Match report

Match report

After two closely contested matches during the season, the U14 cup final between Stirling United and Mount Barker Red promised to be a close contest. Stirling United started strongly playing into the wind, with some nice passing seeing Toby Leigh in position to cross the ball across the goal mouth in the first minute of the game, but no one was able to get anything on it to divert it into the goal. After a period with few chances, Mount Barker started to get more of the ball in their forward half, testing the Stirling defence of Nik Smith, Kye McDonald, Lachlan Stein and Ky Henry but with no impression on the scoreboard. The introduction of Charlie Rollings off the interchange bench provided some more run through the centre for Stirling, but on 25 minutes, Mount Barker scored from long range into the bottom right corner to take the lead. With the blustery conditions favouring the Mount Barker end, another shot struck the left hand upright but deflected back into the field of play and was cleared by the Stirling defence. Approaching the end of the first half, Stirling started to penetrate the Mount Barker defensive line, with Yuto Okada hitting the woodwork, before a subsequent attack saw a shot from tight on the byline from Araby Phelan deflect in off the keeper to level things up. Almost immediately after, a cross from Rollings found the head of Phelan, but the ball sailed just over the crossbar to leave the score at 1-1 at half time.

With the wind dying slightly but still having an impact, Stirling started the second half strongly. First Phelan found himself in space running in to goal, but the impressive closing speed from the Mount Barker defence prevented him getting away a clean shot. Calan McCormick, out of the goal for the second half, hit the crossbar, and then Phelan again saw his shot saved by the keeper. It took a lovely solo run from Rollings to break the deadlock and put Stirling ahead, with Rollings dribbling past 3 or 4 defenders before calmly slotting the goal. Stirling continued to attack, and create chances, but then against the run of play, a long ball was picked up by ......... with blistering pace and shot past Stein in goal to level the scores again. With the players tiring, it looked like the game was heading towards penalties, then with 3 minutes to go, Phelan ran onto a through ball and managed to score to regain the lead. Desperate play from Mount Barker in the last couple of minutes saw them have a couple of chances from set pieces, but a final clearance from the Stirling defence saw them ahead as the full time whistle blew to take out the cup for 2019.