Cup-Tie Tickets

Tickets for the Stirlingshire Cup match with Falkirk will go on sale tomorrow (Wednesday 31st August) at Firs Park. They will be on sale during normal office hours until they are sold out. Falkirk will receive their allocation of around 400 tickets tomorrow as well, although it will be up to Falkirk Football Club to decide how and when they should be sold. Shire fans will only be guaranteed a ticket if they purchase one from Firs Park. They are priced £5 and there are no concessions. The match goes ahead at Firs Park on Tuesday 6th September with a 7:30p.m. kick-off. The crowd has been limited to 600 after discussions with the Police.

Stenhousemuir 6 Shire 1

Shire fans perhaps did not expect to go to Ochilview and claim all three points, but neither could they have anticipated such a disastrous afternoon. Two goals down after seven minutes, most of those who had travelled to back the Shire had wished they hadn't bothered. True, the team came back into the game, but then lost four goals in the last 13 minutes as the white flag was hoisted against a Stenhousemuir team who didn't have to play well but simply wait until goalscoring opportunities were presented to them on a plate.

Just 43 seconds after the referee blew his whistle to start the match came the first sign of things to come. An aimless, hopefull ball was hoofed into the Shire penalty area and Scott Livingstone seemed to have the easiest job in the world to return it back up the park. Instead he missed his kick completely and the ball dribbled to Paul McGrillen, lurking at the back post. He controlled his free gift and fired past Derek Jackson.

In seven minutes Mercer headed back across goal, Brian Gordon's outstretched arm got in the way and the referee gave a penalty. McGrillen scored from the spot. There were Shire fans who considered leaving at this point, but things did not get any worse for a while, simply because Stenhousemuir switched off, believing the game won.

Stephen Blair pushed a 30 yard free kick just a fraction too high over the bar, then Paul Tyrrell forced McCulloch in the home goal into a fine save. On 31 minutes Iain Diack claimed his fifth goal of the season, a wonder strike from long range which left McCulloch clutching thin air. Within a minute Shire should have equalised but Tyrrell's netbound effort was cleared off the line.

The home team realised they were in a game and Frank Carroll was put clean through but denied by a great save from Jackson. At the start of the second half, Stenhousemuir came out fired up and twice Jackson did well to deny McGrillen.

In the 66th minute Shire had two great chances to equalise. First, Diack's effort was brilliantly turned round the post for a corner. Blair then tried to catch the keeper out from the flag kick and curled the ball in only to see it hit the crossbar.

But on 77 minutes Mercer headed in at the far post to make it 3-1 and Shire folded. Four minutes later the defence failed to pick up McGrillen and he ran on to score his third. On 83 minutes a cross into the box allowed the unmarked Mercer to score and in the final minute a strong run into the box by Cramb saw him shhot past Jackson.

Stenhousemuir : McCulloch, Renwick, Henderson, Denham, McKeown, McBride, Mercer, Collins(McKenzie 88), Carroll, McAlpine(Cramb 63), McGrillen(Savage 82).

Shire : Jackson, Gordon(M. Tyrrell 52), Livingstone, Oates, Gaughan, P. Tyrrell, Thywissen(Dymock 70), Blair, Diack, Graham, Ure.

Falkirk Game All-Ticket

The club has announced the Stirlingshire Cup tie with Falkirk at Firs Park on Tuesday 6th September will be all-ticket. The capacity for the night will be set at 600. The club admits this is a cautious figure, but has been agreed after taking advice from the police. The tickets, price £5.00, are expected to go on sale at the start of next week. Where and when they will be available has not been decided yet.

Friday Team News

Shire will add Mark Tyrrell and Peter Ross to the squad for tomorrow's derby trip to Stenhousemuir. The club has been without Mark's services for the last three games due to holiday. However, he played the last half hour of the 1-0 Stirlingshire Cup victory over Dumbarton on Tuesday night.
New signing Ross started on the right of midfield against the Sons. The former Camelon Juniors player has been training with Shire for a few weeks and will give the club an extra option in a squad which has already seemed a bit threadbare after recent injuries.
Two players who will not be considered for Ochilview are Andy Brand and Jamie MacKay. Both are still sufering from injuries picked up earlier in the season.

