STRANRAER 1 SHIRE 2

At half-time it seemed Shire were cruising to their first victory at Stranraer in almost 20 years. Two goals ahead, and with the team playing some great football, there seemed little reason to doubt the outcome.

But this turned out to be the classic game of two halves as Stranraer bore down on goal. They halved the deficit and missed a couple of decent opportunities to level things. But they could also have added goals during the same period on the break. In the end it was trickier than it should have been, but three welcome points nonetheless.

Despite the storms and floods, Shire’s trip to Stair Park beat the weather although, at kick-off time, there was still a torrential downpour being swept across the pitch by a strong wind.

Skipper, Craig Tully, declared himself fit after missing the 2-1 win over Forfar Athletic the previous week and came back into the eleven at the expense of Paul Hay.

That meant a tactical switch with Craig Donaldson slotting in to the right-back position with Tully resuming his normal midfield anchor role. The team again lined-up 4-4-2 with Simon Lynch and Andy Rodgers hoping to resume their successful strike partnership which bore fruit at Ochilview the previous week.

Shire faced the gale in the first half but Stranraer were unable to create much in the opening few minutes and those who feared the weather would ruin the match as a spectacle were given early ammunition to support their theory.

It took seven minutes for either side to get a shot on target and it was Jamie Stevenson who fired one in from 20 yards but David Mitchell in the home goal was well behind it.

But two minutes later Shire were in front. Derek Ure won the ball in midfield and his first time pass released Rodgers whose 20 yarder took a deflection off a Stranraer leg before finding the back of the net.

Almost straight from the re-start Shire won back possession and Paul Weaver was clean through but rather than pass to the better-placed Stevenson, he elected to go it alone and was crowded out by home defenders.

Shire did their best not to let Stranraer into the game and still managed to create some chances. Dean Richardson whipped in a number of dangerous free-kicks and even had a 20 yard shot himself after being set up by Rodgers but that was blocked.

The home team tried their luck down the left flank and McInnes released Sharp for a cross which Jamie Barclay was glad to pluck out of the air with Michael Moore lurking.

That was on 27 minutes and three minutes later the Shire goal was under more pressure but this time Michael Bolochoweckyj was there to block a drive from McManus and the danger was cleared.

A cleverly-worked free-kick after 32 minutes gave Stevenson enough space on the left flank to deliver a dangerous cross which Rodgers met with an ambitious overhead kick which flew well over the bar.

But after 38 minutes the match should have been safe for Shire. A mis-placed midfield pass gifted possession to Lynch. He beat one defender and got just inside the box but with only the keeper to beat shot over the bar.

It turned out not to be an important miss, though. After Weaver tested the keeper from long range on 40 minutes, it was Donaldson who crossed for Rodgers to knock the ball into the path of Stevenson to shoot home from 10 yards on the stroke of half-time.

Stranraer took the game to Shire at the start of the second half and created a great opportunity straight from the re-start when Stuart Noble made space for himself down the left and crossed and the Shire defence only cleared with some difficulty.

After 51 minutes Lynch found himself clean through on goal again after a poor home pass out of defence. This time the striker steadied himself and shot through the keeper but Mitchell somehow managed to tip the ball onto the crossbar and over for a corner.

Stranraer continued to enjoy the majority of possession and there were real opportunities starting to present themselves. And, on 55 minutes, McManus could hardly miss standing as he was on the goal line when the ball came through a ruck of players from the right wing.

The home team certainly had the forward momentum and Shire certainly rode their luck. That was especially true on 64 minutes when McManus played Moore clean through but the striker dragged his shot across the face of goal and wide.

There was a bigger sigh of relief after 74 minutes when Stranraer spurned an even better chance to level the scoring when Moore did the spade work and crossed for the unmarked Noble who somehow managed shoot wide from roughly the position of the penalty spot.

There was further anxiety on 83 minutes when Noble outsprinted Shire sub Paul Hay and delivered a great cross which Montgomerie threw himself at but couldn’t direct into the net.

STRANRAER : David Mitchell, G. Mitchell, Sharp, Bouadji, Agostini, McInnes(Jack 80), Nicholl, Danny Mitchell, Moore, McManus(Montgomerie 80), Noble.

SHIRE : Barclay, Tully, Richardson, Donaldson, Bolochoweckyj, Forrest, Weaver(Hay 81), Stevenson(Dunn 66), Lynch(McGuire 66), Ure, Rodgers.

REFEREE : B. Colvin

ATTENDANCE :