SHIRE 2 STRANRAER 3

Outplayed and outfought but, amazingly, Shire were 2-0 up and heading for a seventh straight win with just 30 minutes to go.

In all honesty, though , the scoreline at that stage of the game was a travesty of natural justice and as soon as Gregory Tade reduced the leeway on 59 minutes there must have been many who feared the tables were going to be turned on the team,j ust as they had upset the apple cart against Dumbarton and Albion Rovers.

And so it turned out. After 73 minutes Mark Thomas's free-kick took a deflction off Joe Savage and anded up in the back of the net.

Three minutes later Shire really started to lose the plot when Kevin McBride was sent-off for his second booking in less than ten minutes. And with one less player at the back and with re-organisation still required, Stranraer struck.

Star Man Tade did the legwork with a great run and a pass which allowed Danny Mitchell to almost burst the net from ten yards. Those who had feared the worst were, again, right.

And they had good reason not to count their chickens even with the cushion of a two goal advantag because Shire were dire right from the first kick to the last.

The strong running visitors never allowed them to get their passing game going while keeping Darren Hill busier than any other team Shire have faced this season.

The home keeper was forced to stop his team falling behind in just the fourth minute. Tade crossed from the left and found Michael Mullen who turned Gordon Moffat on the edge of the six yard box before cracking in a shot which the keeper had to push behind for a corner.

That was just a taster of things to come. After 13 minutes Shire failed to clear their lines after a corner kick and Mullen cracked in a snapshot which whizzed just wide.

A minute later Stranraer should have taken the lead but Steven Bonar, after breaking the Shire offside trap, inexplicably shot wide of an empty net.

They must have thought it would be one of those days when Shire scored with virtually their first foray upfield. Kevin McBride's 27th minute corner was met perfectly by Moffat and although Scott Black tried to keep the header out it was a vain attempt.

After 33 minutes Mullen again shot wide when it seemed impossible for him to miss the target and the Stranraer fans must have been wondering what it would take for their team to find the net.

Shire started the second half in spectacular fashion and straight from the re-start Gary Kelly might have doubled the lead but his effort smacked off Black's post.

However, they had to wait just a few more seconds to make it 2-0. Another McBride corner caught a rather  static defence out allowing Joe Savage to sidefoot the ball into the net from close range.

The home fans must have wondered whether their had now weathered the storm and come out the other end intact. They dearly hoped that was the case but the introduction of Stranraer striker Pat Keogh for Ricky Gillies made a difference to the visitors.

But their luck in fronr of goal seemed not to be getting any better. After 50 minutes Bonar had another ideal opportunity to pull a goal back but instead shot straight at Hill.

Just when it seemed the luck was out Andy Gibson crossed, Danny Mitchell flicked on and Tade, lurking unmarked at the back post, prodded the ball over the line from almost under the crossbar.

Shire responded and might have re-established a two goal lead but for a fine save from Black after a Sean Simpson header. However, it was clear the longer the game went on Stranraer were finding more fluency.

They were awarded a soft free kick after 73 minutes wide on the left and Thomas delivered the ball accurately into the box but even he couldn't have expected Savage to deflect  it into his own net.

Two minutes later McBride was sent off for a fairly harmess challenge on McKinstry, nine minutes after he had been booked for a wild and senseless lunge at the same player. That had a direct impact on the decisive moment of the game after 78 minutes.

The home team was still trying to re-orgnise itself at the backand Tade took advantage threading the ball through for Mitchell to lash it high into the net.

Shire, this time could find no answer and, to make maters worse, saw skipper Andrew Brand taken off with a suspected broken bone in his right hand after Mitchell kicked him while attempting to play the ball.

SHIRE : Hill, Moffat, K. McBride, King, Thywissen, Kelly, Donaldson(Doyle 72), Brand(Carr 90), Savage, Simpson, Ure(Oates 84).

STRANRAER : Black, McKinstry, Thomas, Kane, Mitchell, McLaughlan, Tade, Bonar, Mullen(Cashmore 84), Gillies(Keogh 56), Gibson.

Referee : E. Norris

Attendance : 374.

Derek Ure is outjumped by Stranraer's James McKinstry.

Photo : Falkirk Herald

 

 

 

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