Dumbarton 0 Shire 1

Steven Dymock scored the vital goal which gave Shire a Stirlingshire Cup win, and which now sets up a showdown with Falkirk to decide who goes through to the final of the tournament. Dymock, starting up front in place of Ally Graham, showed a striker's instinct on 54 minutes, picking up a rebound after Iain Diack's shot had been blocked and ramming the ball home off the post.

Shire opted to make a number of changes for the game. As well as Dymock, Henry Sobolweski came in for his debut and Peter Ross, the former Camelon midfield man, also started, having been signed the day before. Aaron Gillespie replaced Derek Jackson in goal.

Dumbarton had the better of the early period, but Shire got into thinmgs as time wore on. Diack and Dymock looked a good combination up front and once they got service, posed a threat. Diack twice shot over when well-positioned, and Dymock forced the best save of the first half, Wight instinctoively blocking his drive at the near post.

After the Shire goal, Dumbarton had by far the better of the exchanges. But their tendancy to over elaborate cost them dear. They had the ball in the net just miuntes after Dymock had given Shire the lead, but the effort was ruled out for a shove on Gillespie. Shire also had a goal disallowed, Diack was marginally offiside when he shot home from the edge of the six yard box.

The Sons crowded round the Shire goal but too often tried to walk the ball into the net. Their lack of a cutting edge up front being their biggest downfall. At the other end Diack and Derek Ure both missed glorious chances to increase Shire's advantage, although, in the end, one goal proved enough.

Dumbarton : Wight, Boyle(Dornan,80), Britain, Anderson, Dobbins, Ronald(Scott,63), Borris, Dillon, Russell, Gemmell(McNaught,65), Allan.

Shire : Gillespie, Gordon, Sobolwewski, Oates, Gaughan(M. Tyrrell,60), P. Tyrrell, Ross, Blair, Dymock, Diack(Graham,80), Ure.

Stirlingshire Cup Team News

Mark Tyrrell has returned from his two week holiday and could feature at some stage of the Stirlingshire Cup game against Dumbarton at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium tomorrow. Derek Jackson's injury, he got a knee in the small of the back during the 3-1 win over Arbroath, may mean a start in goal for Aaron Gillespie. Jackson's still hoping to be fit enough to play if required, however. Some of the fringe players who have been unable to break into the side may be given a chance to show what they can do.

Shire 3 Arbroath 1

Oh, how Shire needed this. A quick glance at the fixture list had the Firs Park faithful scratching their heads wondering where their first points would come from. After two narrow defeats that assessment was changing to such a degree that many believed the team, if they played well, could perhaps take a point against Arbroath. But this was something else.

Sure, they had a few first half scares but no-one should say Shire did not deserve this victory. They battled and scrapped hard to stop the visitors gaining the upper hand in a relatively-even first half, then made the crucial breakthrough just three minutes after the re-start when Iain Diack scored. After that, there looked only one winner. Diack took advantage of a shoddy piece of defending to increase Shire's advantage on 73 minutes, and while Roddy Black's goal three minutes from the end may have given Shire fans some jitters, they were eased when Ally Graham made it 3-1 right at the death.

Dennis Newall sent out the same starting eleven as he had the previous week against Berwick. He had little choice really, such were his injury problems. Former Camelon midfielder, Peter Ross, was the trialist on the bench. The visitors created the better of the early openings, Alan Brazil being denied only by the last-gasp intervention of Brian Gordon. But it wasn't long before Shire got a fothold in the game.

Diack flicked on Derek Ure's free-kick to the back post but Carl Thywissen couldn't connect properly and his header went over the bar. Then Ally Graham picked up the ball on the edge of the six yard box but Ignlis in the Arbroath goal saved. In 31 minutes Arbroath's Davidson was clean through on goal but his shot went across the face of goal and wide. Two minutes later Diack was prevented from giving Shire the lead buy a superb one-handed save from Inglis.

As half-time approached Arbroath started to gain the uper hand, and only Roddy Black's glaring miss three minutes before the break kept the scoreline blank after 45 minutes. Both sides had a few good chances but no-one could take them.

