Match report

Match report

Coming off a win against arch rivals Hahndorf on Thursday night, Stirling United approached the penultimate game of the season with confidence. The weather was threatening and it wasn’t long before the rain started to tumble down, and combined with the usually breezy conditions at Strathalbyn it made for icy conditions for players and spectators alike.

Stirling started well, and an early goal from Araby Phelan gave them the lead. Most of the play was controlled by Stirling throughout the day but the ever present threat of the speed of Kalan Brooks up front for Strathalbyn meant the Stirling defence couldn’t relax for a moment. Henry Monaghan, Tom Harris and captain Toby Leigh were combining beautifully down the left side, while on the right hand side brothers Doni and Michael Savva were getting through the Strathalbyn defence.

As has been the tale of the season for Stirling, a number of chances were squandered and when Brooks broke free to level things up just before half time, Stirling knew that they would have their work cut out in the second half.

With frequent showers throughout the match, conditions started to get slippery, and Strathalbyn took full advantage of a favourable breeze to launch the ball forward pressurising the Stirling defence. When Brooks got the second of his hattrick for the game the writing was on the wall, and when a short time later the ball slipped through the normally sure grasp of Lachlan Stein in goal after a shot from Cooper Bailey, like the weather, things looked bleak.

Despite this, Stirling continued to control the majority of the play passing the ball around to keep control but without being able to find the back of the net. A final scramble saw Brooks get his third in a game where Stirling often looked the better side, but Strathalbyn’s ability to finish saw them take the points comfortably in the end.