Stirling University 3

EoS FIRST DIVISION

KEVIN JANIAK reports

from Netherdale

STIRLING snatched victory at Netherdale on Saturday, despite the Fairies playing some of their best football of the season.

Apart from a couple of mistakes – the defence gave Lee Nichol far too much room at the start of the second half for the students’ second goal and keeper Elliot Turnbull slipped while committing himself to blocking the third – Fraser Lothian’s men played incredibly well, displaying some superb skills and retaining the ball well.

Top performers included Gareth Wood, Kyle Collins and Paul Hossack.

However, as has happened so often this season, they failed to take the vast majority of the chances that came their way.

The home side opened the scoring in the 21st minute, Colin Riddell’s cross going in off Uni defender Ricky Byrne.

However, from a Nichol free kick, Byrne put one in the correct net from close range 17 minutes later to level the scores.

Just after the interval, 23 seconds after it, to be exact, the Students edged ahead as Nichol's 30yd wonder-strike fooled everybody and almost burst the net.

And on the hour mark, Euan Black coasted in for a long ball. The bounce beat Gala keeper Turnbull, who slipped, allowing Black the easiest of scores.

With 18 minutes left, Gala narrowed the gap when from an Andy Hardie free kick, Hossack rose well to head the ball past Uni keeper Sam Filler.

The home side had several chances to equalise, but the best of them was spurned by Jamie Gibson as Filler came out well and blocked at his feet.

Gala boss Lothian – who was watching the game from the stand after being sent there two weeks ago – told The Southern: “I think the turning point was their second goal, just after half-time.

“To be fair, I didn’t see it myself, I just saw it hitting the back of the net. We were certainly not switched on.

“We played really well in the first half hour, but we lost it towards the break.

“We really need to start taking more of our chances if we want anything from this season, though.

“Nothing is over yet, all we need to do is concentrate on getting as many three points as we can.”

Gala: E. Turnbull, C. Riddell, G. Wood, P. Hossack, J. Waldie, P. Young (D. Sutherland), M. Holness, J. Gibson, C. Anderson, A. Hardie and K. Collins.