That changed three minutes into the second period. Graham knocked down a long ball to Paul Tyrell who put Diack clean through on goal. He seemed, however, to have taken the ball far too wide of the target, then made a mockery of that assessment by curling the ball into the net at the far post. Shire fans were still celebrating when Derek Ure was left one-on-one with only the keeper to beat, but he blasted his effort high and wide. Inglis then produced a brilliant double save to prevent Graham, then Stephen Oates from increasing the Shire lead. Then Graham had a volley tipped over by Inglis as Shire threatened to score more.

In 73 minutes they deservedly added to their advantage, although in farcical circumstances. Arbroath full-back, Kevin McMullan, hit a blind backpass to his own keeper, which Diack, walking back from an offside position intercepted before drawing the keeper and slotting home. Incredibly, the referee and linesman had to have a conversation about whether to allow the goal. With Hugh Dallas sitting in the stand as referee supervisor it was just as well the ref pointed to the centre circle.

Shire suffered a setback when keeper Derek Jackson was forced off injured, but at least it allowed young Aaron Gillespie the chance to make his league debut. He could have done nothing to stop Black's shot from the edge of the box which reduced the leeway in 87 minutes, but he didn't have a save to make either. Steven Dymock's persevereance gained Shire a third goal on the full-time whistle. He danced his way into the box and fired off a shot which was blocked. Graham picked up the rebound and slammed the ball home from inside the six yard area.

Shire : Jackson(Gillespie,77), Gordon, Livingstone, Oates, Gaughan, P. Tyrrell, Thywissen, Blair, Diack (Dymock,77), Graham Ure.

Arbroath : Inglis, McMullen, Black, Bishop, Cormack, McCulloch, Millar, Davidson(Reilly,78), Brazil, Jackson, Stein(Warren,88).

Referee: W. Hornby

Attendance : 225.

Friday Team News

Shire continue to struggle with injuries, although the situation is slightly better than a week ago. Jamie MacKay and Andy Brand are non-starters for tomorrow's home clash with Arbroath. Jamie is still suffering the effects of the head knock he took in the recent CIS Cup game with Queen's Park, while Andy's recovering from a knee injury picked up in the league opener two weeks ago. Both could be out for another fortnight.

There is still a slight doubt over the fitness of Carl Thywissen. He aggrivated a thigh strain during last week's 3-2 defeat at Berwick Rangers and had to be substituted after less than an hour. It's hoped a week of treatment will see him through the worst and Carl may be included in the starting eleven. There are one or two other knocks, but nothing too serious.

Mark Tyrrell will miss tomorrow's game due to holidays. He will arrive back home tomorrow night, and will be available for next week's derby match at Stenhousemuir.

Falkirk Fixture Announced

This season's Stirlingshire Cup derby with Falkirk now has a date. The game will be played at Firs Park on Tuesday 6th September with a 7:30p.m. kick-off. It's not yet clear whether the game will be all-ticket. Yesterday, the club announced the other Stirlingshire Cup game at Dumbarton will go ahead this coming Tuesday, 23rd August, at 7:30p.m. Admission to both games will be £5 adults and £3 concessions. A programme will be issued for the Falkirk game.

Stirlingshire Cup Update

The first Stirlingshire Cup date has been announced. Shire will travel to Dumbarton this coming Tuesday (23rd August). The game at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium will have as 7:30p.m. kick-off. No date has, as yet, been agreed with Falkirk for the other group match to be played at Firs Park. Falkirk have been offered Tuesday 30th August or Tuesday 6th September as potential dates, but so far this has met with no response from the Community Stadium.

Berwick Rangers 3 Shire 2

It could have been worse, it could have been better, but a 3-2 defeat was just about right. Shire were once again injury-ravaged, so much so, that only two of the five named substitutes were fit enough to play. There were changes after the midweek League Cup defeat; Brian Gordon came in for Mark Gourlay and Paul Gaughan passed a late fitness test to relegate Steven Dymock to the substitutes bench.

Shire shocked Berwick, and themselves, by taking the lead after just 51 seconds. Paul Tyrrell's free-kick was drilled into the box and Carl Thywissen jumped highest to head the ball into the net. But it wasn't the platform for victory that it promised to be. Instead Berwick found their composure and started putting Shire on the backfoot.

