A goal after 90 seconds was enough for the Stirling Uni football team as they secured their 3rd win of the Lowland League season against Albion Rovers.
Uni striker Cammy McKinley scored the game’s only goal, his 8th in the league.
Head coach Chris Geddes said: “Listen it was a tough shift at times, some of the boys said that was probably our worst performance out of the three games (against Albion Rovers), scrappy kind of goal, Cammy getting another one which was good.
A clean sheet. It’s always good to get a clean sheet. Away wins for me are always the best wins. You have to fight, the fans, everything, you just have to tough it out.
We had some opportunities, they had one really good chance, Yan made some good saves. We are delighted, in terms of our league run, we’ve lost a few games, so good to get the three points.”
The game couldn’t have started any better for the visitors, as a long ball caused problems for the Rovers’ defence. Failure to clear saw Cammy McKinley sneak in and get a shot off at Ross Connelly. He got down well to save it but McKinley reacted the quickest directing Connelly’s parry into the open net.
Rovers looked a bit shaken in the following minutes, but gradually settled in and got into their flow as they took control of the game.
Joe Bevan gave the Stirling defence a real scare six minutes in, almost replicating his goal in the Scottish Cup tie between the two sides, barring the finish, which flew over the bar.
Bevan’s partnership with Adam Fernie on the right wing caused the Uni real problems. A brilliant one-two between them found Bevan in acres of space in the middle. He found Joseph wide open just inside the box, but he misfired his first-time shot.
Ten minutes later, keeper Yan Gromov Godik kept the Uni’s lead intact, coming up big to deny Joe Bevan who was sent through by Fernie.
Stirling came out for the second half with a big chance of their own.
Sebastian Torregiani controlled McKinley’s headed flick, with a defender breathing down his neck, forced a good save from Connelly.
After that, the game transitioned into a scrappier phase. Chances were far and few between, and while Albion kept most of the possession, Stirling’s defence stood strong and gave little away.
18-year-old Barry Duncan would go close for Rovers in the 72nd minute. A bit of individual trickery saw Duncan glide past two defenders, before drilling a shot narrowly wide left of the goal.
As Rovers pressed high in stoppage time, Stirling got a chance late on to double their lead. But substitute Finn Moffatt could not set his feet and fired the ball over the bar.
This important win puts Stirling above Albion in the league. The students face Bo’ness United next on Sunday at Forthbank Stadium.
University of Stirling: Gromov Godik, Jeanes (Aslanoglu 77), Morris, Service, Heal, Scally, Malcolm (Lavery 57), Docherty, Martin (Russell 70), Torregiani (McAninch 70), McKinley (Moffat 57)