Stranraer 1 Stenhousemuir 1: Game makes the cut

After nine minutes of this previously ill-fated match it looked to be in trouble again when an assistant referee pulled up injured. Fortunately another qualified official was spectating and proceedings resumed after an 11 minute delay which became important later.

LEAGUE TABLE: SPFL League OneThe Warriors were nearly gifted a chance when Conner Duthie charged down an attempted Adam Cummins clearance that looked to have played Mark McGuigan in on goal but he was adjudged narrowly offside and then Greg Hurst failed to get any power into a header before Duthie himself had a shot from a tight angle that Max Currie saved with his right boot as the Warriors enjoyed their best spell of the match.

Stranraer responded though and a driven Anderson cross required Andy Munro to intervene with a timely clearance and the Blues best chance followed when a Cameron knock down found Cameron Elliott but his shot went straight to Graeme Smith. Currie was called into action at the other end to deny McGuigan following a quick Warriors counter attack down the right hand side.

CLUB PROFILE: Stenhousemuir FCIt was the Warriors who took full advantage of the stoppage time in the 7th extra minute when Conner Duthie gathered the ball in the penalty area from a Conor McBrearty pass and he turned and slotted a low shot past Currie into the bottom corner. Stranraer were unlucky not to level straight away as a Cameron header struck the crossbar and went over. Incredibly in the twelfth and final extra minute Stranraer did equalise. David Smith cut in from the left bursting through two defenders and blasted a low shot past his namesake into the net.

Upon the restart the Warriors had the first chances as Stranraer failed to deal with a corner but McGuigan disappointingly fired over from twelve yards when he should have done better and then McBrearty from long range fired directly at Currie before Cook tried his luck with exactly the same result.

MATCH PREVIEW: Stenhousemuir v BrechinStranraer responded and a Turner cross bound for Anderson at the back had to be well defended by Cook to deny the Blues a good chance.

Chaotic defending by Stranraer presented McGuigan with a free run at goal but the Warriors top scorer was eventually forced to turn back and his pass inside was cleared in desperation by the home side. There was still little to choose between the teams and with quarter of hour remaining it looked certain that another goal would be a clincher. McCann had a go but fired over and then a great run from Conor O’Keefe earned a corner from which Jamie Hamill forced Smith into a decent save low to his left. Then McGuigan had a pop but dragged his shot well wide under pressure from Cummins.

Stranraer then had a chance after a break from Joao Victoria gave Turner a chance but although unsighted Smith got it round the post for a corner and then Victoria headed wide after Cameron did well to get a cross over from the left. That clinching goal never arrived and an evenly matched contest that always looked a tight affair stayed deadlocked until the final whistle.