Stirling Albion 1 - 1 Dunfermline: Ten-man Stirling hold firm to dent Pars' title ambitions

Published on Tuesday 15 March 2011 18:15

Dunfermline's title hopes took a knock as they were held by struggling Stirling in the first part of a double header, despite the hosts playing the entire second half with ten men.

The Fifers, who again fielded striker Graham Bayne as a trialist, arrived at the Doubletree Dunblane Stadium on the back of a crucial 2-1 victory at Falkirk and having already beaten the Binos 5-1 and 3-0 this season.

Albion were looking to end a barren 14-game run stretching back to a 4-2 win over Partick on October 23 but they were hampered by the absence of suspended duo Scott Buist and Ross Forsyth while top scorer Gordon Smith, on loan from Hearts, was only on the bench.

Stirling had collapsed to a 4-3 defeat to Cowdenbeath in their last outing and were behind inside five minutes when slack defending allowed the unmarked Andy Kirk, who grabbed a hat-trick here in August, to slide the ball past Scott Christie from six yards.

The Pars pushed hard for a second goal and Christie made a fine save to deny Steven McDougall before full-back Calum Woods headed over from close range.

Albion had shown little attacking threat but drew level in 32 minutes when midfielder Ryan Borris made space on the edge of the box and cracked a superb 20-yarder in off the post.

The bottom club were then reduced to 10 men in controversial circumstances two minutes before the break when ex- Kilmarnock wing-back Michael Doyle tangled with Joe Cardle and referee Steve Conroy deemed the offence worthy of a red card.

As expected, Dunfermline enjoyed the bulk of the second-half possession and should have taken the lead in 65 minutes but Cardle failed to convert from close in at the back post while McDougall wasn't far away with a curling shot soon after. Jocky Scott's side were defending stoutly and almost snatched a goal in a rare forward foray but Paul McHale's angled drive flew wide.

The visitors were soon back on the attack and Gary Mason screwed an effort past before the ball was scrambled off the line by some frantic defending. With ten minutes left, Michael Mullen passed up a glorious opportunity to end Albion's five-month wait for a win when he ran clear but keeper Smith stuck out a leg to divert the ball for a corner.

Dunfermline laid siege to the Albion goal in the closing stages and Cardle and sub Liam Buchanan spurned good chances as the home side clung on to claim a precious point. The teams meet again at East End Park on Saturday.

Stirling: Christie, Doyle, Borris, McHale, Corrigan, Allison, Welsh, Aitken (Stirling 21), Mullen (Kane 85), Brighton (Smith 76), Robertson. Subs (not used): Jackson, Gibson.

Dunfermline: Smith, Woods, McCann, Mason, Higgins, Keddie, Graham, McDougall (Buchanan 73), Bayne (Clarke 57), Kirk, Cardle. Subs (not used): Paterson, Burke, Thomson.