In a tight match at Galabank Stadium, Annan took all three points in a rainy 2-1 defeat.
Matty Douglas opened the scoring for the hosts 4 minutes in but Stirling fought back and found an equaliser on the 12th minute through Offord. It would all be for nothing though, as confusion at the back meant the hosts would find a winner.
Annan kicked off the game, and it wouldn’t take long for them to find an opener. Only 4 minutes into the match, a cross from William Gibson found Matty Douglas at the back post, who slotted the ball into the net. Exactly the start that the Binos didn’t want.
However, only 8 minutes later, a fast break allowed a lovely ball to be delivered in behind the Annan defence by Josh Cooper which found Kieran Offord, who deftly potted the ball past Jacques Heraghty to get his first goal for the club and to get Stirling back into the game.
Annan found themselves back up the pitch and on the 17th minute forced a tremendous save from Blair Currie to deny Benjamin Luissint from very close range on the right side of the box after bypassing the Stirling defence.
A lovely through ball from Dale Carrick found Josh Cooper on the 21st minute, who attempted an ambitious chip over the Jacques Heraghty, but the keeper recovered his ground and ran back to catch the ball.
It was at this point in the match where the rain became torrential, and would remain so for the remainder of the match.
This allowed both sides to move the ball rapidly across the wet AstroTurf and get several quick counter attacks away.
This would be proven when a cross in by Josh Walker was recieved by Michael Ndwieni, but his header went wide of the right post, after slipping off his head.
Dale Carrick would nearly capitalise on a loose back pass to the Annan keeper, but Heraghty managed to boot the ball clear before the striker had the chance to latch on to it.
The same mistake would happen just before half time on the 42nd minute, when Dale Carrick would again latch on to a loose back pass to the keeper, this time, the keepers attempt at clearing the ball up the pitch rebounded off Carrick and would go out of play.
Half-Time: 1-1
The Binos would kick off the match and look to carry on their intensity as a cross in the box by Jack Leitch was collected by the keeper.
Three minutes later, Annan would find their feet and have three successive shots towards the Albion net. However, all three shots were deflected off the Albion defence, with the third going over the bar and the score remaining level.
58 minutes into the match, confusion at the back between Paul McLean and Blair Currie would lead to a goal for the hosts, as both Albion players ran to collect the ball but missed, and ended up allowing Michael Ndwieni to fire the ball into an empty net to put Annan 2-1 up.
Matthew Douglas would get a huge chance to put Annan two goals ahead as a headed effort toward the Binos net from close range was collected comfortably by Blair Currie.
Perhaps the biggest chance for Albion to get back into the match came in the 69th minute as a tremendous cross in to the opposition box by Dale Carrick would find Jordan McGregor at very close range, but his header ended up wide of the right post.
72 minutes into the game a great link up from Kieran Moore and Jack Leitch forced the Annan keeper into a diving save, as his curling shot nearly goes into the back of the net to rescue a point for Strling.
Annan began to park the bus and shut out any chance of Stirling getting an equaliser, holding the ball in the corner of the pitch as the referee blew his whistle, ending the match and sending Annan home with all three points.
Full-Time: 2-1
Annan Athletic: Heraghty, Gibson (Hunter 77’), Walker, Muir, McIntyre, Nugent, Douglas, Galloway, Goss, Luissint (Docherty 67’), Ndwieni (Maxwell 89’)
Subs: Fleming, Muir, Docherty, Hunter, Maxwell, Quitongo, Watson
Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, McLean, McGregor, Carrick, Leitch, Banner, Offord (Hilson 63’), Cooper (Spence 84’), Milne (Moore 63’), Crane (Wilson 81’)
Subs: Weir, Clark, Cummins, Dunsmore, Moore, Wilson, Bird, Spence, Hilson
