Stirling Albion...3

Elgin City...1

Stirling Albion came from a goal down to move to within a point of the League Two playoff places with victory over Elgin at Forthbank.

On a horrendous afternoon the conditions played a huge part as Elgin took an early lead through a Craig Gunn penalty, but the Binos roared back in the second half, with Mark Lamont equalising before supplying Steven Doris and Darren Smith.

Stuart McLaren named an unchanged starting lineup from the side which thrashed Cumbernauld Colts in the Scottish Cup on Tuesday.

It took 20 minutes for the first chance of the game to arrive as both sides struggled to get to grips with the wind and torrential rain, but from it the visitors took the lead.

A long ball over the top caught out Ross McGeachie and Dylan Easton raced through on goal. Chris Smith made a good initial save from the striker’s shot but brought the Elgin man down as they scrambled for the rebound. The keeper guessed correctly but was helpless to prevent Gunn’s penalty from nestling in the bottom corner.

Easton could easily have doubled their lead seconds later after a great break. Marc McKenzie broke down the right and crossed for Easton, who really should have tested Smith with a free header which sailed wide.

McKenzie then had a goal chalked off for offside as City looked to add to their advantage.

The Binos struggled playing into the wind and chances were at a premium for the hosts. Lamont swung in a free kick from the left which almost found a way through keeper Mark Hurst, but the Elgin defence recovered to clear the danger.

The visitors started the second half on the front foot and had a great chance to extend their lead. Ross Forsyth brought down McKenzie just outside the box but Jordan Halsman curled his shot over the bar.

At the other end, a Steven Doris shot was deflected for a corner as the Binos pressed for a route back into the game. From Mark Lamont’s ball in Sean Dickson fired a shot at goal but McKenzie was on hand to block the ball on the goal line.

Albion were pouring forwards by this point and they found an equaliser shortly afterwards. Lamont picked the ball up midway inside the visitors’ half and drove at goal, leaving defenders trailing in his wake before firing an unstoppable shot across Hurst and into the bottom corner.

Elgin continued to pose a threat Smith had to be alert to deny Easton after the Elgin man headed McKenzie’s cross towards goal.

Hurst pulled off a magnificent save to deny substitute Craig Beattie whose curling effort looked destined for the top corner, but was unable to do anything about the goal which gave the Binos the lead with ten minutes to play.

Lamont, who was at the centre of everything positive that the home side had to offer, whipped in a fantastic cross and Doris was waiting at the back post to power a fine diving header in off the underside of the bar.

And five minutes later, Albion made sure of the three points with their third of the afternoon. Lamont’s cross eventually fell to Darren Smith, and the former Motherwell man blasted the ball home for his first goal of the season after a long injury lay-off to ensure his side remain firmly within touching distance of the promotion places.

Stirling Albion: C. Smith, Verlaque, McKinlay, Mazel, McGeachie, Forsyth, Lamont, Robertson, Doris (R. Smith), D. Smith (Cunningham), Dickson (Beattie).