It’s a return to familiar territory for some of the Stirling Albion contingent on Saturday as they head to Edinburgh City in a match which could revitalise the Binos’ promotion ambitions.
Stirling boss Alan Maybury spent two seasons managing the Citizens, with Callum Crane and new signing Ryan Shanley also having completed successful spells in the capital.
The Binos will make the trip to Meadowbank full of confidence after one of their best displays of the season so far in sweeping aside Bonnyrigg Rose at Forthbank last weekend.
It was a surprising turnaround for an Albion side which had struggled for form in the league coming into the match, but a composed display at both ends of the pitch ensured a key win in keeping Stirling’s hopes alive at the right end of the table.
Binos gaffer Maybury named an unchanged side for the match – and was rewarded for that continuity, with his trio of January signings in Shanley, Robbie McNab and Leyton Grant all turning in impressive displays.
While Stirling were getting themselves on track, fourth-placed City — one of the division’s most exciting sides under boss Michael McIndoe — suffered a late collapse at leaders East Fife, conceding three goals in
the final ten minutes to lose 4-1.
Centre-back Edin Lynch was also sent off for an off-the-ball incident in the closing stages to complete a nightmare end to the match, with the Citizens also having to adapt to the loss of star forward Connor Young, who has departed for Dunfermline.
There are also positive omens in the history of the contests between the sides, with Stirling never having lost a match in the wide surroundings of the new Meadowbank since City moved back there for their home.
The away side has won both of the contests between the teams this season, Albion coming back from going a goal behind on the opening day of the season, with Josh Kerr and Dale Carrick scoring two goals in the last five minutes to steal the three points.
But City had their revenge in December, brushing aside the Binos 3-0 with a slick display.
The match gives Stirling a chance to further cut into the four-point deficit they have to City in fourth, with Stirling also holding a game in hand on the capital outfit.
Speaking to Binos media manager Matt Reid after Saturday’s win, Maybury laid the challenge down to his side to keep up their performance levels.
He said: “The trick is trying to get a bit of consistency, first time in a while we were naming an unchanged team and also the likes of Carrick and Harry Wright coming back offers strength off the bench.
“The challenge for us is to repeat the performance [from Saturday] and get that consistency.
“There have been good showings up until now and wins, but there have been plenty of disappointing ones where we haven’t reached the heights so that will be the message this week about getting to these standards again.”