Stranraer 0 Stirling Albion 3

Last updated : 29 January 2005 By Footymad Previewer
Stranraer's goalscoring touch which had deserted them in recent weeks was still missing and this time their defence leaked badly allowing Stirling to notch up their seventh undefeated meeting with the Blues in a row.

For Stranraer the slump meant they have suffered four home defeats in a row.

Stranraer started strongly and might have scored twice in the opening five minutes.

Fraser Wright found Graham Guy for a long cross-field ball but Guy's return cross found no one challenging.

Derek Wingate put together a good run but Stirling keeper Myles Hogarth pulled off a good block to concede only a corner.

At the other end, Paul Di Giacomo rifled in a 20-yard drive which suddenly shot off and almost caught out the home keeper but Michael McGovern recovered to block with his chest and smother the loose ball.

The home side were still dominating but three minutes from the break the livewire David O'Brien carved out a goal from an unlikely situation darting between Murray Henderson and Kevin Gaughan to steal the ball and then shoot beyond the advancing keeper.

Stranraer came close right on half time but Guy's shot was cleared off the goalline by Stirling keeper Paul Nugent.

If Stirling had done little but managed to go ahead in the first half they did exactly the same within a couple of minutes of the restart.

An innocent looking cross from the right struck Henderson in the home goalmouth and Di Giacomo hit low into the net to double the lead.

And 16 minutes later Di Giacomo managed to hook a cleaver shot high into the net to round off a superb win for the visitors.