Stirling Albion v Elgin City - 06/08/22

[BB_Bino]

Well it's Wednesday and it's all eyes on Saturday, I suppose, but after the opening day defeat, I can't help but feel that an element of flatness has already seeped into our support,  with little to no chat (or certainly positive chat) to be found., 

It's probably ridiculous to suggest the pressure is on Darren Young and the players after 1 league game and a 2nd place Premier Sports finish, but after a turgid season last year, a manager that has yet to win over the majority of the support, along with the same season upon season problems rearing it's ugly head in the Dumbarton game, I actually think there is.

To be in a position to start to turn this round, a win against Elgin would be a ideal. With only 6 wins at home over the course of the whole of last season, and probably about the same amount the season before, it's crucial that we start making Forthbank a difficult place to come again, and to get the Home support back onside.

With Cameron Clark suspended for 2 games, the selection at Left Back is going to be an interesting one, as he appears to be our only 1. With no news yet of any new additions, we have to assume that Young is working with the same squad as last week so I suspect Ross McGeachie will fill in at Left Back, doing the best he can. It's not ideal, I like Geeks but he is very much a Right footed player who looks more comfortable on the right side or centre of Defence. It's even more of an issue for me, as I don't see what Adam Cummins brings playing Right Back and personally I think he has looked out of place. Cummins is a decent enough player but his strengths don't seem to be utilised playing there. 

It's going to be an interesting match on Saturday, lose and I fear the moans are going to build, win and we get our season up and running and we also have something to take into what should be an even bigger game game against one of the leagues favourites, Stenhousemuir, the week after.

Edited August 3, 2022 by BB_Bino

[rhliston]

Agree with a lot of what you say BB_Bino after a poor start at Dumbarton last week this is a game we need to win. Our home form over the last couple of years has been poor and that must change if we are too have any chance of getting out of this League. 

The red card to Clark last week does not help us in a position that has been a problem spot for us for a couple of years now. Who takes over it will be interesting, Cummins has played at that position for Stranraer before he joined us, so I would suspect he will play their unless injuries to other players prevent it. 

Next game after this is Stenny at home and that will be tough I suspect. Lets hope for the best on Saturday and 3 points at 4.50. 

[Jacksgranda]

Home win.

[headthebaw]

Nothing short of a convincing win will do.

Danny Denholm might be an option for LB

[Dumb yatt]

I feel we are in a relegation battle already. Late entry on Saturday  I therefore missed the goals. The game I watched was fairly even, high tempo but lacked any excited. DY summed it up perfectly. His frustration was obvious.

 

 Unlike DY I can be selective in the matches I attend. I won’t be in attendance on Saturday. No disrespect to EC , but allow me a small protest.

 Similarly, EC had a sticky start. If someone can find the back of the net that might be enough for a win.

[WeAreElgin]

No signing news, no positivity. Talk of playing a centre half up front. General doom and gloom in the fanbase.

4-1 Elgin. f**k it. Might as well crack on with blind optimism

[iaint]

I'd love a couple of pints of whatever you have been drinking.

[afca32]

My amateur team has an unprecedented morning game so hoping to get to this if I can get away quickly. Not seen much of Elgin since I started playing again last season so it would be nice to see them win, however unlikely that may seem.

[WC Boggs]

Two teams who have got off to a bad start.  Nobody knows if either or both will do better on the day.  I'm predicting nothing.  Just hoping for a better performance today, as I'm sure Elgin supporters are from their side.

[TxRover]

You lot at Elgin liking Young so far? BBC crediting him with an assist already, was it really that?

[RossBFaeDundee]

I ask a similar question about Tom Findlay. BBC had him up front with Hester which seemed odd to me, wondered how he got on.

[Seeker]

On 03/08/2022 at 09:13, BB_Bino said:

it's crucial that we start making Forthbank a difficult place to come again

Your team has managed that already

[Jacksgranda]

At half time I thought "This is going to end 3-2". Quite glad it finished 2-2, particularly after City went down to 10 men.

[Briggsy's Ghost]

Probably a decent point away from home but always disappointing not to win when 0-2 up. Anything remotely positive after last week is welcome so 2 goals and showing a bit of fight is not the disaster that it feels after getting pegged back.

[afca32]

Pretty disappointing to chuck a two goal lead. A reasonable point given we had to hang on with 10 though I suppose and 2-2 probably a fair reflection. I thought the second half was particularly open and entertaining, if lacking a bit of quality. Hard to pick out any standout City players, some good moments but no real 90 minute performances. Both loanees looked ok, hopefully get better with games.

[headthebaw]

A stereotypical game of two halves. We were rank rotten in the first half and gifted Elgin a 2 goal lead with catastrophic defending. Darren young needs to sort this out pronto. We cant afford to start games half way through.

