Match report

BSC Glasgow 2-1 University of Stirling
Indodrill Stadium, 7:45 pm, 16/12/20
Lowland League

By Charlie Harris at Indodrill Stadium, Alloa

The University of Stirling paid the price after losing two early goals to BSC Glasgow on Wednesday evening – losing the Lowland League encounter 2-1.

For the second consecutive game, the students were slow off the mark, and BSC – like Jeanfield Swifts last weekend – seized their early chances. Michael Anderson and Max Christie gave the home side a two-goal lead in just four minutes.

Stirling found their way back into the match and were rewarded for their efforts, when BSC defender Craig McCracken passed the ball past his own keeper with 20 minutes remaining. But it was too little too late for the students, suffering their second defeat of the week.

Head Coach Chris Geddes said: “I’m gutted. It’s not often we play BSC and put on a performance like that – but the first four minutes killed us. We didn’t do ourselves any favours.

“I thought that for 86 minutes of the game we were the better team, so to come away with a loss is gutting. To be fair, they had a chance to make it 3-0, but we created a lot of opportunities too and found a way back into the game with the own goal.

“We got into the box a lot of times – just nothing broke for us. They were maybe fortunate, but we just need to defend better as a unit.”

Marcus Lavery and Louis Kennedy came into the side for Stirling, who were looking to bounce back after Saturday’s Scottish Cup defeat to Perth side Swifts. However, the hangover from that result was apparent and the students found themselves two goals down just moments after the first whistle.

BSC’s first goal came just after a minute from a well-worked move, which saw Ross Lyons fire a ball across the box to Anderson, who turned, and fired it past the helpless Ben Fry in the University goals.

The nightmare start for Stirling went from bad to worse on four minutes when a speculative shot-cum-cross from Christie, found its way into the net via the back post.

Stirling eventually settled, and began to create chances of their own. Jamie Penker had the ball in the net at one stage, however, the officials ruled the goal out as offside – despite the protestations of the striker.

Calum Heath also came close for Stirling, with a lobbed effort going just past the post on 38 minutes, after BSC keeper David Wilson found himself in no man’s land.

And it was to be Wilson who would be involved in gifting Stirling their most bizarre goal of the season so far. Defender McCracken misplaced a back-pass to Wilson on 70 minutes, which saw the ball trickle just over the line – in spite of Wilson’s desperate efforts to clear the ball.

The last 20 minutes of the game saw both teams look for the next goal, with Craig Brown and Robbie McGale looking to create for Stirling, whilst BSC substitute Alfie Agyeman was a constant danger on the break for the hosts.

In the end, BSC’s two early goals would be enough to decide the match and subject Stirling to their first league defeat in December.

With eyes on Saturday’s trip to Kelty Hearts, Geddes said: “It doesn’t get any tougher, but we’ve done okay there in the past few years. 

“We will take the positives from tonight and hopefully we defend better – because we will need to.”

University of Stirling: Fry, McGale, Quigley, Doan, Lavery (Jarvis 46’), Downie, Brown, Berry (Bremner 63’), Penker (Hall 81’), Kennedy (Burrows 81’), Heath (Baird 63’)
Scorer: McCracken (O.G, 70’)

BSC Glasgow: Wilson, McCormack, Mills, Geggan, Tierney (Agyeman 50’), Anderson, Christie, Lyon, Bell, Glasgow (Lindsay 61’), McCracken
Scorers: Anderson (2’), Christie (4’)