Soft goals at centre of Cove defeat as Stirling Albion aim for home boost to secure safety

Stirling Albion boss Darren Young bemoaned his side’s soft centre on the road once again as they slipped to a damaging defeat at Cove Rangers to further hamper their relegation fight.

The Binos fell to their eleventh defeat on their travels in League One this season in an entertaining game at the Balmoral despite taking an early first-half lead through Kieran Offord.

Cammy Clark’s long-range belter pulled Stirling back into the contest in the second half, but basic defensive errors reared their head again as the hosts ran in four goals – meaning the Binos have conceded 11 times in their last four away games.

League One top goalscorer Rumarn Burrell got his name on the scoresheet once again before limping off, with a pair of own goals by Stirling defender Jordan McGregor and a strike from sub Mouhamed Niang capping another frustrating trip.

The result – combined with a win for Kelty Hearts and draws for Annan and Queen of the South – means the Binos lead Annan by just three points in the fight to avoid the relegation play-off with just five to play.

A frustrated Young admitted his side presented a very different defensive display than that against Montrose in their last match at Forthbank – and said ruthlessness at both ends of the park would be the key for their season.

Young said: “It’s the same again – away at Hamilton, soft, away here, soft. They have probably thought their Christmas, Easter, whatever have come at once there.c

“It was never a 4-2 game, but to lose the goals we did was disappointing – two own goals, bad defending at the back post for another.

“They are mistakes we never made against Montrose and that was the difference, we didn’t make those errors last week but we did today.

“It’s just decision making