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Stenhousemuir 4 v 2 Albion Rovers |  |
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Stenhousemuir 4 v 2 Albion Rovers | |
| Bell's League Third Division 29th April 2006 |
Attendance : 412
Scorers ~ Stenhousemuir : Diack (21), McKeown (25), McGrillen (73 pen), McBride (90). Albion Rovers : McGhee (35), Young (78).
Another match in which the referee featured far too much but Albion Rovers had the consolation of scoring their 5000th league goal, and what a cracker it was too!
In contrast to the last visit Albion Rovers made to Ochilview on a freezing Tuesday evening this match was played on a sunny afternoon on a pitch resembling a beach. The home side required a win by as many goals as possible to keep alive their slim hopes of clinching the championship on this, the final match of the season.
The early skirmishes were unremarkable and in 11 minutes indecision by the Stenhousemuir defence led to Scott Chaplain loosing a strong shot which was saved by former Rover Chris Fahey. A few minutes later Gordon Lennon was brought into action, intercepting as he did the ball at the edge of Rovers penalty area.
In 19 minutes a portent of the referees participation in the match came when he booked Scott Friel for a foul which only came about a couple of seconds after he was blatantly fouled by a Stenny man which the referee failed punish.
Graham McGhee came close with a header after a Sichi corner was provided to him by a teammate. Then the Warriors grabbed the lead when Paul McGrillen evaded the attentions of Gordon Lennon to flight in a cross with that other former Rover Iain Diack rose to head home.
McGrillen was in the thick of it shortly afterwards when his shot from close range came of 'keeper Quinn who appeared to have been fouled. Stenhousemuir doubled their lead in 25 minutes when a Diack ball was struck home by McKeown. [Picture B] Stenhousemuir didn't sit back despite the 2 goal lead as evidenced by a McBride free-kick into the Rovers penalty area being headed to Quinn by Diack.
Ciaran Donnelly tried to redress the balance when he put a long ball upfield to Lee Sichi to shoot from 25 yards, regrettably it missed by a small margin.
Rovers pulled a goal back in 35 minutes when Friel tapped a free-kick to McGhee whose shot went through a packed box and was slightly deflected before hitting the homesters net. Paul Murphy forced Mark Quinn to pull of a quality stop with his snap-shot from the edge of the box a few minutes later.
A weak Martin Bonnar effort easily picked up by Fahey ended the first half.
Half-Time
Rovers started the second period the brighter side with Sichi crossing the ball for Bonnar to head slightly wide of the target. A stramash in the Rovers goal with Quinn struggling to get the ball saw the ball cleared when the Warriors attackers were just too slow to react.
When Sichi was downed near the Stenny goal Donnelly got hold of the ball from the resulting free-kick only to see his attempt blocked. In 63 minutes a Craig Young ball along the goal-line caused a stooshie in the Stenhousemuir goalmouth resulting in nobody getting a boot to it. Shortly afterwards Young was again upfield receiving the ball and turning quickly putting the ball wide.
Another former Rover, Jim Mercer who'd come off the bench caused problems for young 'keeper Quinn with the ball bouncing about in his goal, he eventually got his bearings and cleared the ball.
In 72 minutes Diack was approaching the Rovers goal when he was upended at the corner of the box by Mark Quinn who gained a booking for his trouble. Up stepped Paul McGrillen to skelp home the penalty with Quinn guessing the wrong direction to dive. [Picture D]
Scott Chaplain tried his luck from just outside the home box and came respectably close. A long ball to Sichi saw the forward with only Fahey to beat, he dribbled the ball past the 'keeper when challenged but couldn't capitalise on the situation as he went down as he did so.
In 78 minutes came the historic moment when the 5000th Albion Rovers league goal was scored and it was fittingly spectacular in nature, Craig Young volleying home from the edge of the box.
Rovers continued pushing for more goals and Donnelly had a shot rebound off Fahey back to him, his follow-up attempt was this time held by the stopper. [Pictures E & F]
Rovers were denied an apparently good goal in 87 minutes when Young was adjudged offside even though he knew it and did not try to touch the ball which substitute Stephen Reid swept into the net from 30 yards out.
Quinn was forced to make a save in 89 minutes just before "Big Abou" replaced Young and within seconds the Guinean almost scored with what may have been his first touch of the ball all season. The match ended with a John Paul McBride free-kick from 30 yards failing to trouble Quinn.
Young of Rovers and Sinclair of the home side gained bookings during the match.
Summary
Had the referee been more disposed to Rovers than the home side, especially in the first half a draw may well have been on the cards. A gutsy performance by a young Rovers team against a team who gained a play-off place.
Stenhousemuir : Fahey, Renwick, McAlpine, Murphy, McKeown, McBride, Menzies, Cassidy (Templeton 69), Diack, Sinclair (Mercer 59), McGrillen. Subs Not Used : Thom, Desmond, McCulloch.
Albion Rovers : Quinn, Alan Reid (Hardie 80), McGhee, Lennon, Donnelly, Friel, Sichi (Stephen Reid 81), Chaplain, Young (Abou Beaker 89), Bonnar, Stewart. Subs Not Used : Noble, McGlynn.
Referee : Euan Norris
Man of the Match - Craig Young
