Annan Athletic got their second quarter fixtures off on the right footing with a narrow victory over Stranraer at Galabank on Saturday. The match was played in brilliant autumn sunshine and although the match did not produce a lot of free flowing football it was played in a good competitive spirit with both teams working hard to secure victory.

The defining moment in the game arrived in the 75^th minute when substitute Lewis Sloan’s tenacity paid handsome dividends for the home team when he chased a lost cause ball down the left at the expense of Lee Sharp’s failure to kick the ball out for a thrown in. Sloan managed to win the ball cut inside and with Gilfillan arriving at pace Sloan knocked the ball into his path and Gilfillan side footed the ball into the net from 10 yards past David Mitchell in the Stranraer goal.

It was the only goal in a match starved of clear cut scoring chances. Michael Moore’s threat for Stranraer was apparent when he rose to connect with a Montgomerie cross in the 7^th minute. John Macbeth’s jinking penetrating run in the 13^th minute unlocked the visiting defence finishing with a pass into the path of Phil Storey who was denied by a timely challenge by Murray Henderson.

In the 18^th minute Darren McGeoch picked the ball up in acres of space and from 25 yards his well struck shot sailed over the bar. Stranraer were pushing for an opening and Michael Moore connected with Montgomeries cross in the 21^st minute but Craig Summersgill confidently dealt with the effort. A minute later Summersgill had to be alert to deal with a near post corner kick.

Annan created an excellent opening in the 32^nd minute when Gilfillan and Storey combined to set up Chris Jardine and his well placed shot flashed past the upright.

With half time fast approaching a long ball played over the top of the Stranraer defence released David Cox clean through on goal but an excellent diving save from David Mitchell denied Cox the opening goal.

Phil Storey then had the Annan support on their toes with a low raking shot from Bryan Gilfillan’s defence splitting pass.

Stranraer started the second half on the attack and Michael Moore showed great composure to chest down Montgomerie’s cross ball from the right but the final shot clipped the top of the cross bar.

John Macbeth then made a great run into the Stanraer penalty box from a deft Chris Jardine pass and when the Annan player tumbled to the ground under the challenge of Lee Sharp there were strong claims for a penalty but referee David Somers was well placed to brush aside any calls for a penalty kick.

Annan were then forced to make a change in the 60^th minute when David Cox and keeper David Mitchell clashed with the Annan player sustaining a suspected broken nose.

Lewis Sloan’s 62^nd minute tempting free kick caused danger in the Stranraer defence but Neilson under pressure headed past the post.

The game was evenly balanced but as mentioned earlier Annan then broke the deadlock with a goal created by substitute Lewis Sloan.

Stranraer’s Lee Sharp had a net bound effort blocked by substitute Alan Inglis and as the game entered the last 10 minutes John Macbeth was stopped in his tracks by Murray Henderson, a challenge which earned the Stranraer stopper a yellow card.

Stranraer pushed hard in an effort to break down the resolute Annan defence and in the 88^th minute Stuart McColm’s well placed shot struck the cross bar and Danny Mitchell following up headed the ball into the net only for the goal to be chalked offside.

Annan manager Harry Cairney was pleased to get the win, it was a hard fought game there was not many chances in the first half hour but the game opened up before and after half time and I was delighted when we managed to get our noses in front, again we defended well when it mattered and it was another clean sheet and we did not give Stranraer to many opportunities.

Keith Knox the Stranraer boss was disappointed at his team’s inability to create many scoring opportunities, we did not create enough and it did not look as if we would score. The goal we had chalked off for offside was a rare opportunity, last week we did well in the second half but this week I thought we were disappointing and we did not look like scoring