Stirling Albion:- Hogarth, Nugent, Devine, Reid, Graham, Aitken, Hay, Bell, McKenna, Walker and Forsyth.
Subs:- Lilley for Walker
Not Used:- Harris, Tomana, Taggart and Christie
Booked:- Graham

St. Johnstone:- Main, Irvine, Stanic, Craig, McManus, Anderson, MacDonald, Quinn, Jackson, Milne and Sheerin.
Subs:- Lawrie for Quinn, Weatherston for Sheerin and Daal for Milne
Not Used:- Rutkiewicz and Cuthbert
Booked:- Craig, McManus, Sheerin and Daal

Having lost 4 games on the trot and conceding 14 goals in the process, the Binos went into today’s game with St Johnstone desperate for some kind of result which could give them hope that they would survive in the First Division. On the other hand, though the Saints have been disappointing this season, having started as one of the favourites for promotion, they were coming off the back of a 5-2 victory over Livingston.
The Binos again made changes in a desperate attempt to find the winning touch. Out went Cramb, through injury, whilst Harris was relegated to the bench. Easton dropped right out of the picture. In their places came Devine and Nugent whilst the biggest surprise of the day saw Walker partnering McKenna up front. The ex- Whitehill player has been used on the right wing this season and it was looked upon as being a bit of a gamble to have him playing as a striker.
I was hoping for an exciting match to bring my time as match reporter for the website and match programme to an end. Unfortunately, the first half was devoid of entertainment with few chances made at either end.
Chances were fairly even over this period with the best chance for the Binos coming from a free kick after Walker had been brought down at the edge of the box. Unfortunately, Aitken, who has been a major disappointment over the past few weeks, saw his effort rebounding off the wall for a corner.
The Saints’ best chances came in the five minute period just before half time when, firstly, Irvine was his cross from the right glance off the bar while MacDonald, after weaving his way inside, had a shot comfortably held by Hogarth.
In contrast, the second half was a much more entertaining affair with the Binos having a slight edge over their opponents.
A cross from Forsyth was knocked on by Hay but McKenna’s shot didn’t carry enough power to trouble Main.
At the other end, MacDonald was fouled on the edge of the box. From the resultant free kick, the ball was played to Craig whose effort hit the post.
Shortly after that, MacDonald was again fouled on the edge of the box but his free kick failed to clear the defensive wall.
The Binos were denied what looked like a certain penalty when McKenna worked his way into the box was pulled back just as he was about to shoot. To the dismay of the home fans, referee Freeland waved away the claims.
Bell was next to have a go but Main managed to save the midfielder’s shot with the use of his feet.
Lilley scorned a good chance to put the Binos into the lead when he shot wide from the corner of the 6 yard box.
Statistics show that the Binos lose more goals toward the end of games than at any other time in a match. It was no surprise, therefore, that many of the St Johnstone players sitting in the stand thought that they had taken the lead with only 8 minutes left when MacDonald’s header seemed to be heading for the back of the net. To their dismay, it went inches past the post.
Bell then burst through and the ball broke to Lilley but his effort was just over the bar.
In the final minute of regulation time, Hogarth produced a fine save to ensure the final scoreline was 0-0.
With their limited resources, this was a good result for the Binos and more performances, such as they showed in the second half, will be required if they are to survive in what is a very competitive league.
This is my last match report and I would like to say that it has been a pleasure reporting the Binos’matches for the last 4 years. This period has seen some dramatic games with last season’s play off matches being the most nerve wracking of all the years I have been following the Binos.
Being a Binos fan hasn’t made it easy to be unbiased when doing match reports. I have tried to be as fair as possible and I hope that this has come over in my reports.
Over the years, I have made mistakes and, sometimes, my view of games hasn’t been the same as everyone else. However, I hope that everyone who has read my reports has felt that they were at the game.
I am now looking forward to being able to attend matches without the pressure of making sure I see everything which happens. I will certainly be in attendance at East End Park this Saturday with the Young Reds who will now receive more of my attention.
I wish my successor, or successors, every good wish in reporting the Binos and hope they have as much fun as I have over the past few years.