Stirling Albion’s Premier Sports activities Cup marketing campaign continues on Saturday with a visit to face Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park.
The Binos kicked off Group A with a 2-1 win at Dumbarton final weekend due to objectives from debutant Robert Thomson and Kieran Moore.
Darren Younger’s males have been the odd group out in midweek when Aberdeen noticed off Dumbarton 2-0 at Pittodrie and Raith Rovers thrashed Peterhead 6-0 in Kirkcaldy.
Jack Leitch will miss the journey to Stark’s Park and the sport comes too quickly for former East Fife midfielder Ross Davidson however ex-Shotts striker Danny Burns may return to the squad.
Younger stated: “I believed we performed very effectively towards Dumbarton and totally deserved to win.
“We're in a troublesome part with Raith Rovers and Aberdeen developing nevertheless it’s positively a lift to be going into these video games on the again of three factors.”
It’s the beginning of a giant week for Stirling, who host Aberdeen at Forthbank on Tuesday and conclude their group video games at house to the Blue Toon every week tomorrow.
First up is a gathering with Rovers, who've a brand new supervisor in Ian Murray following John McGlynn’s transfer to Falkirk earlier in the summertime. The perimeters final met in 2020/21 when the Kirkcaldy membership gained 2-0 in a Scottish Cup tie that was performed behind closed doorways at Forthbank attributable to Covid restrictions.
Albion’s final victory over Rovers was in a First Division match in October when Chris Aitken and Gordon Smith bought the objectives in a 2-0 success below then supervisor John O’Neill.
Their final go to to the Fife venue was 9 years in the past this month when Jordan White netted for the Binos in a 2-1 Problem Cup defeat.
The go to of Aberdeen on Tuesday would be the first match on the brand new Forthbank pitch following work over the summer time.
Jim Goodwin’s males are sturdy favourites to high the part and that is the primary time the Dons have been concerned within the group stage for the reason that competitors was revamped in 2016/17.
It is going to be the primary assembly of the groups in a aggressive fixture for 1 / 4 of a century – in September 1997 Aberdeen gained 2-0 at Forthbank in a League Cup quarter-final after Kevin Drinkell’s aspect had surprised Kilmarnock 6-2 in a third-round tie the earlier month.
All group video games within the Premier Sports activities Cup that finish degree after 90 minutes are adopted by a penalty shoot-out, with the winners awarded a bonus level.
The group stage concludes subsequent weekend, with the eight winners and three finest runners-up becoming a member of Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Dundee United and Motherwell within the final 16 on the finish of August.