Derek Riordan set for Scottish football return

Derek Riordan played for Alloa briefly last year. Picture: TSPL

Injuries to Caolan McAleer, Kevin Smith and Nathan Austin have left the Fifers short of firepower and Naysmith enquired about bringing Riordan on board.

The 32-year-old, who had a trial spell at Brechin earlier in the season, has been training at Livingston after more than a year out of the game. Naysmith said: “We have a bit of momentum behind us after two wins and a last minute-goal to get a draw against Clyde and we want to keep that going. However, it looks like we will be short of strikers so I have asked the question about whether Derek would like to be involved.

“It is an opportunity for him to get game time even if it is as a trialist. This is a big game for us. If we win we have a platform to pull to within a point of Annan when we meet them on

Saturday.”

On-loan goalkeeper Jordan Millar is also missing for the Fifers due to injury.

East Stirling look to complete a hat-trick of wins for the first time since August 2013 after beating Albion 1-0 at Clifttonhill with head coach Craig Tully warning his men that they will not be the only side coming into this game on a high.

Tully said: “The confidence in our players is rising as they have done really well to beat Elgin and Albion Rovers recently, however East Fife will feel like they won at the weekend due to their injury-time equaliser against Clyde.

“That boost as well as their wins over Albion and Montrose will mean that they are flying as well. If they come out all guns blazing as a result we need to play better than we did in the first half at Cliftonhill.”

On-loan Celtic youngster Luke Donnelly took a knock in Coatbridge and could miss out with striker Michael Wallace also a doubt.

Meanwhile, Elgin City entertain Berwick Rangers and a sixth win in eight games for the Highlanders would draw them level with their opponents in the League which manager Jim Weir reckons would be a ‘remarkable’ achievement.

Weir, who took over from Barry Wilson in November with the team rock bottom of Scottish football, said: “If anyone had said back then that we would have the chance to be level by February on points with a Berwick side who are pushing for promotion they would not have been believed.”

Berwick Rangers will look to bounce back from the disappointment of losing 2-1 to Queen’s Park in a game where the Borderers were the better side for long spells.