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STUART McKenzie made a fine save during the dramatic penalty shoot-out as we edged past the The Warriors in a closely contested SPFL Trust Trophy second round tie at Balmoral Stadium.

Stenhousemuir will rightly feel hard done by after hitting the woodwork twice in the first half as they made us graft for the prize of another home tie – against Albion Rovers – in the next round

In the end, the sides couldn’t be separated after the 90 minutes, so on we went to penalties.

Stenhousemuir skipper Ross Forbes hit the woodwork again, as he had during the game, with the opening penalty.

Keeper McKenzie also made a marvellous save from Bernard Coll’s effort  to ensure Rory McAllister, Blair Yule, Robbie Leitch and Mitch Megginson’s successfully converted spot-kicks were enough to take us through 4-2.

It was a welcome outcome on an afternoon when our resources were again stretched to the limit because of players being unavailable through illness or simply not being well enough to do their bit.

That meant midfielder Jamie Masson made his first start of the season, with McKenzie,  Shay Logan, Fraser Fyvie and Leighton McIntosh the others coming in as we made five changes to the starting line-up that faced Clyde the previous weekend.

We could count ourselves lucky to still be level at the end of the first 45.

That was despite us making a strong start, with McAllister knocking the ball down for Megginson to fire a 19-yard shot wide after just 36 seconds.

We followed that with Connor Scully crossing from the left to McIntosh and his downward header was held by keeper David Wilson.

Stenhousemuir struck the woodwork for the first time in the 16th minute, when Thomas Orr turned to lash a shot from the edge of the area off the face of McKenzie’s right post.

The Warriors were unlucky again in the 27th minute, when skipper Forbes battered a free-kick in from 20-yards and the ball rebounded to safety off the top of the crossbar.

The visitors threatened again a minute later, when Orr broke through the middle and saw his 16-yard shot held by McKenzie.

Our best move so far came in the 33rd minute. Megginson and McAllister combined to get the ball to Masson and his low shot rolled just wide of the target.

Another brilliant passing move a minute later ended with McIntosh racing in on goal, but his shot from just inside the Stenhousemuir area was saved by Wilson.

Masson was just inches wide of Wilson’s left post with a curling 20-yard shot in the last minute of the half.

The second half was even tighter, with few scoring chances.

It began with Megginson hitting a 20-yard shot over the crossbar.

Fyvie was also unfortunate to see his 16-yard shot deflected wide after he had met a low pass from Masson.

Adam Corbett then sent a 10-yard over after Forbes had flighted a corner over from the right for the visitors.

Scott Ross tried to liven things up with an effort from fully 35-yards but the defender’s shot went wide of Wilson’s right post.

We had a penalty appeal turned away by referee Barry Cook in the 56th minute, after McIntosh appeared to be impeded as he chased after a Masson pass.

Our best chance came just after the hour, when Megginson played a clever one-two with Fyvie before seeing his 16-yard shot well saved by Wilson.

Fyvie was next to have a go from distance, with his 25-yard drive speeding wide of Wilson’s left post.

Stenhousemuir made Cove hearts flutter again in the 71st minute when McKenzie’s punched clearance from a Ross Lyon cross was headed over the bar by Ryan Tierney.

McAllister also went close in the 82nd minute, when he turned on a pass from Yule and sent his shot from just inside the Stenhousmuir area inches wide.

We almost pinched it in the last minute when a well-worked routine at a free-kick gave Megginson the chance to send a 19-yard shot just off target, but the penalty finale was probably the fairest way to decide what had been a very even contest.

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Scully, Ross, Yule, Megginson, Masson, McIntosh (Leitch 66) McAllister, Fyvie, Logan.

Subs: Milne, Strachan, Gourlay.

STENHOUSEMUIR: Wilson, Lyon, Coll, Jamieson, Corbett, Miller (Wedderburn 66), Forbes, Anderson (Brown 90), Graham (O’Reilly 60), Orr, Thomson (Tierney 90).

Subs: Marshall.

Referee Barry Cook.

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