Stirling Albion:- Hogarth, Hay, Roycroft, Graham, Tomana, Bell, Gibson, Aitrken, Cramb, Shields and O’Brien.
Subs:- Cashmore for O’Brien, Taggart for Tomana. Wilson, Fraser and Christie(all unused)

Ayr United:- McGeown, McKinstry, Lowing, Forrest, Robertson, Casey, Caddis, Weaver, Vareille, Friels and Dunn.
Subs:- Strain for Dunn, Reid for Caddis and Logan for Lowing. Wardlaw and Johnson(both unused)

The Binos’ league campaign got off to the worst possible start when they lost 3-1 to Ayr United at Forthbank Stadium.
The unavailability of Devine and Forsyth saw the home team continue with the
3-4-1-2 formation used last week against St Johnstone with Tomana playing in between the midfield and strikers.
The Binos almost took the lead within 2 minutes when Tomana linked up with Cramb but the final shot by Shields was saved by McGeown. Tomana was proving a livewire and he did well to turn a defender and play the ball to Shields. The on loan Gretna striker was unable to get enough curl on his shot.
At the other end, Hogarth saved with his feet to deny Caddis. Vareille then had a chance after the ball had gone over Hay but the Frenchman scooped his shot over the bar.
As the game went from end to end Cramb then shot over. McGeown then pulled off a double save, first to deny Shields who had chested down a Gibson cross, then O’Brien who had pounced on the rebound.
Dunn of Ayr then found the angle too tight when a cross from the right beat Hogarth. Cramb then had a looping header which went over. Caddis almost put Ayr into the lead just before the break but, with only Hogarth to beat, the keeper managed to save with his legs.
Half time 0-0
The first chance of the second half fell to the home team when Shields whipped in a cross but Cramb was slow to react.
Ayr took the lead in 52 minutes when a corner from the left was headed goalwards by Robertson. Vareille was first to react and managed to bundle the ball over the line, despite Hogarth’s best efforts. 1-0 to Ayr.
The Binos responded immediately and should have been awarded a penalty when Cramb was barged in the back going for a Gibson cross but the referee waved away the claims.
Then the Binos were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area but Aitken’s effort from Gibson’s lay off went inches past.
Ayr doubled their lead after 65 minutes and, again, it was Vareille who did the damage when he capitalised on defensive errors to slot the ball past Hogarth. 2-0 to Ayr.
The Binos pulled one back with 12 minutes to go when a Tomana cross was headed home by Cramb. But, just as the home supporters thought their favourites were back in the game, Ayr killed it off when Forrest pounced on a short pass by Cramb to stroll through a static defence and play the ball to fellow defender Robertson to shoot home.
Final score 3-1
Perhaps the final score line was a bit harsh on the home team but poor defending led to their downfall though, on the positive side, this was by no means the first choice defence. There is no doubt that things will improve when Forsyth and Devine are available and this should see the Binos challenge being in the top half of the league.
There were 2 bookings for each team. For the home team, Hay was booked for deliberate hand ball whilst Shields was, in my opinion, rather harshly booked when he was judged not to have retreated the required distance at a free kick. Considering he was walking away from the spot of the kick and he had his back to the Ayr player, it was difficult to see how he could have deliberately blocked the free kick.
For Ayr, Vareille was booked following his second goal and Forrest was booked for encroachment at a free kick.