By Graham Fleming at Broadwood Stadium
University of Stirling put on a show against Cumbernauld Colts as they netted six goals in a perfect away day for the students.
Louis Kennedy started the scoring early on for Stirling Uni, with Jamie Penker, Lucas de Zoeten and James Stokes all finding the net before half-time.
Colts got one back in the second half, but substitute Euan McGill finished the game off with a brace late on.
Head coach Chris Geddes said after the game: “We were brilliant. We came out of the blocks so fast and with the front players that we have, we knew that we were going to get something.
“It’s been coming – I know that we have lost three games in a row but these goals have been coming and tonight thankfully we took our chances and it could have been more at half time, it could have been five, six or seven after half-time.
“We have a big break now, get a breather, back in training again on Monday and we go again on Saturday against Berwick, which I am sure will be a tough one.”
The University travelled to Broadwood hoping to end their poor run of form.
It did not take long for the away side to begin firing on all cylinders and, in the fifth minute, a patient passing move from Stirling found Kennedy on the left. He drifted into the box and curled a marvellous effort past the goalkeeper with his weaker right foot to open the scoring.
Last season’s league top scorer Penker got in on the action on 15 minutes, after another play coming from the left. A lofted cross was played into the six-yard box, which the Cumbernauld goalkeeper fumbled into the path of Penker who made no mistake to double his side’s advantage.
De Zoeten added the third on 32 minutes after he slotted home from a corner kick following Jason Jarvis’s effort which was well saved.
The goals didn’t stop there as a downbeat Colts side suffered a fourth at the hands of Stokes, who nodded in at the near post following another excellent cross from the left.
After Colts had a chance to regroup at half-time, the home side were much more competitive as a couple of chances fell their way. Ben Fry had to make a great save at his near post to deny Cumbernauld and also had a ball cleared off the Stirling line.
They would eventually find the breakthrough on the 78th minute through Ewan MacPherson, as a stramash in the box was slipped into the net by the substitute.
There was to be no comeback, however, as McGill came off the bench to score a brace – adding further sparkle to an already impressive scoreline, as the game finished 6-1 at Broadwood Stadium.
University of Stirling: Fry, Downie, Doan, Thompson, McGale, de Zoeten, (Davidson) Stokes, (McGill) Berry, Penker, (Mirzsamilov) Jarvis, Kennedy.
Cumbernauld Colts: Marshall, Dickson, Mclaren, O’Neill, Winter, Davidson, Forrest, Grant, Pyott, McLaughlin, Hatfield.