The University of Stirling Men’s firsts lost to Dunbar United in a dramatic penalty shootout in the fifth round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup.
120 minutes couldn’t separate the sides who scored one each in regulation thanks to Kyle Somers for Dunbar, and Alex Jeanes for the Uni.
Dunbar keeper Sean Brennen played the hero in the shootout, saving a penalty before dispatching his own to earn a hard-fought win for his side.
Head coach Chris Geddes said: “Disappointed to lose. We had most of the ball but didn’t trouble their goalkeeper enough. The final ball wasn’t what was needed.”
“Never nice to lose on penalties but it happens, and we just have to move on to the next game”.
The home side were sharpest out the blocks, wasting no time to get themselves ahead. Kyle Somers’s first-time finish from a simple cutback rolled past Gromov-Godik in the Stirling goal.
Stirling looked in control after that, but Dunbar’s defence stood defiant, letting nothing through.
Sean Brennan in the Dunbar net was called into action just on the half-hour mark, from Marcus Lavery’s rifled shot. The keeper tipped the shot over the bar for Stirling corner, as the students continued to search for the equaliser.
Against the run of play, Dunbar should have doubled their lead in the 37th minute, failing to capitalise on a slip by Isa Aslanoglu. Yan Gromov Godik came out fast and saved well.
After the restart, Stirling continued to hold possession, playing some good football, but failing to cause any real problems for Dunbar’s defence. They always seemed to get a body across when the students got near the box.
It was Dunbar who once again should have doubled their lead. Three heroic goal-line clearances from Stirling kept the game in the balance with ten minutes to go.
Long throws had caused Dunbar plenty of issues in the first half. Their failure to deal with them would catch up to them in the 82nd minute. A misplaced Dunbar header from a Stirling long throw directed the ball straight to Alex Jeanes, who made it look easy with a placed volley into the left corner of the goal.
Dunbar went incredibly close again to getting the go-ahead goal in extra time, but somehow Gromov Godik kept the ball off the line after a great move by the home side.
Ben Heal had Stirling’s best chance in extra time after playing a clever one-two with Jeanes, only to fire his shot wide off the post.
With neither team being able to break through, it went down to a penalty shootout.
Both teams would score four and miss one which meant sudden death.
It would take another five penalties scored each before we would get our victors. It was all on the goalkeepers now to settle this game.
Stirling’s Gromov Godik stepped up but had his penalty saved by his opposite number. Sean Brennen made no mistake with his penalty, confirming Dunbar’s place in the next round of the cup.
Stirling University will look to bounce back on the weekend when they play against Cowdenbeath away from home in the Lowland League.
University of Stirling: Gromov Godik, Lavery, Aslanoglu (Jeanes 73), Service, Scally (Wolosyzn 73), Russell (Malcolm 63), Heal, McAninch, Stokes (Docherty 20), Maciver-Redwood, McKinley (Vonk 63)