Despite falling behind twice. this was a good team performance from the Lichties. We hit their woodwork on at least 3 occasions. Mind you, sureenderingsoft goals from corners is a concern
At a damp and cool Gayfield, the game started off badly - the opposite of Saturday - when we fell a goal behind after 5 minutes. Flyer finall broke a long goal drought (despite his surges he never scored at all last season) and it was great timing 3 minutes after the break.
We fell behind to a Harty goal in 63 minutes before Kenyy Wright levelled immediately. As extra time loomed, Jamie Bishop poppped up with he winner.
A good week for the club and the fans - entertainment, an goals at Gayfield.
Report from The Courier
THE fans who braved the torrential downpour last night were treated to a classic Co-op Cup tie by Arbroath and Stirling Albion.
Arbroath ran out the winners, but each team deserves equal credit for a superb effort in which both enjoyed good chances and neither gave any quarter.
Stirling, whose physical presence and patient build-up play gave them an edge early on, got off to a cracking start when, with just five minutes gone, they earned a corner after Darren Hill was forced to tip over a blocked shot. Nathan Taggart fired in the corner and Andrew Graham rose to head home at the far post.
Arbroath could have been level just three minutes later when Stirling cleared the ball from their goal area— but only as far as Terry Masson 30 yards out, and he unleashed a scorcher that hit the crossbar with Scott Christie beaten.
At this stage Stirling were holding on to the ball well and building moves slowly, while Arbroath seemed to prefer lightning-quick breaks down the flanks. And this approach certainly reaped dividends for the hosts, despite the visitors' possession.
With 24 minutes gone, Arbroath had another gilt- edged chance when Barry Sellars' shot from inside the box looked destined for the back of the net but somehow went behind instead. The hosts had a third cracking chance on the half-hour when Sellars found himself one on one with Christie, after Bryan Scott played him through. But the keeper saved his effort.
Arbroath came out in the second half a team on a mission and a minute later Scott went agonisingly close to scoring with a cheeky flick which came back off the inside of the post.
The hosts did equalise two minutes later, though, when Kevin McMullan jumped on a fumble from Christie to knock home. Stirling regained the lead on 63 minutes, Ian Harty tapping home after Paul Murphy had headed down a corner.
But Arbroath refused to lie down and the crowd had barely a chance to sit back down before the sides were level once more. Super-sub Kenny Wright equalised less than a minute later with his first touch of the ball, having only been brought on in the seconds after Stirling's strike.
The goal gave Arbroath an added boost and they began to mount a series of attacks down their opponents' flanks. The winner came on 80 minutes when Jamie Bishop fired home from eight yards to send the home support delirious.
But Stirling weren't done and Harty should have equalised just a minute later when he fluffed his shot from 12 yards out after good work from McKenna.
Attendance—448.