The University of Stirling men’s football team advanced to the semi-finals of the BUCS National Championships, beating The University of Exeter 5-1 in a dominating performance.

The damage was done in the first half with goals from Ciaran McAninch, Ben Heal and a Ben Maciver-Redwood brace. James Russell scored an audacious volley to make it five, with Exeter adding a late consolation.

Head Coach Chris Geddes said: “It was a great result and performance. We were clinical in front of goal and could’ve had even more goals on another day.

“To reach the semi-finals of the National Championships for the fourth year in a row is a top achievement. It’ll be another tough challenge but one we’re all looking forward to.”

Almost immediately from kickoff, Maciver-Redwood was bundled over in the box to give Stirling the opportunity for a perfect start. McAninch fired into the top right corner to give the hosts the lead.

The second goal followed just four minutes later with Maciver-Redwood again involved. He combined with Marcus Lavery to break into the box and cut the ball across for Heal to tap in.

Lavery was at the heart of proceedings once more as Stirling added a third on 15 minutes. He found space down the left and clipped across for Maciver-Redwood to slot into the far corner.

Maciver-Redwood had multiple opportunities to add to his tally, continuously playing on the shoulder of the Exeter defence but he couldn’t quite apply the finishing touch.

He finally got his second and Stirling’s fourth goal on the stroke of halftime. After seeing that he had no support, he battled down the left wing, broke into the box and snuck a low strike past the goalkeeper at the near post.

Stirling continued to look for opportunities in the second half, but their fifth goal came from a piece of individual brilliance. With the ball bouncing in midfield, Russell let the ball drop over his shoulder and unleashed an unstoppable volley into the top left corner.

Exeter grew more into the game in the final 20 minutes and found themselves a late consolation, with Xavi De Pedro firing high past Jay Maxwell Davila with what was the final action of the game.

Stirling will now face Hartpury University in the semi-finals of the National Championships.

The full match gallery can be found on the George Vekic Photography website.