The Binos kicked off 2026 by stretching their winning run to three games and their unbeaten run to four as a Russell Mclean hat-trick and a goal from Ross Cunningham dispatched Edinburgh City at Meadowbank. A goal down at half time, Stirling put on a stellar second half display to demolish the home side and run out comfortable 4-1 winners.

After recording back-to-back away wins against Clyde and Dumbarton, the Binos found themselves in a resurgent vein of form, and with the home game against Annan postponed last week due to poor weather conditions, they arrived at Meadowbank looking for a third away win in a row.

Alan Maybury made three changes to the side that prevailed at Dumbarton. The Rangers trio of Connor Campbell, Chris Eadie and Arran Kerr were unavailable, so McKenzie Carse, Russell McLean and Billy Hutchison found a place in the starting line-up. Banner dropped back into defence to partner Lee Hamilton, with Billy Hutchison and Callum Crane at full back. Carse and McNab filled the central midfield spots with Corey Thomson wide right and Adam Brown on the left. McLean and Shanley were up top in a traditional 442 formation.

The first half saw the home side control much of the ball and play with a cautious approach. Having only won one of their last five games, this was understandable against a Stirling team on the rise. Despite lacking first half possession, it was Albion who looked the bigger threat. The Binos hit City on the counter attack and it took multiple saves from Edinburgh City number one Mark Weir to keep out efforts from Ryan Shanley, Adam Brown, and Russell Mclean. Then, as half time approached, the game was turned on its head. Stirling Albion keeper Derek Gaston might only have faced a handful of half-chances from Edinburgh City, but it was the home side that struck first. Billy Hutchison was dispossessed in the middle of the park and the ball was played out to the right where it found City’s Malik Zaid. The tricky winger drove down the right-hand channel and, as Calum Crane came out to block him, played a low ball across the centre of the box. Kyle Banner came across to clear but Ousy See got there first and as the ball ricocheted up off his chest, he rounded Gaston and fired into an open net to give the home side the lead right on half time. A scoring debut for the big frontman on his return from a spell at East Kilbride.

HT Edinburgh City 1-0 Stirling Albion

The second half brought a refreshed and hungry Binos team to the stage. More first- time quick passing and more pressing on the Edinburgh City backline was what could be seen in the opening second half phase by a noisy Binos away section. A tactical change by Alan Maybury saw Corey Thomson give way to Ross Cunningham. Adam Brown moved over to the right and Cunningham took the left berth. Last year’s League 1 Player of the Year has started to show some of the qualities we’ve all been waiting for this season and it wouldn’t be long before we were given a prime example.

The switch of wings worked wonders as the City defence struggled to deal with Crane and Cunningham bombing down the left and Billy Hutchison’s pinpoint passing setting Brown free down the right. The press eventually came off when the Edinburgh City backline made a mess of a clearance and conceded a corner on 71 minutes. Brown whipped the ball in, and Mclean rose high above everyone to flick the ball into the bottom right corner, leaving Weir rooted to the spot. 1-1.

Just six minutes later, Hutchison played a lovely, floated ball over the top, down the right-hand wing for Brown to chase. He sent an excellent ball across the box for Mclean arriving at the back post but City defender, and ex-Bino, Erik Sula was alert to the danger and put in a block to concede another corner. Lightning might not strike the same spot twice, but that didn’t stop Russell Mclean rising once again to power home the ball from another supreme Brown delivery. That gave the Binos the lead and sent the away section into sheer chaos.

With the Binos now in the ascendancy, City tried to hit back, and it brought a diving save from Gaston in the 79th minute to push wide a venomous shot from outside the box from Greig Allen. As City tried to push high and retrieve the game, they left themselves vulnerable at the back. And all it took was one long ball over the top to put Brown in one-on-one with Weir. The crowd thought the chance had gone when Brown was closed down by Jamie Walker but he held the ball up well on the right, allowing time for substitute Ross Cunningham to run on to his lay-off and fire low into the bottom left corner from outside the box to give the Binos a two-goal cushion.

The Albion onslaught of City continued as the home side completely capitulated and it could have been five or six more with the way the team played in the second half. Cunningham almost capped of the night with a spectacular effort in the 89th minute as City’s throw in was totally misjudged and allowed Cunningham to hit a sweet volley from sixty yards as he caught Weir miles from his goal line. The entire away section stood in anticipation as the ball got closer and closer, before eventually landing on the roof of the net, just inches from the bar. It would have been one for the history books.

In added time, it was once again the efforts of Weir that kept the Binos out. Another ball over the top from Billy Hutchison played Brown in behind. This time he drove at goal and forced a save from the legs of Weir from close range in the box. The ball rebounded to Stirling midfielder Robbie McNab who unleashed a first time piledriver from outside the box down the middle, again forcing a save from the legs of Weir in the City goal.

The stunning comeback performance was capped off with a fourth goal coming in added time and it was the pick of the bunch. Billy Hutchison stepped in and broke up a move down the City left and sent another brilliant ball down the right hand side to find Shanley in an onside position. Shanley drove towards goal and after dribbling past some challenges by the retreating City defence, made it to the byline where he cut back across goal and allowed McLean to tap home for his hat-trick.

FT Edinburgh City 1-4 Stirling Albion