But the visitors did contribute to their own downfall. After 12 minutes keeper Derek Jackson needlessly rushed out to challenge Haynes who went down in a heap. Referee Alan Muir couldn't wait to award a penalty, a soft one at that, and McLeish converted to level the scores.

The Berwick midfielder then gave his side a 16th mnute lead with an incredible long-range effort which curled high into Jackson's top left-hand corner. After that Shire had a job on their hands trying to stem the black-and-gold tide, but they made a decent fist of it. Although Berwick helped by failing to create any kind of goalmouth danger despite their advantage in both possession and territory.

The home team came out all fired up after the interval and started creating more chances. But it was Shire who should have had an equaliser just short of the hour when Iain Diack was hauled down when clean through on goal. Mr Muir simply didn't want to know, despite the appeals for a stonewall penalty. Diack was really unlucky in 63 minuttes when he saw his netbound header from Steven Dymock's cross brilliantly saved by Coyle. Such was Shire's luck that Berwick broke upfield and Kevin Gordon crossed for Gareth Hutchison to head in Berwick's third.

At 3-1 Jackson saved Shire from a real pasting as Berwick found their stride. He made four top quality stops, the best an unbelievable double block from Hutchison. His heroics had real significance after Diack pulled one back for Shire on 81 minutes. Witrh just a goal in it, Shire went for broke, but couldn't find the killer touch they required in front of goal.

Berwick Rangers : Coyle, Murie, McGroarty, NcNicoll, Cowan, Greenhill(McGarty,58), Arthur(Swanson,64), McLeish, Hutchison, Haynes, Little(Gordon,53).

Shire : Jackson, Godon, Livingstone, Oates, Gaughan, P. Tyrrell, Thywissen(Dymock, 53), Blair, Diack, Graham, Ure.

Referee : Alan Muir.

Attendance : 406.

Friday Team News

There's good news and bad news on the injury front ahead of the trip to Berwick Rangers. The positive is that skipper Carl Thywissen is all set to return to the starting eleven. He has recovered from the thigh strain picked up in last weekend's game with Cowdenbeath and which caused him to miss Tuesday's CIS Cup defeat against Queen's Park.

However, centre-half Paul Gaughan is rated as doubtful for the match against the Borderers. His ankle needs time to recover, although he will be given right up until kick-off to prove his fitness. Jamie MacKay will miss tomorrow's game after being concussed in the match against Queen's Park. Jamie could be on the sidelines for another couple of weeks yet. Andy Brand is also out after sustaining a knee injury in the league opener. Stephen Blair will be available despite his midweek red card and the manager is still looking at bringing in at least one new player.

Shire 1 Queen's Park 3

I t was a disappinting night for Shire, who fell at the first hurdle of the CIS Cup for the fifth season in a row. A first round tie against Queen's Park had given them high hopes of progressing but injuries and other team selection problems denied Dennis Newall the chance of fielding anything like his first choice side.

Mark Tyrrell, Carl Thywissen, Paul Gaughan and Andy Brand, all considered automatic starters, were unavailable and Paul Tyrrell only played after passing a late fitness test. Stephen Blair, Steven Dymock and Mark Gourlay started a senior match for the first time, while Paul Ross and Grant Findlay were recalled from their loan spell at Cumbernauld United to make sure Shire had enough players to fill the substitutes bench.

Despite the pre-match problems Shire started brightly and more than held their own against the Spiders in an opening period where chances were at a premium. But once the visitors took advantage of some slack defending to score after 22 minutes the die had been cast and by the time the interval was reached the game was beyond Shire.

They showed plenty of spirit after the interval, pulled one goal back and forced Queen's keeper Derek Crawford into a number of fine saves. But any comeback was halted when Blair was sent-off on 75 minutes for his second bookable offence.

The bright start turned out to be a false dawn. As soon as the Shire defence failed to clear a low cross the fear was the visitors would take advantage and, sure enough, Mark Ferry collected the ball at the edge of the six yard boxand drilled hit home from a tight angle. Ten minutes later Paul Harvey launched a free-kick into the box, Tony Quinn flicked on and David Weatherson volleyed the Spiders into a 2-0 lead.

Shire responded. Ally Graham should have put a free header on target and Crawford was in action again , diving full-legnth to push Derek Ure's volley round the post. But Harvey's well-executed free-kick on the stroke of half-time made it 3-0.

