Stirling Albion 2-2 Airdrie

Chris Aitken's goal completed a dramatic comeback for Albion

Stirling Albion kept their First Division play-off hopes alive after stunning Airdrie with two late goals.

Gary Twigg gave Airdrie a 35th-minute lead after Steven Bell lost the ball and Airdrie doubled their lead minutes later when Ian Harty scrambled home.

But the hosts came roaring back in the final 10 minutes and pulled a goal back through Paul Nugent's 20-yard strike.

And in a dramatic finish, Albion skipper Chris Aitken equalised with a free-kick in injury time.

Interview: Stirling Albion manager Alan Moore

Interview: Airdrie manager Kenny Black

Airdrie goalkeeper Stephen Robertson kept the hosts at bay on a number of occasions in the second half and the tie is perfectly poised ahead of Saturday's second leg.

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Stirling Albion boss Allan Moore

"The boys showed great resilience. It was a mad 10 minutes that cost us, and apart from that we were by far the better team.

"You've always got to have hope. Their goalkeeper was man of the match and we just hope he doesn't play like that on Saturday.

"Paul Nugent doesn't score many goals, and he's smacked a cracker into the top corner.

"We've managed to claw our way back into it. We missed a couple of chances.

"To get it back to 2-2 is a delight for the boys, the only advantage for us if we get the first goal, hopefully it will be enough.

"The fans got their money's worth tonight and the play-offs generate excitement."

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Airdrie boss Kenny Black

"The scoreline still keeps us in the tie. The two goals were against the run of play and Stirling dominated for long spells.

"The two goals they scored - to allow a centre half to come up on a mazy run and not get a challenge in, and the second was a deflected free-kick - our players were warned that Stirling were a good football team.

"We've got a lot of thinking to do tomorrow, it feels like a defeat.

"We can play better than that, but all credit goes to Stirling Albion.

"I wanted to win the game tonight to give us an advantage, but we had a lot of players out there I didn't recognise tonight.

"Our supporters were magnificent and will be disappointed."

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Stirling: Hogarth, Hay, Forsyth, McNally, Nugent, Aitken, Bell, Devine (Taggart 77), Bingham, Snodgrass (Cramb 56), O'Brien (Marek Tomana 48).
Subs Not Used: Fraser, Christie.

Booked: Bell, Snodgrass, Cramb.

Goals: Nugent 87, Aitken 90.

Airdrie Utd: Robertson, Proctor, Lovering, MacDonald, McKenna, McGowan (Smyth 73), Potter, Taylor, Twigg, Harty (McDougall 81), Holmes (McKeown 53).
Subs Not Used: Lukaszewski, Hollis.

Booked: Lovering, MacDonald, McKenna, Harty, Taylor.

Goals: Twigg 35, Harty 45.

Att: 2,118

Ref: Ian Brown.