East Stirlingshire 2- 1 Vale of Leithen

By Callum Hodgson
at Ochilview Park

VALE were denied a deserved point on Saturday when East Stirlingshire’s Andy Rodgers struck in the dying minutes.

The home side opened the scoring through Paul Sludden, before the Innerleithen team grabbed a leveller in a mettlesome comeback courtesy of Craig McBride before half time.

And it looked as if Chris Anderson’s side would gain a share of the spoils, until Rodgers headed home in stoppage time.

The visitors could only name one substitute for the game and were denied two strong shouts for penalties – much to the annoyance of the travelling support.

But after the whistle, gaffer Anderson praised his side for their valiant effort.

He told us: “We couldn’t have asked for anymore effort from the players today. They were magnificent.

“This is just one of those things that happens in football – you play well, you defend well, but you just don’t get that break.

“I thought goalkeeper Ross Gilpin was magnificent today. He was sick before the game, sick during the game but he just continued to play and that just shows you what it means to him.

“Now we’ve got to focus on Gretna, [on Saturday] we’re desperate for points and every game is important to us.”

The Shire took the lead on seven minutes when Sludden picked up the ball on the right and smashed is across the goal and into the net from what looked like an impossible angle.

Injuries have hampered the Vale this season, but on their day they have shown they compete with anyone in the Lowland League – so their response at going 1-0 down came as no surprise.

Sean Stewart caused havoc going forward – hitting the post with a header from a Cameron Dawson cross.

And on 37 minutes their hard work was rewarded. Thomas Patterson flung in a corner from the right, and Dawson headed into the path of McBride who turned the ball over the line.

But there’s a reason why the Shire are where they are in the league – the quality the possess up front.

However, that quality was matched by goalie Gilpin who made two excellent close range saves from Sludden and Rodgers before the half time whistle.

It looked as if the Vale should have been awarded a penalty seven minutes into the second period.

Goalkeeper Jamie Barclay raced to the edge of his area to claim a loose ball, but brought down Stewart. It seemed as though the foul took place right on the 18-yard line, but the referee disagreed and awarded a free kick – around five yards further back from where the infringement occurred.

The home side did create a few good chances – Rodgers looped his effort onto the crossbar and Kris Faulds really should have done better when Drew Ramsay found picked him out in the six-yard box, but he fired straight into the arms of Gilpin.

However on 89 minutes Vale had another strong appeal for a penalty turned away. Dawson fed through to Stewart who was bundled over in the area, but the referee again wasn’t interested.

Vale deserved a point for their determination alone, but were undone again in the first minute of stoppage time.

Captain Derek Ure lumped a desperate ball into the box – finding the head of Rodgers who secured all three points for the Shire.

Vale of Leithen: R Gilpin, A Lewis, A Smith, C McBride, A Hunter, T Patterson (B Raiker 66), K Allen, C Dawson, L Smith, S Stewart, R Brady.