Stirling’s 1-1 draw with Raith Rovers will be remembered less for the ninety minutes than for the fact the game was played on a Sunday. The first half was an entirely forgettable affair with neither side fashioning any chances of note but Albion looked livelier after the interval and took the lead when Colin Cramb latched onto Paul Hay’s precise through ball and finished powerfully. Three points looked odds on to remain at Forthbank but an onslaught from Rovers on the home side’s goal resulted in a late equaliser for the Fife side when Martyn Campbell headed home Fotheringham’s free-kick.

Allan Moore chose to continue with the 4-4-2 formation that was so effective against Alloa last week, only replacing Ross Forsyth with Paul Hay because of the former’s suspension due to the red card he received at Recreation Park. The Raith side, who were bossed by George Gemmill due to the departure of Gordon Dalziel during the week, showed former Albion player Todd Lumsden in the centre of their defence. Perhaps more notable was the presence of huge striker Armand One, who appeared to be wearing hot-pants rather than shorts.

One was to have little bearing on the game but had the best chance of a dreary first half when he broke free in the inside left channel but tugged his shot wide of Hogarth’s far post. Raith were playing like a team who were keen to impress any potential new managers as they closed down quickly in the centre of the pitch and crunched into their tackles but for all their effort a creative presence was badly lacking. Despite this they reduced Albion to a wayward effort from a Cramb free-kick and a Dene Shields strike from inside the box that, all too typically, flew well over the top. The major talking point of the first half was the elbow that Iain Davidson appeared to throw in the face of Marek Tomana. The referee clearly indicated he saw an elbow used but elected to merely award the free-kick rather than caution, or even speak to the player in question. Minutes later Davidson committed a similar but more innocuous foul where the referee again indicated the use of an elbow but again the referee allowed the Rovers player away unpunished despite the earlier incident.

The second half was a slightly brighter affair and the Binos looked more likely to strike an early advantage as several dangerous looking shots were blocked by the tenacious Rovers defence. Cramb and Shields shots looked particularly threatening but Cramb’s effort was expertly blocked by Fotheringham while Shield’s strike spun wide for a corner. Up to the seventy minute mark neither side had managed so much as a shot on target but this was soon to change as Albion opened the scoring. Paul Hay pounced on a mistake in the centre of the park by Manson, newly arrived as a replacement for the ineffectual Fairbairn, and slid in a lovely pass to Colin Cramb Earlier Cramb had found room in the inside right channel but drilled a bouncing ball just wide of the near post but this time he made no mistake, firing the ball into the net. The lead should have been extended by Albion in the period after the goal as two goalscoring chances slid away due to slack play. Firstly John Fraser attempted to square the ball to Shields when through on goal only for the linesman to intervene and then Cramb tried a similar thing but his pass to Cashmore, who had replaced the ex-Cowdenbeath player, was not accurate enough and allowed a backtracking defender to whip the ball away. In hindsight this was a turning point of the match as Raith battled back into it. Dougie Wilson was brought on for Tomana with Steven Bell being moved to the centre of the park and Jinky was forced to look lively when he did superbly to make up a seemingly insurmountable quantity of ground to block Manson’s effort. The pressure was beginning to build on the fragile Albion defence and the rearguard nearly snapped when an innocent looking cross had to be headed off the line by Hay after it had floated over Hogarth’s head. The Albion keeper then made an excellent stop from the rebound as Rovers looked for a leveller. The goal came in the cruellest circumstances for the Binos as referee McKendrick awarded the visitors a free kick on the edge of the box for a foul on Manson as ninety minutes approached. Fotheringham’s cross was floated into a dangerous area and was met first by the head of Martyn Campbell who headed low past Myles Hogarth. Albion might have won the game in stoppage time but the referee once again sided with the away team as he turned down what looked like a good penalty appeal as Cramb crashed to the ground when it looked likely a shot was forthcoming.

Albion were not only left looking for their first penalty of the season but also their first win as one seems as illusive as the other. Both have been within touching distance and, indeed, both should have occurred by now yet Forfar travel down to Forthbank next week in the knowledge that the Binos have yet to claim maximum points at home in three games. The Forfar match represents an excellent chance for Moore’s side to steady their grip on third position, which was won today after Brechin were disposed of by Stranraer. The Loons seem to be drifting into their position as relegation favourites after starting with an encouraging win and if the Binos are to be challenging at the right end of the table need to be winning such games. Allan Moore has much to ponder in the week ahead; Wilson looked good when he arrived, certainly better than Bell, who is by no means a bad player but does not have the mentality of a winger. Someone must be dropped or the formation must be changed, with 4-5-1 the likely alternative, however, it may not be the best formation for playing a side as weak as Forfar appear to be at the moment. For the answers you’ll have to visit Forthbank next Saturday as the season slips back into its usual pattern.