Date – 11th September 2002
Venue – Forthbank Stadium
Competition – CIS insurance Cup, Round 1
Result – Stirling Albion 3-3 Stenhousemuir (Stirling won 4-2 on penalties)
Kick Off – 7.30pm
To most Albion fans this will be one of the most vivid games from last year for any of the five hundred fans who were there. The match looked like turning into a nightmare as the visitors stormed into a 2-0 half time lead, the second goal being scored almost on the half time whistle and sparking anger from the home fans who thought Brian Crawford was a good distance offside when he ran onto a through ball and hammered the ball beyond Chris Reid.
The Albion side returned for the second half fuelled by the controversial nature of Stenhousemuir’s second goal but couldn’t find a way through a resolute and solid looking defence. Eventually the Binos did get a break in front of goal when Robert Dunn scored from twelve yards out after a melee. A buoyant Albion side flooded forward but were soon had a sinking feeling again after Stephen Reilly, now of Queen’s Park, was sent off for a second bookable offence following a heated discussion with the assistant referee.
Following Reilly’s dismissal it would have been easy for the rest of the side to fold but every player that night stood up to be counted. Deep into injury time Stephen Nicholas had an effort blocked away for a corner when it looked odds on he was going to score. With everyone bar Reid pushed forward into the box for the corner the ball somehow found its way to Gareth Munro who shot through a ruck of players and into the corner of the net. Cue wild celebrations and an irate John McVeigh running to the centre circle to have some words with the referee.
Extra time, incredibly, followed a similar pattern. Colin Waldie, gave the Warriors what looked like being a decisive lead before Steven Nicholas rose four minutes into stoppage time at the end of the second half of the extra period to loop a header in from a corner. Once more John McVeigh lost his head and once more the Albion fans and team went absolutely wild.
But the job was not yet complete. It was time for the penalty takers to keep their heads, and they did just that as four consecutive penalties scored by Stirling to Stenhousemuir’s two, after Chris Reid had made two excellent saves to keep out their first two kicks.
It was real Roy of the Rovers style comeback that night and not an evening for those with a weak heart but it set up another memorable tie, this time with Hearts, again at Forthbank.
