East Fife manager Greig McDonald glad to make point on road in Stirling

That result – secured by goals from Jack Healy on 15 minutes and Aaron Steele on 52, sandwiching a Dale Carrick double for their Forthbank Stadium hosts on 18 and 33 – keeps the Methil men’s promotion play-off hopes alive as season’s end nears.

The fifth-placed Fifers, left a man short at the weekend by a 75th-minute red card for Alan Trouten, are at home to seventh-placed Stranraer this coming Saturday as they look to add to their tally of 44 points from 32 fixtures.

“None of our rivals would have thought we’d get anything today, I suspect, particurlarly after we went down to ten men, so massive credit to the players,” McDonald told EFTV afterwards.

“They worked really, really hard and, to be honest, a point was the least we deserved.

“I thought we controlled the game, in midfield particularly. We got a lot of ball and some of our possession, and some of the way we tried to play on a dry, bobbly pitch, was good.

“We retained the ball really, really well and we looked dangerous.

“I’m just really proud of them getting a point and they were unfortunate not to get three.

“When you look at the day’s other results, I think this will be very much a point gained for us and that’s the mentality we’ve got to have for our last four games. We’ve got four massive games left.

“Stirling are the team at the top of the league and they probably will be champions, and I would say that if any team deserved to win today, it would have been ourselves.”

Former Albion defender and manager McDonald, 40, credited his club’s travelling support among a turnout of 937 for spurring his players on in Stirling, adding: “It was brilliant to see the backing we had and I think the players responded to that.

“We’re delighted that we were able to give them something to cheer about going home.”

Coming up for McDonald’s men after Stranraer’s visit are trips to Dumbarton on April 22 and Forfar Athletic on May 6 and one last home game, against Albion Rovers, on April 29, all Saturday 3pm kick-offs.