SHIRE 1 STRANRAER 3

A barrowload of missed opportunities cost Shire any chance of taking the points from Stranraer at Firs Park.

Despite dominating the first period and creating a number of gilt-edged openings, the Firs Parkers wasted them all and then were hit by the sucker punch after the break as Stranraer scored twice in five minutes.

A brave fightback saw John Brownlie's men pull one goal back and then miss more scoring chances to equalise before Stranraer scored a third in the last minute.

Brownlie signalled his satisfaction with the performance of the team in the weekend game with Stenhousemuir by limiting his changes to just the enforced one; Stephen Oates coming in for the suspended Gordon Moffat.

And, within two minutes of the start Shire might have been ahead. A long throw-in from Scott Gibb caused panic in the visitors' penalty box and Derek Ure almost took advantage, turning to shoot from the edge of the six yard box but flashing his effort wide.

Two minutes later some lovely flowing football involving Gibb, Sean Simpson, Joe Savage and Paul Brownlie presented a clear scoring opportunity for Andy Rodgers, but the Shire striker couldn't get enough power behind the shot and Scott Black saved.

Stranraer are not one of the main play off contenders for nothing and Shire had to be on their guard at the back. After 19 minutes Steven McConologue caught the home rearguard out but managed to shoot straight at Gary O'Connor.

Two minutes later the Stranraer striker tried an effort from outside the box that forced a full-legnth diving save from the Shire keeper.

This miss of the match came on 39 minutes when Black blundered in tryying to hold a Savage effort from 20 yards. Brownlie nipped in to collect the rebound but, instead of chipping the ball over the prostrate keeper into the net, he managed to screw his shot badly and it smacked off the post.

Stranraer had been given a real let off and they set about trying to put things right after the break. It didn't take them long.

Just four minutes in James McKinstry's cross was swung in low from the left and Carl Thywissen, desperate to stop Danny Mitchell connecting with it at the near post only succeeded in turning hte ball into his own net.

Five minutes later it was 2-0. The ball was pushed through to Stuart McColm and the striker brushed off a challenge from David King to sweep the ball past the exposed O'Connor.

The floodgates might have opened at that point but Shire instead fought back. After 58 minutes Rodgers crossed from the left, Simpson shot for goal and when the ball balooned into the air from Black's save Brownlie dived to head it over the line from point-blank range.

With 73 minutes on the clock Shire should have brought the scores level. Savage played Rodgers in behind the defence but instead of racing in one-on-one with the keeper he chose to lob the ball over Black from the edge of the box and it drifted agonisingly wide.

Ten minutes later a corner from the left saw the ball drop at Oates' feet but instead of blasting itb high into the net he shot just over the bar.

In the final minute Stranraer substitute Ian Cashmore took advantage of some poor home defending to clip home the visitors' third goal from the edge of the six yard box.

Shire : O'Connor, Gibb(Donaldson 83), King, Oates, Thywissen, Brownlie, Simpson(McKenzie 70), Brand, Savage(P. McBride 77), Rodgers, Ure.

Stranraer : Black, McKinstry, White, Dobbins, Noble, Kane, Gibson, Mitchell, McColm(Cashmore 84), McConologue(Gribben 88), Tade(McLaughlin 70).

Referee : E. Norris

Attendance : 235.