By John Turnbull

Stirling Albion reduced the gap at the top of League Two to just two points after an emphatic 6-0 win over leaders Dumbarton on Saturday.

Binos boss Darren Young had to watch from the stands after last week’s red card at East Fife but was treated to a goal fest at Forthbank.

Robert Thomson, Paul McLean, Dale Carrick, and Ross McGeachie secured the three points in the first half before Kyle Banner grabbed a double after the break.

Young said: “To get a clean sheet and six goals pulls us back into it, but they’re still top of the table and the team to catch, and that’s what we’re going for.

“It’s probably the most nervous I’ve been having to sit in the stand because you don’t feel as if you’re taking part, but what a credit to the coaching staff who took over since I wasn’t there.

“You can see the confidence in the squad in the way we passed the ball. Even at 4-0, we never sat back and tried to defend; we tried to get a fifth and a sixth, which they did.

“We don’t just want the goals to be coming from our centre-forward or our attackers, so it was brilliant to get the goals spread out and a really good team performance.”

The Sons travelled to Stirling with their league lead slowly diminishing, but there was nothing steady about the hosts’ start to the game.

It took ten minutes for Albion to hit the front as Thomson spun on the edge of Dumbarton’s box before curling into the far corner.

The floodgates opened two minutes later as the Binos doubled their lead. Skipper McLean headed in from Jack Leitch’s corner kick, which would prove a fruitful route for Stirling.

On 21 minutes, Dumbarton found themselves with a mountain to climb as Dale Carrick grabbed a third. The Binos’ number nine was left free in the box to tap home Kai Fotheringham’s low cross.

Having provided Thompson for the first, McGeachie got on the scoresheet as the defender added a fourth from another Leitch corner.

Stirling fancied more in the second half, and on 64 minutes, Kyle Banner headed in his first of the afternoon from substitute Danny Denholm’s corner.

The rout was complete six minutes later as Banner got a second, Stirling’s sixth, and a fourth goal from a corner.

On-loan Dundee United teenager Kai Fotheringham picked up a second assist as his corner found Banner on the penalty spot, who struck into the far corner to wrap up a scintillating performance.

Darren Young’s side will make the short journey to Stenhousemuir next Saturday as the Binos look to make it five consecutive league wins at Ochilview.

Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, McLean, McGregor, C. Clark, Moore (Dunsmore 63), Banner (Davidson 74), Leitch (Denholm 54), Fotheringham, Thomson (H. Clark 46), Carrick (Burns 74)