SHIRE 0 STENHOUSEMUIR 2

It was a case of might-have-been for Shire after a disappointing derby day defeat.

The home side can rightly claim the outcome may have been different had it not been for an amazing blunder by the match referee who failed to spot a deliberate handball by John Ovenstone to prevent a Dean Richardson shot entering the net.

It may have been more interesting for Shire with the award of a penalty and the Warriors down to ten men. But it was a long struggle with parity and no chance to take the lead from the spot. And as soon as Kevin Motion scored the opening goal for Stenhousemuir in injury-time at the end of the first period there seemed no way back for a rather punchless Shire.`

Jamie Barclay, signed on loan from Falkirk in midweek, took over the number one jersey for his first start in senior football. That change was very much expected, but coach Jim McInally pulled one major surprise, recalling Stephen Oates to the centre of defence after a six week injury lay-off.

With Colin Cramb still feeling the effects of the injury that forced him off early in the last match at Dumbarton, Andy Rodgers was brought back into the starting eleven, and Sean Anderson was included at the expense of David Dunn.

The Warriors needed little extra incentive to beat Shire, but the edge was added to the occasion by the inclusion of three former Firs Parkers in their line-up. Andrew Brand, Chris McGroarty and Jordan Smith all began the match and a fourth player with Shire connections, Paul Tyrrell, was on the substitutes bench.

Shire got on the front foot early, although the direction-finder took a while to get going. Nevertheless, an early Michael Bolochoweckyj header and a Brian Graham effort which hit the side net gave some early encouragement.

After 12 minutes John Ovenstone headed wide a free-kick from Kevin Motion, but Shire’s debut keeper Barclay had very little to do. That changed on 22 minutes when Motion hit a free-kick over the Shire defensive wall and the on-loan Falkirk man had to look sharp to push the ball over the crossbar.

A minute later Graham should have given Shire the lead after being sent clean through on goal by Oates. But the striker attempted to round keeper Kieron Renton and could only fire his shot from the tightest of angles into the side net.

On the half hour came the game’s big talking point. Dean Richardson engineered a shooting opportunity from just inside the box and his netbound effort was clearly handled by Warriors’ defender Ovenstone. But referee Frank McDermott seemed oblivious to the illegal block and waved play on when Shire should have had a penalty kick and Ovenstone a red card.

Ten minutes later a poor clearance from Oates and some poor marking in the centre of defence allowed Alan Brazil to race clean through on goal. But Richardson did enough to put the former Arbroath man off in the act of shooting and although Brazil still got his shot away Barclay tipped it onto the post.

It seemed the game was headed for stalemate at the interval when the Warriors fired in the opening goal in injury time added on for earlier treatment for Richardson, the victim of a vicious foul by Willie Lyle. Ironically, it was the Warriors full-back who supplied the cross for Steven Ferguson to nod the bal back across goal for Motion fire home a volley from eight yards.

Shire made most of the headway at the start of the second half and Derek Ure cracked in a shot from 20 yards that was deflected wide for a fruitless corner kick. Oates was in the wars at the other end, ending up the meat in a sandwich of Barclay and Scott Dalziel, although he was able to continue after treatment.

On the hour mark Forrest saved Shire falling two goals behind when he cleared Dalziel’s near post off the line. But the Warriors made it 2-0 in 65 minutes when Ian Thomson broke from midfield before stringing a pass along the 18 yard line for the unmarked Motion to shoot low past Barclay.

Marc McKenzie was brought on for the largely ineffective Rodgers and David Dunn replaced Oates to try and retrieve the situation but it was Stenhousemuir who were the more threatening.

Dalziel should have made it 3-0 on 75 minutes after turning Forrest inside out on the edge of the box but his shot was well saved by Barclay.

The longer the game went on the more Stenhousemuir looked as though they would add to their tally. Lyle drove a shot into the side net when a ball to the unmarked Dalziel in the middle might have been a more profitable move.

The visitors saw out the rest of the game comfortably and,, by the conclusion, totally merited their three points.

Shire : Barclay, Hay, Richardson, Oates(Dunn 76), Bolochoweckyj, Forrest, Donaldson, Anderson, Rodgers(McKenzie 65), Ure, Graham(Trialist 85).

Stenhousemuir : Renton, Lyle, McGroarty, Smith, Ovenstone, Thomson, Brazil(Shirra 86), Ferguson, Dalziel, Brand(Desmond 82), Motion.

Refeee : F. McDermott

Attendance : 511