly going over from 25 yards out, whistling over the bar.
The breakthrough for the Binos came in the 26th minute as a well-coordinated effort involving Dunsmore and Hilson led to Lewis Milne assisting Dale Carrick, who slotted the ball into the net neatly from close range. The first half concluded with Stirling Albion maintaining a 1-0 lead, reflecting the dominance and control that was shown throughout the first half.
Half-Time: 1-0
The second half saw Queen of the South come out of the tunnel with increased intensity in pursuit of an equaliser. Albion responded with several close attempts, including another great chance from Carrick, which was again brilliantly saved by Harry Stone. The games pace kept increasing, creating a frantic end-to-end second half as both teams looked to gain the upper hand.
Queen of the Souths efforts were rewarded in the 75th minute when Lewis Gibson hung a ball into the box from a corner which was recieved by Paul McKay who headed the ball past Currie, levelling the score.
In the closing stages, both teams relentlessly pushed for a winning goal. The Binos and the Doonhamers both created several opportunities, but great defending and quick goalkeeping from both sides kept the score level.
The last chance of the game came from a Murray Miller free kick that found Banner. Banner then passed the ball to McLean, who took a shot from very close range. However, Stone, once again, made a point-blank save, keeping the score level.
The full-time whistle blew, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The result felt somewhat unsatisfactory for Albion, who had dominated much of the match but couldn’t capitalise on their efforts.
Full-Time: 1-1
Stirling Albion: Currie, Clark (Wilson 75’), McLean, Cummins, Dunsmore, Carrick, Banner, Miller, Cooper (Moore 71’), Milne, Hilson (Thomson 72’)
Substitutes: Weir, Moore, Wyles, Curtis, Wilson, Brown, Issac, Thomson
Queen of the South: Stone, Houston (Logan 37’), Church, McKay, Todd, Reilly, Connelly, McClelland, Ferguson (MacIntyre 87’), Ambrose, Gibson (McGuffie 87’)
Substitutes: Botterhill, McGuffie, Hutchinson, MacIntyre, Logan, Doherty, Johnstone, Walker, Raggett
