East Fife 1 East Stirlingshire 1

By bobmcp
April 30 2016

East Stirlingshire completed their final fixture of the season this afternoon with a 1-1 draw against League Two champions East Fife at Bayview Stadium in Methil.   

Ten East Stirlingshire players were rested for the East Fife match, to avoid suspensions or injuries ahead of next week's play-off final. Each of the selected starting eleven had first team experience but the substitutes bench contained no players who had played for the first team.

Shire took the lead in the fifty-first minute when a free kick was won thirty yards from goal and converted by defender Michael McMullin, who used his left foot to precisely put the ball over the wall and into the net, with Fifers' keeper Kelly well beaten. In the next minute Shire's Tommy Orr was through one-on-one but the home keeper saved.

Less than three minutes after Shire took the lead Kevin Smith scored with a left foot finish to equalise for East Fife. The East Stirlingshire defence then had to twice clear the ball off the line as East Fife pushed for a win, urged on by the majortity of the 1,360 crowd. The visitors held firm, with keeper Richie Bernard producing many fine saves over the ninety minutes to earn him the Shire Man of the Match accolade.

It would be remiss not to mention the loyal band of Shire fans who encouraged their team throughout the match and somehow managed to out-sing 1300 East Fife fans.

Shire's opponents in the pyramid play-offs will be Edinburgh City who drew 1-1 at home to Cove Rangers in the second leg of the Highland League v Lowland League play off and progress with a 4-1 aggregate victory. The first leg will be played on Saturday 7 May 2016, kick off 3.00pm, at Meadowbank Stadium with the return at Ochilview seven days later.