Stirling Albion play their first residence recreation of the League Two season after they welcome Elgin Metropolis to Forthbank on Saturday.
It was a nasty begin to the 2022/23 marketing campaign for Darren Younger’s males as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Dumbarton on the opening day. Declan Byrne scored twice inside 5 minutes and the Binos had left-back Cammy Clark despatched off for a reckless problem on Aron Lynas with 18 minutes left.
The summer season signing from Annan will now serve a two-match ban, ruling him out of this weekend’s go to of Elgin and subsequent week’s native derby at residence to Stenhousemuir.
Elgin head for Forthbank on the again of a 3-1 loss to relegated East Fife, however Gavin Worth’s males have a superb file in Stirling.
The Black and Whites triumphed 2-0 on their final go to in April and likewise received 1-0 in Younger’s first recreation as Albion boss again in December.
Metropolis have received 4 in a row at Forthbank since a Josh Peters aim earned Stirling a 1-0 win in September 2019.
Albion have a poor file of their first residence league recreation of the season in latest occasions, shedding 3-1 to Kelty Hearts 12 months in the past after beginning with a victory at Stenhousemuir.
Three years in the past, they misplaced 1-0 to Queen’s Park though they did start with a 0-0 draw in opposition to the Spiders within the Covid-delayed 2020/21 season when the Glasgow membership went on to carry the title. The 2018/19 marketing campaign noticed Clyde triumph 3-0 at Forthbank after a defeat at Berwick within the opener.
You need to return to August 2017 for a Stirling success of their first residence league recreation when a Darren Smith double helped safe a 4-0 thumping of Berwick Rangers.
Dave Mackay’s males received their first 4 League Two matches that season and had been prime of the desk till the autumn however finally completed in third place and had been overwhelmed by Peterhead within the play-offs.
Binos boss Younger will likely be anticipating significantly better from his crew in opposition to Elgin after the frustration at Dumbarton and with difficult fixtures in opposition to Stenhousemuir, Annan Athletic and Bonnyrigg Rose nonetheless to come back this month.
He stated: “The requirements final week had been nicely in need of what we had set within the Premier Sports activities Cup and I hope it was a wake-up name.
“The objectives we misplaced had been very poor and it allowed Dumbarton to take a seat and defend. We had probabilities to get again into however we didn’t handle to take them.”
In the meantime, Stirling Albion will uncover their SPFL Belief Trophy opponents on Wednesday when Hibernian B host Brechin Metropolis within the first spherical at New Victoria Park, residence of Newtongrange Star.
The Binos are away to the winners of that tie in spherical two on August 23/24, with the third spherical scheduled for Saturday, September 24.