The University of Stirling men’s football team bowed out of the BUCS National Championship, losing 2-0 to Hartpury in the semi-finals at the Gannochy.
Two first-half goals for the visitors gave Stirling an uphill battle, with Hartpury’s defence remaining strong enough to deny their opponents a place in the final.
Head Coach Chris Geddes said: “It’s disappointing to lose but on the day we just weren’t good enough. We had plenty of the ball in the final third but the quality wasn’t there.
“Even with the loss, this year has been a success. To win the BUCS league for a fourth consecutive year with a whole new group deserves credit. To do ut so consistently is a great achievement and one they and the University should be proud of.”
Stirling had a nightmare start, finding themselves behind in the first minute. Hartpury attacked down the left side, crossing for Robinson to power past Max Davila at the near post.
This setback left Stirling to force the issue against a compact and resolute Hartpury side. A number of crosses from Marcus Lavery ran through to the far post where nobody was there to attack the ball.
The task became even harder after 16 minutes as Hartpury doubled their lead. A poor clearance was seized upon by the midfield, giving Dunbar the opportunity to round Davila and pass into an empty net.
The hosts settled into the game and dominated possession, without truly testing the Hartpury defence. Their best chance of the half fell to Ciaran McAninch, who worked space on the edge of the box but saw his strike claimed safely by the opposition goalkeeper.
Set pieces became Stirling’s biggest threat in the second half as Hartpury remained admirably disciplined in their structure. Isa Aslanoglu and Jake Service won plenty of headers at the back post but nobody was waiting to strike on goal.
The afternoon became even tougher for Stirling after 65 minutes when Lavery saw red. The captain attempted to kick the ball free of a challenge but was adjudged to have acted unsafely by the referee, who reduced the hosts to ten men.
Hartpury were able to control the proceedings more comfortably with the numerical advantage, not threatening further goals but limiting Stirling to fight for corners and deep free kicks.
None of these set pieces proved to be fruitful though as the visitors booked their place in the National Championship final in Loughborough.
While the result went against them, Stirling can still reflect on a successful year in BUCS competition.
Having won the BUCS North league for the fourth successive season earlier in the year, they competed admirably for the National Championship. The top four finish in the National Championship further emphasises their credentials as one of the top university football teams in the UK.