Stirling Albion faced a tough 2-1 defeat against Falkirk at Forthbank, with the top-of-the-league side remaining unbeaten.
Albion got off to the perfect start as on-form skipper Paul McLean put the Binos 1-0 up after 8 minutes. Despite a strong start, Falkirk fought back and won the game 1-2, with goals from Callumn Morrison and Gary Oliver securing the three points for the visitors.
Darren Young fielded an unchanged side from last week’s draw with Queen of the South.
The Binos kicked off the game in front of an almost sold-out Forthbank and started very strongly. Only 8 minutes into the match, Albion had several quick shots on goal, which were well defended by the Falkirk defence. However, McPake’s deflected attempt on goal fell to skipper Paul McLean, who then struck the ball into the bottom right corner, giving the Binos the perfect start.
By the 10th minute, a free kick inside the Falkirk box was met by Dale Hilson, who volleyed the ball towards goal, forcing Brad Spencer to make a block to prevent Stirling from going 2-0 up.
Callumn Morrison took an ambitious shot in the 17th minute from 20 yards out, which was saved well by Blair Currie. The resulting corner was cleared from goal but found its way to Liam Henderson’s feet, who then passed through to Callumn Morrison. Morrison proceeded to tap the ball into the Stirling net from close range to make it 1-1.
The Binos, despite conceding, were finding their feet well in the game, with Cameron Clark making a lovely cut inside from out wide and passed the ball to Calum Crane, who then took a lovely shot on target. It looked as though it would go in and put Stirling 2-1 up, but his shot hit off the left post and was collected by Sam Long.
Josh McPake found himself in space 20 yards out on the 26th minute and took a shot on target. However, his powerful shot was caught in the Falkirk keeper’s arms.
Falkirk began to come back into the game very slowly as Blair Currie was called into action in the 33rd minute, tipping a well-struck header from Ryan Shanley over the bar.
In the 40th minute, Calvin Miller’s corner was met well by Liam Henderson as he dived to meet it. His header hit the right post of the Binos’ goal and was cleared away from danger.
Two minutes later, Callumn Morrison hit another shot on goal, but it was bravely blocked by Ross McGeachie, preventing it from reaching Blair Currie.
Josh McPake made a great run down the left wing in the 44th minute and attempted to cross the ball into Dale Carrick, who was waiting in front of an open goal, but it was deflected and landed on top of the net.
It looked as if Albion would grab a second goal right on halftime as Cameron Clark was found from a short corner and got away a powerful shot on target, but Sam Long dived well to parry the ball away.
Half-Time: 1-1
A whipping cross in from Jack Leitch in the 47th minute found Jordan McGregor inside the box, who had a great shot on target, but it went over the bar.
Falkirk counter-attacked effectively in the 57th minute, and after a cross inside the box met Aidan Nesbitt, he attempted an overhead kick. His effort to put the Bairns in front landed on the roof of the net.
Calum Morrison hit another shot on target in the 58th minute, but Blair Currie reacted quickly and saved the attempt.
In the 67th minute, Josh McPake, laid off by Carrick in the Falkirk box, took a shot on goal that was comfortably picked up by the keeper.
A cross from Callumn Morrison in the 74th minute found Gary Oliver inside the box, who had a shot on target that forced an absolutely sensational split-second reaction fingertip save from Blair Currie from point-blank range, keeping the Binos in the game.
After a long throw and the ball bobbling around the Falkirk box in the 85th minute, it landed to Paul McLean, who had a great shot on goal, but it landed in the keeper’s arms.
The winning goal for the visitors came in the 87th minute, when the ball landed nicely for Gary Oliver, who then connected neatly and fired it past Blair Currie to make it 1-2 to Falkirk.
In search of an equaliser in the 90th minute, after a period of nice passing around the Bairns box, Cameron Clark delivered a ball into the area which was met by Kyle Banner, who agonisingly headed the ball over the bar as he didn’t connect with it properly.
Full-Time: 1-2
Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, Clark, McLean, McGregor, Carrick, Leitch (Banner 69’), McPake (Molotnikov 77’), Milne (Offord 90’), Hilson (Moore 69’), Crane (Cooper 77’)
Unused Subs: Weir, Cummins, Spence, Petrie
Falkirk: Long, McCann, Henderson, Donaldson, Morrison (Agyeman 90’), Spencer (McGinn 90’), Nesbitt (Oliver 71’), Yeats, Tait, Shanley (MacIver 65’), Miller (Ross 71’)
Unused Subs: Hogarth, Bisland, Mackie
