Scorers: Stranraer – Trialist (32); Crusaders – Nixon (20 and 22)
Pre-season came to a conclusion at Stair Park on Saturday as Crusaders returned to Belfast with victory.
Both teams enjoyed a worthwhile workout, which saw 35 players get minutes under their belts ahead of the competitive action soon getting under way.
Stevie Aitken took charge of the home side and featured two trialists in his starting line-up, with a further two on the bench.
Among the visiting squad were a handful of familiar faces, including Elliot Dunlop, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at Stair Park last term.
In true pre-season fashion, there was little to get overly excited about at times.
Jacob Blaney headed over the crossbar for the visitors while Ronan Hughes could not force a header goalwards after good play down the left by one of the two starting Stranraer trialists.
Instead, all three of the afternoon’s goals would come in the space of 12 minutes.
First, Stranraer’s defence was caught out by a clever through ball, which allowed Stewart Nixon to coolly finish beyond the trialist goalkeeper.
They had barely finished celebrating when number two arrived in straight-forward fashion.
Jonathan Tuffey smashed a clearance up the park and Nixon raced through before again finishing well.
The trialist goalkeeper then made a fine save down low to keep the score at two and that proved important as Stranraer soon got on the scoresheet.
Finn Ecrepont’s free-kick was headed back across goal by Evan Dunne before it was flicked into the path of the trialist striker.
Tuffey managed to get something on it but the ball was over the line before Lewis Reid followed up to make sure.
Crusaders had chances after the break to restore that two-goal lead but a superb last ditch tackle by Sean Docherty stopped Fraser Bryden before the goalkeeper denied Jay Boyd.
Those missed chances could have proved costly as Stranraer had two opportunities of their own late on.
First, Scot Rough powered through from midfield before finding substitute Ryan Edgar.
He then slipped the ball through for Daniel McManus, who could only lift his shot over the crossbar from a tight angle on the left.
Then, a defence-splitting pass from James Dolan found one of the substitute trialists, who saw his effort deflected out for a corner.
Stranraer could not find that equaliser and had to be satisfied with simply getting their fitness levels up.
Of course, the competitive action starts this coming weekend when Ross County make the journey to Stair Park.
Stranraer: Trialist, Ecrepont (Docherty 46), Reid, Rough, Quigg (Edgar 46), Trialist (Trialist 63), Russell (Dolan 68), Dunne, Hughes (Trialist 51), McManus, Hunter.
Not used: Henderson.
Crusaders: Tuffey (Dibaga 46), Forsythe, Blaney (Williamson 11), Weir (Hamilton 46), McKechnie (Thorndike 46), Brooks (Dunlop 46), O’Rourke, Nixon (Bryden 46), McCart (Leon Barr 46), Lewis Barr (Donnelly 46), Downey (Boyd 46).
Not used: None.
Attendance: 469
Referee: Michael Williamson
HT: 1-2
Photos: Bill McCandlish
