Stirling Albion 4 Cowdenbeath 0

Cinch League 2

A VERY poor performance by Cowdenbeath saw them sink to their fifth league defeat in six starts and plunged them back to the bottom of the table on goal difference.

Gary Bollan rang the changes at Forthbank but after losing a goal after only seven minutes they were always chasing this one and ended up with a hammering.

Stirling have been around the top four since the start of the season and while the visitors saw a lot of the ball they never really looked like scoring.

Already two down, a late Blue Brazil collapse let Albion in to double their advantage and send Cowden back to bottom spot.

Bollan will be exasperated with the cheap goal his side gave away and Stirling took full advantage.

They hit the front early when Kurtis Roberts did the spadework and provided the perfect cross for Jack LEITCH to get away from his marker and power a header into the net from five yards after the ball came back down from the bar, with the visiting defence found wanting.

Cowden began to settle and started to win some possession but could not get a meaningful shot away and it was Stirling who came close to adding to their lead with a Dylan Mackin header going just wide.

But MACKIN made no mistake in 34 minutes when he got his side’s second goal when Leitch set him up and the striker blasted home from 10 yards.

Cowden had to make a change when Kris Renton replaced Ross Clarke, who took a heavy knock, and at the interval the Blues had a lot of ground to make up.

They made a better start to the second period and forced three corners inside five minutes, but nothing came of them and Albion threatened through Mackin again, but Cammy Gill saved.

Liam Buchanan got an effort away for the Blues but his header drifted just over and then Renton‘s 12 yarder was blocked by the Stirling defence.

Cowden were still battling but in 83 minutes the game was over as a contest. Leitch was again the provider for the hosts and his pass was blasted home by Dale CARRICK after Gill had parried a shot.

There was still time for Cowdenbeath sub Kyle Miller to see his shot saved by Blair Currie and a minute from time the Blue Brazil’s bad day was complete when Albion sub Sean HEAVER fired home from the centre of the box after Rabin Omar made the opening.

Stirling Albion: Currie (7); McGeachie (7), McNiff (6) (Heaver 86 (3)), McGregor (7), Cummins (6), Laird (7), Flanagan (6) (Moore 74 (3)), Leitch (7) (Watson 86 (2)), Roberts (7), Bikey (6) (Omar65 (3)), Mackin (8) (Carrick 74 (3)). Subs not used, Banner, Law and Grant.

Cowdenbeath: Cammy Gill (6); Fraser Mullen (6), Craig Thomson (6), Jamie Todd (6), Craig Barr (6), Harvey Swann (7) (Kyle Miller 66 (3)), Robbie Buchanan (6) (Quinn Coulson 79 (3), Kyle Hutton (6), Bobby Barr (7), Liam Buchanan (6), Ross Clarke (5) (Kris Renton 41 (6). Subs not used, Ross Pollock, Gavin Morrison, Luke Mahady, James Collins, Lennon Watson, Dave McGurn.

Referee George Calder (7).

Attendance-586