U19s v Stirling Albion

Graham and McBride score at Stirling but Pars lose the battle

STIRLING ALBION 3 DUNFERMLINE 2

First Stirling Albion goal

Dunfermline went down to Stirling despite putting in a spirited performance at Forthbank on Friday night. They went behind in ten minutes when the Pars defence failed to cut out a high ball from the left and Jordan McDonnerty at the far post cut it back for Ross McEWAN to drive it past Craig Bald.

Stirling didn`t allow the Pars much time on the ball and play was kept well upfield until Conner Schivone had the ball in the net for the visitors but was ruled off for offside. The League Cup fixture allowed Scott McBride a full 90 minutes as the over age player allowed and it was the 19 year that provided openings that threatened to get the Fifers back in the game. His corners began to concern the home defence and a 35th minute cross was defended only as far as Lewis Turner who was unlucky to see his effort from 18 yards deflected wide.

A Blair McWhirter cross from the right came off the crossbar but Ryan Thomson shot the rebound at the keeper before the crossbar again came into play five minutes from the break to present Lee GRAHAM with the equaliser. McBride`s free kick came back off the woodwork and the central defender stabbed the ball home.

After the break Dunfermline lost two goal in four minutes to be 3-1 down just 12 minutes into the second half. In 53 minutes another cross from the left was their undoing with McEWAN yet again converting with a low strike from the edge of the box that beat Bald at his right hand post.

McBride had an early opportunity to level but having latched on to a long throughball launched a shot at the top left when a low drive to the bottom right might have been the better option. The chance was blasted high and wide and in 57 minutes another ball from the right cleared Graham`s head and McEWAN completed his hattrick.

Luck wasn`t on the Pars side when Schivone nipped past a defender to send a long ball narrowly wide of the far post but they were to be awarded a penalty in 66 minutes. Turner did all the hard work with an impressive penetrating run from the right before releasing a shot that rattled down off the crossbar. Schivone and Morrison went for the ball under the crossbar and the balll came off the Stirling man`s hand leaving the referee no option but to award a penalty and reduce the home side to ten. McBRIDE made a first class job of the spot kick sending the ball into the net to the keeper`s left.

After that Dunfermline tried hard to use the extra man advantage but failed to find the net. White hammered a Turner cross wide right and Schivone pulled another attempt wide. In 79 minutes Stirling were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box when the challenge looked inside and Stirling would have scored had advantage been played. Fortunately the free kick was headed over the bar.

Going three at the back Hamish French marshalled his troops forward in a push for the equaliser. White had a shot deflected for a corner and from that McBride`s cross was headed wide by Graham. A MacDonald cross was palmed away by Porch and Thomson flashed a ball across the six yard box but in the end the Pars lost out to what the coach felt were bad goals to lose.

Manager Jim McIntyre and coach Stephen Wright watched this game as did their Stirling counterpart Allan Moore.