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STIRLING ALBION 2-2 COVE RANGERS

Down to ten men following the second half sending-off of Mitch Megginson, Cove secured the draw in stoppage time, Fraser Fyvie and Connor Scully combining for a goal of the highest quality.

Albion had led at half time thanks to Greig Spence’s fine finish, Megginson levelling early in the second from the penalty spot. Stirling bundled home their second after Nick Suman – who was outstanding all evening – had saved Spence’s spot kick, but the dramatic ending saw the team head north with a deserved point.

Without long-term injury absentees Luke Strachan and Josh Kerr, manager Paul Hartley made two enforced changes. Illness kept Mark Reynolds out of the side while Blair Yule, who had been nursing a niggle, was fit enough only for a place on the bench. Will Gillingham returned in central defence and Kyle Connell was handed his first league start of the season.

The alterations also meant a different shape, Sena moving to the right in a back four, McGowan and Scully anchoring midfield, and Mitch Megginson leading the line.

On a damp, greasy pitch, the only grass surface in the division, Cove made the brighter start, Jones forcing a corner in the opening minute. That came to nothing, but we should have been in front soon after. Having carved through the Stirling midfield, Megginson threaded a superb ball into the penalty area for Burrell to run on to. Rumarn got in front of his marker, but his low angled shot skidded inches wide of the far post.

Wearing our all white away kit, the team continued to dominate possession, Albion offering little or no threat, but despite seeing plenty of the ball, Cove chances were also few and far between.

In the twenty-first minute, slack defending very nearly cost us dear.

Cameron Stewart played a poor ball out which Scully could only get a toe to. It fell for Kieran Moore who took a touch, then unleashed a low long range effort, Nick Suman diving full length to his right to make a superb one-handed save.

That gave Albion the initiative, and having forced successive corners, they had us under severe pressure, the spell ended only when Suman dived to hold a low twenty yard strike from Josh Cooper.

Cove responded well, Burrell and Megginson linking on the right before the captain drove into the box. His low angled shot was well held by Currie.

The home side did however make the breakthrough in their next attack. A pass chipped forward by Milne found a large gap in our defence, Gillingham stretched to try to intercept, but got only the slightest of touches, and Greig SPENCE gathered the ball, composed himself, and finished well with a low shot just inside the post.

It was all Albion now, and they should have doubled their advantage in the thirty-third minute. Cooper’s cross from the left cleared the heads of our central defenders to find Moore stealing in behind. From just a few yards out, his side-foot effort skipped across the six yard box and wide of the back post.

We came close to levelling with five minutes of the half remaining. Sena burst down the right and fed the ball to Burrell who made for the bye-line and stood up an inviting cross. Connell rose highest, and his looping header appeared netbound, only for McLean to get back to clear it off the line.

Cove started with intent right after the interval, Megginson doing well to gather and spread the ball wide to Jones, but the full back’s low cross was cleared to safety.

We did get the equaliser soon after.

Fyvie and Megginson combined on halfway before Mitch played a clever ball down the right for Burrell. He took on Cummins, raced past him, and crossed deep into the box. The ball was gathered by Connell, who chipped an excellent delivery into the six yard box where Banner bundled Megginson to the ground. Referee Napier, in a good position, was quick to point to the spot.

Albion protests were prolonged, but when they settled down, Mitch MEGGINSON stepped up confidently and placed his penalty down the middle of the goal, out of reach of the diving Currie.

The team took confidence from that and were more of a force in the game now, putting together some decent passing moves. Megginson and McGowan exchanged passes in midfield, then Scully took over, feeding the ball to Kyle Connell. With Connor carrying on into the box in the hope of a return, the striker cut inside and shot goalwards, but his effort was sliced well wide.

Out of nowhere, the home side suddenly regained the lead from a highly dubious penalty. Sena clearly played the ball when challenging Spence, but the referee again awarded a spot kick.

Suman superbly saved Spence’s effort, the striker tried to force home the rebound, but it fell to Adam CUMMINS who bundled the ball into the net.

Our task became harder two minutes later when we were reduced to ten men. With Cove on the attack, Megginson got involved in a tangle with McGregor in the box and was immediately red-carded.

Stirling should then have killed us off, Moore blazing high over from twelve yards after a cut back from the left found him in acres of space.

The manager replaced Connell with Scott Williamson in the seventy-second minute, and our next attack almost saw us draw level, Jones cutting in from the wing and firing a powerful right-footed shot which Currie did well to hold.

Despite being a man down, we were still holding our own, and Sena forced a corner on the right. Scully swung it in, Burrell got a flick, and Gillingham tried to force it in at the back post, but could only divert the ball wide.

Nick Suman then pulled off a world class double save. When the ball came in from the right, substitute Dunsmore connected with a powerful volley. Nick beat that away, but Milne looked certain to net from the rebound. He headed goalwards from close range, but the keeper somehow got across his line to claw the ball to safety.

Gillingham then had to limp off to be replaced by Blair Yule.

The ten men dug deep in the closing stages, playing the better football and probing for an equaliser, and as the game moved into the second minute of stoppage time, it finally came thanks to a quality goal.

Fraser Fyvie collected the ball ten yards inside the Albion half, looked up, and played a precision long pass into the box. Connor SCULLY had made the run, and when the ball arrived, he met it perfectly with his left foot, hooking it beyond the despairing Currie to secure a deserved point.

STIRLING ALBION (4-4-2): Currie; McGeachie, McGregor, McLean (c), Cummins; Moore, Cooper (Miller 87), Milne, Banner; Spence (Thomson 80), Wilson (Dunsmore 90)

Substitutes: Weir, Clark, Wyles, Curtis

Goalscorers: Spence (28), Cummins (65)

Booked: Currie (49), Miller (89)

COVE RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Suman; Sena, Stewart, Gillingham (Yule 84), Jones; McGowan, Scully; Burrell, Fyvie, Connell (Williamson 72); Megginson (c)

Substitutes: Demus, Ochmanski, Darge, Mykyta, Gallagher

Goalscorers: Megginson (pen 49), Scully (90)

Booked:

Sent off: Megginson (69)

Referee: Craig Napier

Attendance: 635

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