Stranraer help Stirling to smile again
Friday 6th January 2012
Stranraer midfielder Stephen Stirling celebrated his twenty second birthday yesterday (Thursday, 5th January) however, the past month must have felt like his birthday as he has fallen in love with football again to devastating effect.
Stirling started December with an equalising goal for The Blues at Elgin City and he followed that up with a counter in a 3-0 success over Annan Athletic, two goals in a 6-0 win over East Stirlingshire, an injury time winner over Peterhead and one of Keith Knox’s side’s goals as the Stair Park men ended 2011 as League leaders after a 4-2 success over Annan.
The former Rangers youth player is back playing with a smile on his face and with Stranraer extending his contract until the end of the season, it looks like he is putting the disappointment of not securing a full-time career at Ibrox and an unproductive loan spell at Stirling Albion pretty far behind him.
Stirling said: “I was with Rangers for six years after joining them from Livingston and I loved it. It was a fantastic experience and it was a pity that I never managed to get any game time in the first team.
“I was involved in first team squads and was on the bench and had a first team squad number but never got on and that is a regret.”
The midfielder did play his part in big occasions all the same as he explained: “I played in two SFA Youth Cup Finals at Hampden and they were really big games. The first one in 2008 saw us defeat Celtic 3-1 in the game where John Fleck scored twice. For both his strikes, he started off in the Rangers half so they were cracking goals.
“The second game the following year was not as good as we were beaten 2-1 by Hibs.”
Stirling bagged a hat-trick playing for Scotland’s Under-19 side against San Marino and a bright future beckoned however, frustrated at not playing first team football with the Glasgow club and too old for Under-19 football, he became Stirling of Stirling on a loan deal 12 months ago to earn game time at senior level.
The experience he gained led to further frustration as he explained: “It was a really disappointing time for both me and Stirling. The Manager that took me there, John O’Neill, left after I had played in just one game. Jocky Scott came in and I never got to play as much as I thought I would when I went there.
“I was sent off in John’s only game and we were beaten 6-1 by Partick Thistle. The winter then set in and between my suspension and the weather, I went a month without playing. I only started two games between then and the end of the season.”
There was some light relief for the player Stirling and the club Stirling in their final match of the season as the midfielder scored twice as Albion defeated Morton 3-2 to end a record breaking 25 game run without a three point haul.
Stirling’s second goal that day featured as a ‘What happens next?’ question at the IRN-BRU SFL End of Season Awards Dinner last May as his penalty was initially saved by Morton’s Colin Stewart before an incredible amount of back spin took the ball out of the reach of the Cappielow shot-stopper and over the line.
“I actually struck the penalty not too badly,” said Stirling before adding, “And it would have been a right good save had the spin not taken it over the line.”
That was the last bit of good fortune Stirling was to have in football for a while as he explained: “I went back to Rangers and my contract expired and I was not given a new one. I went on trial at Morton but they decided to sign experienced players like Paul Di Giacomo, Andy Jackson and Peter MacDonald so I was not taken on. I had let my head go down after being released by Rangers and I had fallen out of love with the game.”
Ironically, help was on hand from the player that Stirling replaced as a substitute in that final match against Morton, former team-mate Chris Aitken, who had moved on to the Stair Park side during the summer.
Stirling explained: “I was pretty disillusioned with football but Chris got me back into things at Stranraer. They train in Glasgow and he got me in there for a couple of training sessions and then they asked me so sign for them.
“I started playing again against Elgin in September as a substitute and have started every game since. I scored my first goal in a 3-1 win at Peterhead in October and I have now played over 10 games in a row and that makes a huge difference to what you can produce. After not playing or being on the bench, I am stronger and I feel that I keep going throughout the 90 minutes now.”
Evidence of what a run of games has done for Stirling can be seen in his December goal return with the player saying: “I scored quite a few for Rangers youth team and I am glad to be at a side that has a Manager in Keith Knox and an assistant in Steven Aitken that want the game played the right way. They want us to play football along the ground and for me to get forward and get into the box to score at the end of it.
“The Third Division can sometimes be hustle and bustle but the majority of teams try to play football on the ground and it is done to a really good standard.”
Stranraer face Montrose this weekend after Knox’s side lost out to Second Division Forfar Athletic in a Scottish Cup replay and were denied a place in the Fourth Round of the competition against Aberdeen however, the last game between the sides emphasised just how exciting football in the Third Division can be.
Stirling’s colleagues Sean Winter, Craig Malcolm with a double and then Martin Grehan had Stranraer four ahead after 53 minutes following a scintillating display. However, the sending off of goalkeeper David Mitchell 10 minutes later changed the game’s direction totally.
Doubles from Jamie Winter and Sean Pierce saw the game end 4-4 with Stirling saying: “We played some really good stuff that day but then it all went a bit pear shaped after David was sent off.”
Despite this setback, Knox’ side ended 2011 at the top of the Third Division and although Alloa hit back on 2nd January when they beat East Stirlingshire 3-1 to reclaim top spot, everyone at The Blues was pleased with how the year had ended.
Stirling said: “It was great to be at the top of the table at the end of the year. We have been in good form recently and long may that continue. When I came on board, more experienced guys like David McGregor and Martin Grehan joined as well and they have helped stand us in good stead.
“We want to continue doing what we are doing and if we are top of the League at the end of 36 games, then that will be fantastic.”
Stirling finished by saying: “It is a really good bunch of lads I am playing with and after falling out of love with football, I am absolutely loving it again thanks to my three months at Stranraer.
“The dream, of course, is to return to full-time football one day but in the meantime, I am enjoying playing again and that is really important to me.”