To their credit, Shire didn't buckle and Blair had a netbound effort cleared off the line before the former Rangers youth team player crossed for Iain Diack to head home Shire's first goal on the 2005/06 season. Substitute Brian Gordon brought the best save of the night from Crawford, a superb one-handed tip over the bar. Even after Shire were reduced to ten men, Crawford had his work cut out. Two great efforts late on from Ure deserved goals but the Spiders' keeper produced great saves each time to keep the home team at bay.

Shire : Jackson, Oates, Gourlay, MacKay(Gordon,46), Livingstone, P. Tyrrell, Dymock, Blair, Diack, Graham, Ure.

Queen's Park : Crawford, Clark, Molloy, Reilly, Sinclair, Harvey, Weir, Quinn, Whelan(Felvus,77), Weatherson, Ferry.

Referee : Craig Thomson.

Attendance : 234.

Injury Headache For Cup-Tie

Shire's CIS Cup chances lie in the hands of the club's physio after the league opener took its toll. No fewer than four players are currently on the treatment table in a last-gasp bid to get them involved in tomorrow's match with Queen's Park. Paul Gaughan (ankle), Carl Thywissen (thigh strain), Andy Brand (knee) and Paul Tyrrell (hamstring) are all rated doubtful starters for the visit of the Glasgow amateurs. To add to the problems, Mark Tyrrell is on holiday and will miss the next three matches. Stephen Blair could get his first start in midfield, and youngsters Henry Sobonowski and Mark Gourlay, who have yet to feature this season, may be drafted into the squad. Manager, Dennis Newall, may also try to sign one more new face in time for the match.

Shire 0 Cowdenbeath 1

A disappointing start to Shire's new league season, but there remains plenty of optimism that things will be a lot better this time round. The team was more than a bit unfortunate to emerge from the match with nothing, and even unluckier to lose three players to what look like rather nasty injuries.

Carl Thywissen was the first to limp off after just 37 minutes. He was replaced by Steven Dymock, whose second half performance, in an unfamiliar midfield role, got better as the game went on. Injuries to Shire men played a big role in Cowdenbeath's winning goal on 63 minutes. Andy Brand was off the pitch getting treatment, leaving just ten Shire players to defend Kevin McBride's corner kick. Even worse was to follow when Paul Gaughan collapsed injured in a heap while trying to get the flag kick out of the box, leaving Cowden's John Ward free to bundle the ball over the line from point-blank range.

Those injuries could come back to haunt Shire in the next few matches, but it was former Firs Parker, David Hay, who did most to exorcise the home team's plans for victory.

The ex-Shire keeper was in action after just four minutes, palming Derek Ure's spectacular volley away to safety when it looked well-hit enough to be a goal. Hay was busy in the secnd half too. The increasingly-influental Dymock warmed up with a shot at the back post which shaved the top of the crossbar, then forced the Cowden keeper into a great save. Iain Diack forced the best out of Hay to. His first effort flew, rather fortunately, into Hay's midriff, but the keper excelled himself in 84 minutes, bringing off the save of bhe match; a one handed push over the bar from Diack's effort.

Cowden could have score twice in the first half, once when Downs was put clean through but Derek Jackson blocked his effort with his legs. Then Fusco should have burst the net but blazed over. After going ahead Gribben could have made the points secure but his lob over Jackson's head bounced onto the top of the crossbar and over.

Shire : Jackson, MacKay, Livingstone, M. Tyrell, Gaughan(Oates,67), P. Tyrrell, Brand(Blair,64), Thywissen(Dymock,37), Diack, Graham, Ure.

Cowden : Hay, Wilson(Hill,76), McBride,Ward, McGregor,Millar(Allison,84), Trialist, Fusco, Downs(Buchanan,87), Gribben, Mauchlen.

Referee : Colin Brown.

Attendance : 263.

More Squad Signings

Two more players have been added to the Shire squad. Henry Sobonowski was the trialist who played at left back at Kirkintilloch and featured in subsequent games. He was with Ross County last season. Mark Gourlay played in the same left back/wing back position against Cumbernauld United. He has returned to Scotland after completing a football scholarship at a College in the United States. It's understood the club is still awaiting his international clearance.