Second half, we played much better with more direct play through Josh Cooper. We were more inventive and creative and we looked the more likely to take all 3 points even before the Elgin red card.

Elgin will feel aggrieved at the performance of todays' officials who were frankly very poor.

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, afca32 said:

Pretty disappointing to chuck a two goal lead. A reasonable point given we had to hang on with 10 though I suppose and 2-2 probably a fair reflection. I thought the second half was particularly open and entertaining, if lacking a bit of quality. Hard to pick out any standout City players, some good moments but no real 90 minute performances. Both loanees looked ok, hopefully get better with games.

Given Young has had so little playing time, I’d expect leaps and bounds improvement in him with game time. He’s pretty sharp.

[BB_Bino]

The battle of 2 teams with not a lot about them if the truth be said. On this performance neither side will be pushing the teams at the top any time soon I will predict, however I do think we should have probably bagged the 3 points in the end.

Poor Defending again gifted the opposition a 2 goal head start, Elgin were as laboured and as uninventive going forward as we were, they just took their 2 chances. I know he has his off field problems going on, but in a strong side, Hester would be some player in this division, and he had the Stirling Defence in knots a number of times but often lacked the support or players around him to really make it matter, thankfully for us.

Talking of Elgin players, Darryl McHardy really let his team and his team mates down yesterday. Petulant persistent fouling, pushing Stirling players away (should have been a yellow by the rules), arguing with his own Manager then mouthing off at the Stirling Assistant (James Creaney) and a Stirling supporter as he went up the tunnel, simply for shouting he should have been gone in the First Half. A ludicrous game from a player that has been around long enough to know better and is a better Defender than that, but who ultimately let himself down yesterday.

Our Defence looks really imbalanced. A Right Back at Left Back with “no left foot” as Gavin Price regularly reminded his players when he got onto the ball, then 3 Centre Backs, but 1 at Right Back. I have no idea why Darren Young has gone into the season with 1 Left Back and 1 Right Back and has so far chosen to start the Right Back out of position or on the bench. Seems odd. The Defence was shakey at best yesterday, didn’t look comfortable throughout the 90 minutes, so much so that the always reliable Paul McLean even looked a bit out of sorts, thankfully Elgin didn’t have the ability to put them under enough pressure to completely crumble and get themselves out of sight, but if it’s not sorted then someone will.

I’ve only been able to make the Aberdeen, Peterhead, Dumbarton and Elgin games so far this season, Peterhead being the highlight of those, by far. I felt against Peterhead we looked like a footballing side, one that passed the ball round slickly with good movement, forced mistakes and forced opening, against Dumbarton and Elgin, we seem to play the First Half in the same way that we did under KR, long punts forward and playing for second balls….and it’s not worked. We do look like we can do something when we keep the ball down and work it, spooky old thing that brought both goals yesterday, and on a pitch like Forthbank, there’s absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t and the squad should be encouraged to do just that.

Seeing Dale Carrick limp off was very worrying, keep him fit and we have a chance, injured and our biggest goal threat is gone, however for me it was this moment that changed the game for us. Josh Cooper looked lively, creative and energetic against Peterhead and did the same against Elgin yesterday and offers something that we don’t have elsewhere. Hopefully Carrick isn’t out for long, but either way, Cooper deserves a run and needs to be accommodated somewhere. Harrison Clark also looks like a steady Eddie in the middle of the park, I like the way he plays and he could have a good season and a decent career, calm head in the middle of the park, nothing fancy but everything calmly done and always in control.

It’s our first point, we’ll take it, it’s probably 2 dropped but with the way things were looking at Half Time, then I’m delighted to get it, but I’m sure DY and the players know they need to improve and they can give themselves a good chance to doing that by getting the ball down and playing because they can play.

[rhliston]

Echo the sentiments of the previous poster BB_Bino we gave away two bad goals in the first half to go in 2-0 down. 

Second half we had a go and had Elgin on the back foot, good goal from Thompson to get us back into the match and the equaliser from Denholm was only what we deserved, indeed we could have won it and it would have no more than we deserved for our 2nd half fightback. 

Sending off for Elgin justified by his constant fouling during the game. 2 points dropped yesterday its a game we should have won. 

Re the situation at the back did notice that McGeachie playing left back and Cummins at right back. Don`t understand what DY was thinking yesterday by doing this. Also felt that the central pairing of McLean and McGregor did not have the best of games yesterday. 

Injury to Carrick is a worry lets hope its not serious can`t afford to lose him for a few weeks. 

Onwards to Stenny next week and hopefully a better performance from our defence. 

[Binos]

That's 4 bad goals given away