25th January 2020 Stirling Albion v Elgin City 1-2

As Hearts match with Rangers has been moved to tomorrow afternoon for television I had a free day today. I decided it might be time to go to a new ground and I headed through to Stirling to watch Stirling Albion play Elgin City at Forthbank. I had been to their old ground, Annfield, to watch them against Hearts many years ago but despite the club moving to Forthbank in 1993 I had never been to their new ground. I left home just after 13.00 to catch the 13.25 train at Haymarket station. The train was on time and I arrived in Stirling round 14.05. I walked to Forthbank arriving around 14.30 despite stopping several times to check Google Maps to ensure I was still walking in the right direction. Bought a programme for £2 and paid my £14 entry fee. In a noice touch the turnstile operator had a selection of sweets beside her window and offered me one. After the Christmas excesses however I declined. The ground has stands down both touchlines although only one stand was open today with low concrete terracing behind each goal, which was also closed to fans. I recorded my attendance on the Futbology app and then got a text from Jim, who is currently on holiday in Italy. He is a follower of Highland football and asked if I could get a a programme given Elgin were the opposition. I asked someone sitting behind me if it was possible to buy a programme in the ground and he suggested the club shop which I had seen when I came through the turnstiles. I managed to get a second programme there and returned to the stand to find a seat near the halfway line amongst the home fans. A section of the stand to my left had been allocated to the Elgin supporters. 

Stirling are another side with two regular goalkeepers out of action. To fill the gap they have taken Nicky Hogarth on loan from Rangers. Hogarth is the son of Myles Hogarth who played in goal for both Hearts and Stirling in the 1980's. A further Hearts connection was the sight of Dylan Bikey on the Stirling bench. Bikey signed for Hearts from Stirling in 2015 during Ian Cathro's period as eager. He only made a couple of substitute appearance before being released and has now re-signed for Stirling following spells in Cyprus and France. Striker Daryl Duffy is in form with five goals in his last two matches. He numbers Falkirk, Bristol City and Airdrie among his former clubs and has been a regular scorer throughout his career. Elgin are having good season with strikers Shane Sutherland and Kane Hester scoring nineteen league goals between them. Hester has also hit the headlines recently for allegedly being part of a betting ring conspiracy and will be going to court in due course.

The game started with Elgin having most of the ball but neither goalkeeper was brought into action. The first opportunity of a goal came after sixteen minutes when Elgin keeper Thomas Michael attempted to play the ball short from a goal kick. The ball went to Cameron Harper out on the  left touchline and he passed back to McHale from about twenty five yards out. The  pass was short and Duffy raced onto the ball and tried a shot from just inside the penalty box which went wide of the far post. Stirling were coming more into the game and Paul McLean with a header from a header and a shot from Dom Doherty both went wide of goal. Elgin went ahead after forty minutes. Brian Cameron sent a through ball past the Stirling defence into the penalty box. Sutherland ran onto the ball and beat Hogarth with a low shot into the left of the goal. Just after the goal Duffy broke into the penalty area down the left. However McHale got down well at his near post to save the shot from about fifteen yards.

Elgin went two up five minutes in to the second half. Sutherland broke down the right and sent a low pass to Hester just inside the penalty area. The striker carried the ball towards the middle of the goal and shot home past Hogarth with the Stirling defence nowhere. Stirling brought on Bikey and Sean Heaver ten minutes into the second half in a effort to save the game. It was a bit surprising that Duffy was one of the players withdrawn. Bikey forced a corner just before the hour mark. An initial header by Dylan Mackin was blocked and the ball came back to Jordan McGregor eight yards out who headed low into the net from the centre of the goal. I thought from where I was sitting that McHale could have done better as it looked as if the ball had slipped under his body. Bikey and Heaver were making a difference with Bikey having a shot blocked by a defender in the penalty area before Heaver shot wide from about twelve yards. With fifteen minutes to go Sutherland had a great chance to clinch the game for Elgin. He broke down the right from his own half then cut inside to the edge of the penalty box. His shot from just outside the box was deflected for a corner of McGregor. There-after Stirling were trying hard to get an equaliser and earned a number of corners but were unable to create any clear chances. The referee blew his whistle after five minutes of added time with Elgin remaining in the play-off positions after another three points gained.

After the game I walked back to the station hoping to catch the 17.10 train back to Edinburgh but missed it by five minutes. I caught the 17.40 to Haymarket and was back home just after 18.30 with another new ground added to my travels.

Teams

Stirling Albion: Hogarth, McGeachie, McGregor, McLean, Creaney, Wright, Wilson, Jardine, Docherty, Mackin, Duffy.

Subs: Bikey, Heaver, Scott.

Elgin City: McHale, Graham, Cooper, Bronsky, Harper, MacKay, MacEwan, Cameron, Omar, Hester, Sutherland.

Subs: Dingwall, O'Keefe, Osadolor.