Stirling Albion ended the decade with an important win at Ochilview to move up to sixth place in Ladbrokes League 2 at the halfway stage.

Our first December victory leaves us seven points outside the play-offs and six in front of bottom club Brechin City going into Saturday’s trip to Albion Rovers.

Dylan Mackin scored his fourth goal of the season inside four minutes and David Wilson found the net with a stunning strike in stoppage time to condemn Stenny to a fourth straight defeat.

Blair Currie, Jordan Lowdon and Cammy Thomson were ruled out through injury and Paul Willis was absent due to illness. Trialist keeper Jay Elliot was again on the bench.

Binos boss Kevin Rutkiewicz made four changes to the team beaten 1-0 by Edinburgh City. There was a first league start of the season for Max Wright, while Darryl Duffy, Wilson and James Creaney also started in place of Sean Heaver, Josh Peters, Danny Jardine and Thomson.

This was our first visit to Ochilview since a 2-1 defeat on January 2, 2018 and we were ahead early on when Mackin turned his man on the six-yard box and drilled a low shot past Graeme Smith.

It was a match in which Stenhousemuir had the bulk of possession and they forced a series of corners. Kieran Anderson missed two good chances for the hosts but we had the better opportunities – Smith made a fine save to deny Duffy in the first half and did likewise from Jardine after the break.

We managed to keep Stenny striker Mark McGuigan fairly quiet and defended well against a team who usually score but have a poor recent record at the other end of the pitch.

We sealed the points in the third minute of added time when Wilson sent a superb first-time shot into the corner from 20 yards, becoming our last scorer of the 2010s – the first was Michael Mullen in a Scottish Cup tie against Albion Rovers at Forthbank.

Stenhousemuir: Smith, Tiffoney, Munro, Armstrong, Cook, Hopkirk, McLaughlin, Blair, McBride (Watters 85), Biabi (Anderson 19), McGuigan. Subs (not used): Terry (GK), O’Neil, Potter.

Stirling Albion: Binnie, McGeachie, Creaney, Nicoll, McLean, McGregor, Wilson, Docherty (Jardine 66), Wright, Mackin (Peters 75), Duffy (Banner 89). Subs (not used): Elliot (GK), Scott, Heaver, Bikey.

Goals: Dylan Mackin 4, David Wilson 90+3

Referee: Matthew MacDermid

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