Striker Ryan Edgar has encouraged his team-mates to take confidence from a battling display against Queen of the South.
Stranraer have enjoyed success in both the Premier Sports Cup and KDM Evolution Trophy.
In contrast, picking up points in League Two has proved a struggle, with just a single win in the first quarter.
Now, the Blues make the trip to Meadowbank Stadium on Saturday looking to build on the point secured against their fellow Dumfries and Galloway side.
Edgar said: “If we can go and play like that next week away to Edinburgh City, there is no reason we cannot go head to head with every team in this league, not just Edinburgh.
“We can start making up ground on those teams above us in the league and get into the position that we want to be, challenging for the play-offs and the upper end of the table.
“For us just now, every game is just pressure, pressure, pressure because we are in the position that we were two seasons ago.
“We are not wanting to end there.
“We want to start winning and I do think once we get a couple of wins under our belt we will start kicking on.
“But it is getting those couple of wins.”
The Blues had taken the lead through Sallu Turay and had further chances to secure the result against their full-time opposition from League One.
In the end, substitute Liam Smith managed to rescue a point for the visitors, despite the efforts of goalkeeper Josh Lane.
Edgar said: “I thought it was a good game and a good performance from us.
“We were unfortunate not to get three points at the end of the day but I think the actual performance that we have put in as a team is a good step going into the second quarter of the league.
“You could see that we were dropping a wee bit deeper as the game went on, trying to hold onto the lead.
“Boys are getting tired and you are playing against a full-time team.
“When the equaliser comes that late, it is sickening.”
Manager Chris Aitken made five changes from the side that had lost narrowly to Annan Athletic seven days earlier.
Jordan Stuart, Finn Ecrepont and Aaron Quigg were brought into the team, alongside Edgar and Turay.
The goal took Turay to four for the season and top of the club’s goalscoring chart.
Edgar said: “I have still not scored this season and I need to get back on the scoresheet.
“Obviously, just for myself as well – I am missing scoring.
“That area of the starting XI is still anybody’s because Sal has scored a couple of goals, Deryn has scored and Corey has scored but we need to get a bit of consistency between whoever is going to be there.
“I am not saying that it is all down to us strikers and we have to score for us to win games but that is our job at the end of the day.
“If we are not doing that, we are not giving us the best of chances to win games.”
Last meeting
All three goals came in the second half at the Eco Gen Stadium earlier this season.
Edinburgh City came closest in the first 45 minutes as Robbie Mahon hit the base of the post with a drive from distance while Innes Lawson also put wide of the target.
The deadlock was broken when James Dolan was brought down in the box and Mark Russell scored from 12 yards. However, the lead would not last the remaining 29 minutes.
The equaliser came when Josh Lane pushed the ball onto the onrushing Jack Duncan before Bradley Barrett’s lovely finish turned the game around.
Stranraer: Lane, Reid, Rough, McKnight (Quigg 80), Coll, Russell, Hughes (McManus 66), O’Donnell, Sharp, Hunter (Edgar 87), Dolan (Turay 80).
Not used: Ecrepont and Henderson.
Edinburgh City: Weir, Mitchell, Service (Zaid 71), Lynch, McArthur, Myles, Mahon, Jarvis, Duncan, Stokes, Lawson (Barrett 71)
Not used: Quinn and Marinovic.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 1 Edinburgh City 2 (Russell (Pen); Duncan and Barrett) at Stair Park on August 9, 2025
- Edinburgh City 0 Stranraer 0 (Edinburgh City won 5-3 on penalties) at Meadowbank Stadium on July 19, 2025
- Stranraer 2 Edinburgh City 0 (Guthrie and Lang) at Stair Park on April 19, 2025
- Edinburgh 0 Stranraer 1 (Ross) at Meadowbank Stadium on March 1, 2025
- Stranraer 0 Edinburgh City 0 at Stair Park on December 14, 2024
Last five games
Stranraer
- DRAW v Queen of the South (H): 1-1 (Turay)
- LOSS v Annan Athletic (H): 0-1
- WIN v Dumbarton (A): 1-2 (Russell and Dolan)
- WIN v Motherwell B (H): 3-0 (Lang, McManus and Turay)
- DRAW v Elgin City (H): 1-1 (Russell (Pen))
Edinburgh City
- LOSS v Alloa Athletic (H): 1-2 (Mitchell)
- WIN v Spartans (A): 0-1 (Duncan)
- DRAW v Forfar Athletic (H): 1-1 (Zaid)
- WIN v Celtic B (H): 2-1 (Duncan and Lawson)
- LOSS v Clyde (A): 2-1 (Service)
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Queen of the South: Lane, Ecrepont, Reid, Rough, McKnight (Sharp 82), Stuart, Quigg (Russell 73), McManus, Dolan, Turay (Hunter 82), Edgar (Lang 68).
Not used: Coll and Henderson.
Edinburgh City
Lineup v Alloa Athletic: Weir, Mitchell, Service, Lynch, Myles, Mahon, Ferguson (Hamilton 68), Zaid, Brodie (Quinn 68), Barrett, Duncan (Olsson 77).
Not used: Marinovic.
Five facts
1. Thursday saw former Stranraer goalkeeper Cameron Belford turn 37. He made 90 appearances for the Blues after initially joining the club on loan from Wrexham. His final appearance came in a 1-0 win over Raith Rovers in January 2018. Angus Beith scored the only goal of the game and the victorious team was: Belford, Robertson, Neill, McGowan, Hamill, Woods (Agnew 89), Okoh (Anderson 67), Turner, Beith, Thomson, Dykes (Lyon 83). Not used: Gray, Elliott, Holland and McLaren.
2. Edinburgh City have scored in each of their league games this campaign. The last time they drew a blank in League Two was against Forfar in April last year.
3. James Dolan’s strike at Dumbarton gave Stranraer three points in their last away league game. The last time they won back to back away league games was in March this year. A Craig Ross header gave Stranraer all three points at Edinburgh City and a Dean Hawkshaw penalty alongside a Deryn Lang double meant three points at East Fife.
4. Stranraer’s top scorers in the fixtures against Edinburgh City are Mark Russell, Max Guthrie, Craig Ross and Tom Orr, who have all scored twice. Meanwhile, Danny Handling scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 win for the capital club and has four in total.
5. Three Stranraer players who have started games this season are yet to play a full 90 minutes on matchday. Ronan Hughes, Deryn Lang and Ryan Edgar have all started games but not been on the pitch at full time.
Admission
Admission is via Edinburgh City’s Fanbase online ticketing platform:
- Adult £15
- Concession £10
- Under 12 £5
Podcast
Check out this week’s episode of our official club podcast Look Blues Talking for an in-depth preview of this weekend’s game, along with a review of our derby draw with Queen of the South.
Goalscorer Sallu Turay discusses his clever finish against the Doonhamers, and Australian anti-bullying charity Bully Zero wake up early to explain how they became the official sponsors of Laurence and Brian.
Coverage
If you’re further afield, follow our live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter).
The manager’s post-match reaction will be available via YouTube on Saturday evening.
Club 1870 subscribers will get a first look at the goals later in the evening, along with full match footage.
Our extended YouTube highlights will be available on Sunday morning, with Laurence Nelson and Brian Martin on commentary.
Photos: MadMac Photography, Bill McCandlish, Colin Poultney (Collarge Images)
