Stirling Albion faced a 4-2 loss to Cove Rangers at Balmoral this afternoon. It was a day to forget for Jordan McGregor, who scored two own goals, with the other goals coming from Offord, Burrell, Niang and Clark.
With only 7 minutes on the clock, the Binos would have their first attempt, with Josh McPake cutting inside from the left wing and having a shot on goal. His effort, however, would just go wide of the right post.
Josh McPake would have another effort on goal 7 minutes later, as Jack Leitch placed the ball neatly to his feet. McPake’s shot was saved well by Nick Suman, but Greig Spence managed to get on the rebound and tap it in the net. Despite this clever move, it would be flagged for offside.
Kieran Offord scored his second goal in two games and put the Binos 1-0 up with a tremendous strike from 25 yards out on the 16th minute. The powerful strike flew past a diving Nick Suman and found the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Cove Rangers danger-man Rumarn Burrell spoiled Albion’s almost faultless start to the game and got the game level in the 22nd minute. The ball landed at Burrell’s feet at very close range and fired home past Blair Currie, making no mistake.
A great reaction save from Blair Currie prevented Cove from going ahead, as a shot on goal from extreme close range was tipped past the post for a corner. The goal would come for Cove though, as the resulting corner, swung in by Connor Scully, was put into the Albion net for an own goal by Jordan McGregor on the 35th minute.
Half-Time: 2-1
Substitute Mouhamed Niang would score the third goal of the day for the hosts on the 56th minute. The ball bobbled around the Stirling box and found Niang on the edge who slotted home from outside the box.
The Binos responded well though, as two minutes later, Kieran Offord passed the ball neatly to Cameron Clark who then lasered the ball into the top left hand corner of the net with conviction to bring Stirling right back into the game.
Albion continued to find their feet, as Josh McPake once again made a dangerous run into the Cove area and fired a shot away which went over the bar.
A great bit of link up play between Kieran Offord and Dale Hilson allowed the ball to be delivered through to Josh McPake who then passed the ball into an empty net for what looked to be an equalising goal for Stirling. However, once again, the goal would count for nothing as it was flagged for offside.
After another great period of passing play from the Binos, working the up the pitch methodically, a huge opportunity for an equaliser was thwarted by Nick Suman as he saved a powerful shot at close range from Dale Hilson.
Just as Stirling looked to be on the verge of rescuing a point from the game, a massive mistake at the back meant that Cove sealed all three points, as Jordan McGregors pass back to Blair Currie had too much power on it and trickled into the back of the Albion net in the last minute of the game.
Full-Time: 4-2
Cove Rangers: Suman, Jones, Doyle, Scully, McGowan, Burrell (Niang 43’), Connell, Darge, Kerr, Fyvie, Reynolds
Unused Subs: Demus, Gillingham, Stewart
Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, Clark, McLean, McGregor, Leitch (Cooper 84’), Banner (Milne 84’), McPake, Offord, Spence (Hilson 72’), Crane
Unused Subs: Weir, Cummins, Molotnikov, Moore,
