STRANRAER 2 SHIRE 1

A controversial Gregory Tade goal was enough for Stranraer to take all three points against Shire in a close and hard-fought game at Stair Park.

Shire were adamant the French striker had palmed Michael Mullen’s 22nd minute cross into the net with his hand but despite their protests referee Steven Nicholls awarded the goal that cancelled out Craig Donaldson’s eighth minute opener.

That proved crucial when, after 78 minutes, Mullen hit a spectacular volley into the net to give Stranraer the three points they scarcely deserved.

Coach Jim McInally made just one change to the team that started the midweek match at Elgin City, bringing back Andy Rodgers after a two game ban to replace the injured Gary Kelly.

Rodgers had the game’s first chance after just three minutes. He was played clear through on goal by an inch-perfect Donaldson pass but he decided to shoot from the edge of the penalty box and the effort went just over the bar.

That was just a prelude to Shire taking the lead. A Kevin McBride corner kick landed at the feet of Andrew Brand whose short was blocked. Donaldson picked up the pieces on the edge of the box and rifled a low shot past Scott Black in the Stranraer goal.

On the quarter hour Donaldson might have repeated the dose with a clever half volley but this time Back was better placed and made a decent save. Five minutes later Paul McBride broke clear down the left and sent in a dangerous centre but no Shire player was on hand for the tap in that would have brought a second goal. From he resulting Kevin McBride corner Brand headed narrowly over.

But all Shire’s good work was undone on 22 minutes. Mullen broke clear down the right and crossed for Tade. The Frenchman’s made to head the ball but missed and it clearly hit his arm before he palmed it into the net. The Shire protests fell on deaf ears.

Shire still had most of the forward momentum and both Rodgers and Derek Ure came close with decent efforts, Ure’s one in particular shaved the outside of the post from 20 yards.

After the break Stranaer’s James McKinstry made a mazy right wing run which ended  with a cross that Tade ballooned over the bar from close range. A minute later Kevin McBride hit a well-placed free-kick disappointingly into the Stranraer defensive wall.

On the hour mark a defence-splitting Donaldson pass again put Rodgers clear. This time the Shire striker took the ball into the box and looked odds-on to score but his final effort was poor and straight against Black’s legs.

After 77 minutes Shire really ought to have taken the lead. Derek Ure fired in a tantalising free-kick from 25 yards out, Scott Gibb got his boot to the ball; it looked a goal all the way but it narrowly missed Black’s left-hand post.

A minute later came the sucker punch. Shire failed to clear their lines and a long ball towards Mullen dropped perfectly for the striker to hit a looping volley over Gary O’Connor and into the net.

It was a sickening blow for the visitors but they did not lose heart. Michael Bolocheweckyj was moved up front in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the match but it was Ure who almost provided the equaliser in the third minute of injury-time

He hit a free-kick from fully 30 yards low and hard through a ruck of players towards Black, who saw it late and tried to block with his legs. The Stranraer keeper was a relieved man to see the ball balloon up into the air off his legs and off the crossbar before the home defence could clear to safety.

Stranraer : Black, McInstry, Creaney, Dobbins, McLaughlan, Noble(Kane 57), Gibson, Mitchell, Mullen(McColm 86), McConologue(Cashmore 79), Tade

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Shire : O’Connor, Gibb, K.McBride(McKenzie 89), Oates, Bolocheweckyj, King, Donaldson, Brand, Rodgers, P. McBride(Brownlie 71), Ure.

Referee : S.Nicholls.