Albion Rovers vs Stranraer preview - Bottom two set to do battle

Posted Wednesday, January 02, 2013 by PA

Albion will be without centre-half Kevin Green for their Second Division basement battle against Stranraer after he picked up a foot injury in Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Arbroath.

Fellow defender Michael O'Byrne remains out with an ankle injury while on-loan Partick striker Christie Elliot is serving the second game of a two-match ban.

Cliftonhill boss Todd Lumsden said: "This would be a great game to win as it moves us off the bottom but it is not a 'do-or-die' game. We are not that far away from the rest of the teams in the league and if we can cut out the bad habit we have of losing late goals we will climb the table.

"We have plenty to be positive about going into this one."

Stranraer have doubts over attacking duo Armand One and Craig Malcolm for the clash.

One is struggling with a hamstring injury and Malcolm has a groin problem, with both requiring fitness tests before manager Stephen Aitken will include them in his starting XI. Former Rovers man Robert Love is standing by to start the game.

Aitken is looking for his men to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at home to Brechin at the weekend.

"Brechin played well but we simply never got going in that game and deserved to lose," he said. "We have the chance to put that right very quickly against Albion Rovers and we intend to take it and move further away from the bottom spot."