Stirling Albion faced a heavy 1-5 loss at Forthbank this afternoon against Alloa. The Binos had a hellish 90 minutes as Alloa were ruthless right from the first whistle.
Alloa would open the scoring in the first 5 minutes, with the goal coming from Conor Sammon. Their second of the day would come in the 22nd minute after the Binos looked to be coming back into the game slowly, with Bobby Wales scoring the goal. Just before half-time, Alloa would get their third as Ethan Sutherland fired the ball into the net from distance.
Substitute Greig Spence looked to get Albion back into the game in the 65th minute after rounding the keeper, but this lifeline would fade fast, as Alloa netted two goals in three minutes, with the goals coming from Kurtis Roberts and Taylor Steven.
As the game kicked off, it only took the visitors 30 seconds to get their first chance, with Conor Sammon hitting a shot just wide of the Albion left post.
Blair Currie made an attempt to save a low ball into the Stirling box by Bobby Wales, but the ball would be spilled by the keeper, which then found Conor Sammon, who made no mistake this time from extreme close range, and put Alloa a goal up in the early stages.
Callum Crane’s attempt on goal 2 minutes later would rebound off the Alloa defence and find Dale Hilson on the right side of the box. In search of an equaliser, he fired a shot away at goal, but his attempt would hit off the side of the Alloa net.
A cross in from Jack Leitch almost found Paul McLean inches from the goal line to equalise the scoring, but the ball just bypassed him by an inch and went out for a goal kick.
A quick break from Stirling meant that Lewis Milne made a piercing run up the middle of the pitch unchallenged on the 18th minute. A precise through ball found Dale Hilson out right who had another shot on target, a quick diving save from PJ Morrison meant that Alloa held on to their lead.
Despite this promising passage of play from the Binos, Alloa would get their second of the day through Bobby Wales in the 22nd minute. An initial shot from Taylor Steven forced Blair Currie into a save, however, the rebounded ball was left unopposed in the middle of the box, and Wales put it into the net for the visitors second of the afternoon.
Kieran Offord found himself in space in the middle of the pitch and managed to get a shot away, but it would just go wide of the left post.
Quinn Coulson managed to dispossess Ross McGeachie on the right wing and put another low ball in to the Albion box. The ball found its way to Conor Sammon but his attempt was saved well by Blair Currie.
However, Alloa would make up for this missed opportunity in the 44th minute, as Ethan Sutherland made his way up the pitch and slotted the ball away from 20 yards for The Wasps third goal of the day.
Half-Time: 0-3
Coming into the second-half, three changes were made at half time by Darren Young in the hopes of salvaging something from the game, with Adam Cummins, Josh Cooper and Greig Spence coming on for Ross McGeachie, Lewis Milne and Dale Hilson.
A huge penalty call came seven minutes into the half, when Jack Leitch looked to be pushed to ground inside the Alloa box as he was about to fire at the Wasps goal, but referee George Calder waved play on.
Bobby Wales forced Blair Currie into a great rection save after dispossessing Josh Cooper just outside the Albion box and having an effort toward the Binos net.
With 57 minutes played, Kieran Offord found himself free just outside of the Alloa box and ran inside to have a dig at goal, his shot would go wide of the left post.
Substitute Greig Spence managed to get a goal back for the Binos in the 65th minute as he snatched the ball on the edge of the box from a poor Alloa back pass. Clever footwork allowed him to round the keeper and slot home into an empty net.
The lifeline would be short lived, as Alloa shut down any hopes of the Binos getting back into the game on the 70th minute. Another low ball into the Albion box from Bobby Wales found Kurtis Roberts who slid the ball into the bottom left corner past a diving Blair Currie.
Stirling attempted to respond immediately, as Josh Cooper attempted an ambition 25-yard strike which was stopped from going in by an athletic diving save from PJ Morrison.
Taylor Steven would rub salt into the Binos wounds, as he scored Alloas fifth goal of the day in the 73rd minute. A long ball over the top was received by him well and meant that he would be free to run down the right flank unopposed and drift inside the Albion box. His low shot went past Currie in a one-on-one situation and into the net.
Despite being behind by a large margin, the Binos continues to try to attack. Kieran Offord found Kyle Banner on the left side of the visitor’s box and attempted to get one back for Albion, his shot would hit off the outside of the net.
Full-Time: 1-5
Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie (Cummins 45’), Clark, McLean, McGregor, Leitch (Banner 77’), McPake, Offord, Milne (Cooper 45’), Hilson (Spence 45’), Crane (Molotnikov 68’)
Unused Subs: Weir, Carrick, Petrie, Pincombe
Alloa Athletic: Morrison, Taggart, Neill, Roberts (Robertson 78’), Steven, Virtanen (O’Donnell 78’), Sammon, Devine (McKay 14’), Coulson, Wales, Sutherland
Unused Subs: Ogay, Cawley, Donnelly, Buchanan, Roy, Hetherington
