Stirling Albion boss hails side's progress despite Raith Rovers defeat

Stirling Albion boss Alan Maybury insists he can see the progress from his side after a difficult opening day defeat at home to Raith Rovers on Saturday.

The Binos headed to Hamilton last night (Tuesday) for their second clash in Premier Sports Cup Group H after falling to Aidan Connolly’s sparkling hat-trick for Rovers at Forthbank.

Stirling enjoyed some positive moments against a side who were 180 minutes from the Premiership last season, but were ultimately outclassed.

Maybury told the Observer: “We’re playing a top Championship team that have gone close to the Premiership the last couple of years and we’re a little behind where we want to be so taking that into account, I thought we did OK.

“The message to the players was to concentrate on what we’re trying to do, the things we’ve worked on, deliver them and the score will be what it is.

“We want to be competitive and want to do well and we were decent for 15 minutes at the start, then the first goal rocks us and it was too easy for them to score their first two goals.

“We had a couple of moments on the break – and that’s all we’re likely to get – which in a month or so we’ll be better with, so we’re disappointed to lose the game but that’s not my concern because we’re trying to rebuild something here and there were more positives than negatives for me.

“I’m trying to put what I do on to the team but there are challenges – Ricky Waugh only signed on Thursday and Callum Crane, who I prefer in midfield, is playing left back because we’re short there at the moment.

“These are not excuses; we can still build and the players we’re going forward with, can they do the things we ask against good opposition, so as much as we want to win the game, Raith were better than us and