Stirling Albion have signed Aaron Dunsmore on loan from East Fife until the end of the season.
The 25-year-old is a right-sided defender/midfielder who has been at Bayview since joining from Hibs in the summer of 2017.
Dunsmore has made 20 appearances for the bottom club in League One this season and made the move to Forthbank on Monday evening, just ahead of the closure of the loan extension window.
He is the third loan signing made by Binos boss Darren Young since the turn of the year, following the arrival of left-back Mason Hancock from Aberdeen and Arbroath winger Dylan Paterson. Dunsmore could make his debut in Saturday’s local derby with Stenhousemuir at Forthbank as Stirling seek a much-needed victory after a run of just one win in 16 cinch League Two outings.
Young said: “He is a player I know well and can play right-back or right midfield. It’s a loan until the end of the season and he’s someone who did very well for me at East Fife.
“This season has been a bit stop-start for him because he had an injury earlier on but he is someone who I feel will improve us. We have a lot of games coming up, with two matches to catch up on. We have some injuries and suspensions so it’s good to have a bit more strength in depth.”
Stirling were beaten 3-1 by Elgin City at Borough Briggs at the weekend as their miserable run of results against Gavin Price’s men continued – Albion have now lost seven of the last nine meetings.
Dylan Mackin scored his eighth goal of the season but the hosts could have had half a dozen and a first-half red card for defender Jordan McGregor added to the visitors’ woe.
Young added: “That first half was one of the poorest we have played since I came to the club. The first goal we lost was poor and the second was from Rabin Omar going straight through the middle.
“We then lost Ray Grant to an ankle injury which isn’t looking great and might need an X-ray and had Jordan McGregor sent off, which made it an even harder task.
“We had to take off young Dylan Paterson to get an extra defender on and that was hard on him but I think he understands.
“For me it was a definite sending off – it was a great ball through and good first touch from Kane Hester. His pace was taking him away – Jordan might have been better letting him through given that Blair Currie had already made a couple of good saves.
“We didn’t really threaten Elgin at all in the first half but we came out in the second half and for 25 minutes I thought we were the better team. It was great to get the goal back and we had another couple of half chances. But we lost another poor goal with something like eight minutes to go.
“Nathan Flanagan and Akeel Francis had good chances to bring it back to 3-2, but obviously they had chances as well. But we can’t have these Jekyll and Hyde performances.”
