Students’ season ends with victory

May 29 2009

STIRLING UNIVERSITY 3

KELSO UNITED 1

STIRLING University capped an impressive first season in East of Scotland football with a convincing victory of Kelso United, writes Calum Forbes.

The result means they finish in third place, ahead of Gretna 2008 on goal difference and two points short of the promotion places.

The first half was a one-sided affair, with Kelso sitting in and inviting pressure. Lee Nichol came close to opening the scoring after 20 minutes, but his long range drive was well saved.

For all the Stirling pressure and one touch football they were playing, it took a calamitous error from the Kelso keeper to allow the students to score. On 34 minutes a Joe Dingwall cross was spilled by the keeper and Calum Forbes was on hand to make sure the ball crossed the line.

Kelso came back in to the game in the moments before half time and Thomas McCulloch was the students’ saviour, coming out on top of a one-on-one situation with a Kelso forward.

The game was effectively ended as contest in the first 20 minutes of the second half. The introduction of Stuart Mooney up front on 61 minutes made an instant impact when his sublime turn and shot fizzed past the keeper.

Five minutes later goal number three came as Forbes was sent through on goal and he rounded the Kelso stopper before finishing past a trailing defender.

If there was one disappointment of the day for the students it will have been the final 20 minutes when they evidently took their foot off the gas. This allowed Kelso a consolation goal on 80 minutes direct from a free kick.

The Kelso goal was not costly as Stirling finished the one goal above Gretna after both teams finished the campaign on 44 points.

Michael Jolley seemed pleased with his players and, although the team missed out on promotion, he stressed his unique role as Stirling University head coach.

“Yes we did miss promotion and the 96th minute goal conceded at Gretna was a sore one, but my job is to bring these players on – not just as footballers but as men as well,” he said.

There will undoubtedly be some new faces come the start of next season with the scholarship programme picking up more talented young footballers.

Stirling University: McCulloch, Glass, Milne, Robertson (G. Anderson 73), Dingwall (McKee 73), Bolam, Topp, Nichol, Shave, French (Mooney 61), Forbes.

LAST Wednesday, the students had to work for a 3-2 victory at Leith Athletic in monsoon-like conditions.

Stirling took the lead on the half-hour mark when Creag Robertson headed in spectacularly from a Nichol corner.

Minutes before half time, with the students looking comfortable, they were undone with a ball over the top, which eventually fell to Leith’s Steven Radzynski who finished from inside the area.

At the break, Raleigh Gowrie – manager for the day – changed formation to 3-4-3 and brought on Forbes for Dingwall.

The students went 2-1 up after an hour in a moment of déjà vu as Robertson netted with a header.

Again, just as the university appeared to be settling, they conceded when Topp was accused of a foul inside the area. Radzynski levelled from the spot.

Stirling pressed for a winner, with substitute Samuel French passing up a good opportunity from close range and Graham Anderson firing just over from 20 yards.

The winner did come however with 15 minutes remaining. French laid the ball off for Forbes and his low drive skidded in off the post into the Leith net.

Stirling University: McCulloch, Glass, Milne, Robertson, Dingwall (Forbes 46), Topp, G. Anderson, Nichol, McKee (French 65), Mooney, Bolam.