SHIRE 1 STRANRAER 1

Not for the first time this season Shire were frustrated at failing to hit the heights at Ochilview.

There was no doubt a draw against Stranraer was a fair result for a game which represented poor value for money for the 367 fans, but the team certainly must have been aiming for higher.

In the end, it took a Craig Tully header nine minutes into the second half to salvage a point from a game that looked as though it may slip away from the team after Danny Mitchell’s 39th minute opener for the visitors.

There was again no surprise when Jim McInally named the same starting eleven for the third successive match. The team was aiming for a third straight win and had not conceded a goal since the disastrous 5-1 defeat at Forfar.

Nevertheless, the coach had emphasised the need to improve even on the 3-0 win at Montrose seven days earlier.

Derek Ure had come through a midweek reserve match as he continued his return from a knee injury but he was not risked even on the bench, the coach still preferring to give him more practice in the second team.

There was good news for Shire in the selection made by visiting manager, Keith Knox. He left dangerous striker, Michael Moore, on the substitutes bench.

Shire again paired up Simon Lynch and Stephen McGuire up front with Andy Rodgers in his now familiar wing role. Stranraer employed a similar 4-4-2 tactical system and seemed to settle into the game a lot quicker than their hosts and fired a number of dangerous balls into the box that couldn’t find anyone to direct the ball toward goal.

The first twenty minutes created no real clear-cut chances for either side in what was a very disappointing opening quarter but David King had to come to Shire’s rescue on 23 minutes, heading clear after Danny Mitchell played a cross back along the face of goal towards the waiting Stuart McColm.

After 26 minutes a cross from McInnes caught Shire off-guard and Martin Jack’s shot had to be smothered by Jamie Barclay.

After 34 minutes Shire mounted their first serious attempt on goal when Paul Hay’s ball was flicked on by Lynch to Rodgers but he couldn’t control the ball and the keeper collected.

Three minutes later a strong run down the left touchline by Richardson ended with a low cross which flew across the face of goal and wide with no one ready to tap Shire in front.

But Stranraer came more into things and after forcing a number of corners took the lead on 39 minutes. Ray Montgomerie’s cross from the left was completely missed by the Shire defence inside the six yard box which left Danny Mitchell with the easiest of tasks to head the ball into the net.

It could have been worse on the stroke of half time. Shire failed to fully clear another corner and when the ball made its way back into the box Jack hooked his effort just wide of target.

Shire made a strong start to the second half and within a minute Lynch was within inches of an equaliser but he just couldn’t reach Richardson’s free-kick.

The home team certainly looked a lot livelier and Stephen McGuire’s shot from inside the box sneaked past the post. Richardson then went on a mazy run down the by line but his effort was blocked for a corner.

But the Shire pressure did pay dividends after 54 minutes. Richardson’s corner from the right was met by Tully’s powerful header after the Shire skipper had made a late run into the box.

Neither side could get a grip of the game for much of the period after Shire’s goal. Both managers tried to change things using their substitutes but they failed to have any real impact on the game.

Jamie Stevenson was always likely to be the Shire man most likely to lift the game out of its slumber and he did than on 76 minutes hitting a twenty yard free kick off the crossbar.

Shire looked the likelier team from then on in but they still had Jamie Barclay to thank for a great save after 85 minutes, stretching out a leg to block Jack’s netbound effort.

SHIRE : Barclay, Hay, Richardson, King(Dunn 81), Bolochoweckyj, Tully, Weaver, Stevenson, Lynch, McGuire, Rodgers(McKenzie 72).

STRANRAER : David Mitchell, Agostini, McInnes(McGeoch 74), Nichol, Henderson, G. Mitchell, Montgomerie, Daniel Mitchell, Jack, McColm(Moore 56), Noble.

REFEREE : N. Watters

ATTENDANCE : 367