Summary
A match report of Stirling Albion against Clyde.
As the clouds moved ominously in the direction of the Forthbank stadium this morning, Binos wished away thoughts of pathetic fallacy. The Bully Wee arrived in FK7 on the back of winning their past two; 2-1 against Edinburgh City and an emphatic 6-0 against Annan. Stirling, who beat league leaders Spartans last week, hoped to continue where they left off.
The Binos started with a single change from their win last week, with Jack Harkness in for the injured Ross McGeachie at right back. Ex-Binos manager Darren Young named an unchanged Clyde 11.
Not five minutes had gone when the first chance of the game fell to a Clyde player, who took advantage of a Binos error and shot just wide. It was a game of few chances, but Clyde looked the brighter of the two sides and looked to threaten on a number of occasions in the opening twenty minutes. Here and there, the ball did drop for the Binos. In the twentieth minute, the ball fell to the Albion number 9 on the edge of the area. Eadie, on loan from Rangers, volleyed just far of the upright.
Clyde however still looked spritely, forcing Gaston into action a few times. On the half hour mark, the ball was turned just wide of the Clyde goal from a low ball into the box: the Bino’s best chance of the game so far. The first goal was going to be important, you sensed, and it was Clyde who took the lead just before half time. A ball down the right hand side wasn’t dealt with and Redfern tapped in with ease.
Just four minutes later, Clyde had a second, and it was almost a mirror image of their first. The Binos failed to deal with a ball down the left hand side and Hilton calmly turned it away.
Half Time: Stirling Albion 0-2 Clyde
Billy Hutchinson, on loan from St Mirren, came on for the Binos at the break, replacing centre half Murdoch. By this point, the rain had started to settle down, but the Binos still looked restless. The first big chance of the half fell to the Clyde striker, denied by a great Gaston save. Ten minutes into the second half, the Binos looked to be having a spell, with a volley flashing just wide. Redfern was in on goal only a couple of minutes later, and Gaston had to save well to his right to keep the Binos in the game.
Normal service seemed to be resuming at the Forthbank. The Binos were lacking inspiration; you wondered where a goal would come from.
Clyde responded to the Bino’s soul searching in the 65th minute with a blunt “I wouldn’t bother” as Redfern made it three from a Bino’s mistake down the right hand side. Only a minute later the Binos were in on goal but the shot was saved easily by the Clyde stopper. “Another twenty three minutes of abject pain” was the anonymous shout from row K. It wasn’t looking good.
It got worse for the Binos in the 82nd minute. Williamson, cutting in from the left, placed the ball with ease in the top right corner of Gaston’s net.
Substitute Russell McLean netted twice for the Binos in the 88th minute. His first, a backheel tap in, deserves to be talked about. Unfortunately for the ex Forfar man, his Balotelli esque manoeuvre will largely be forgotten about in the context of Stirling’s miserable showing.
Full Time: Stirling Albion 2-4 Clyde
It would be dishonest to say that Stirling ever looked like they were gaining anything from the game. Even before Clyde broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, the Binos were lacklustre. Clyde’s ten foot three centre half, Dunachie was more than a match for Christopher Eadie.
That’s not to lay all the blame at his feet (or based off of the balls sent in his direction, head). The Binos lacked flare, creativity and movement of any kind in midfield and were unconvincing with the limited chances they had. Indeed, to pick out any specific player would be unhelpful. The Binos were well beaten by a team set up to win. They will take hope from McLean’s late contributions and frankly they have little choice but to. A bad day at the office for Alan Maybury’s men.
Featured image credit: Frank Baker
