10/08/2019  |  League

University of Stirling   4  v  4  Cumbernauld Colts

COLTS were left with lessons to learn after two late goals denied them all three points against the students of Stirling University.

First half goals from Jason Jarvis and Aidan Peden put Stirling Uni in control of this thrilling game in the sunshine at Forthbank Stadium.

But Colts responded brilliantly with second half goals from Craig Murray, Stephen O’Neill and a Marty Wright double and seemed to be on course for three league wins from three.

However, the hosts capitalised on some poor Colts defending in the later stages and strikes from Angus Mailer and Louis Kennedy ensured the teams had to share the points.

The first real opening of the game came the way of Stirling Uni’s Euan Baird in 7 minutes when the striker ran onto a loose ball and drilled narrowly beyond Jonathan Grier’s left hand post from just inside the box.

Stirling Uni had been looking more dangerous in the opening spell, but Colts Lewis Bonar had a great chance to open his own account in 20 minutes when he got onto O’Neill’s low cross but he clipped his shot narrowly wide of the target with hosts keeper Kevin Walker stranded.

But it was the hosts who took the lead on the half hour mark when the Colts defence again failed to clear a free kick from the right and Jarvis darted into the box and angled a drive high past Grier from about 15 yards.

And very quickly matters got worse for Colts in 33 minutes when Grier was judged to pick up a back pass inside the box, and from the resulting free kick Peden smashed a shot high into the Colts net past the helpless Grier to double the Stirling Uni advantage.

However, Colts made the perfect start to the second period when a well worked corner on the right allowed O’Neill to pick out Murray on the edge of the box, and the midfielder lashed the ball high past Walker in 48 minutes.

The goal breathed new life into Colts who began to look to get forward at every opportunity as they searched for an equaliser, but Stirling Uni were always dangerous on the counter attack, and Grier had to be at his best to deny both Jarvis and Baird from close range.

But after a period of Stirling Uni pressure, Colts drew the game level in spectacular fashion in 67 minutes when a sweeping move was finished off with an inch perfect low curling shot from Marty Wright which left Walker helpless, it was now game on.

And then in 72 minutes that man Wright was at it again as he forced Colts into the lead after sub Gregor Johnston did well on the left side of the box to send a cross towards the back post where Wright steadied himself before firing a left foot volley high part Walker.

The Cumbernauld men were now in the ascendency and in 75 minutes the best move of the game was finished superbly by O’Neill as the midfielder ran onto danger man Wright’s pass and slid the ball low past Walker from just inside the box.

Colts appeared to be in control and on course for victory, but in 82 minutes the hosts hit back reducing the deficit to one when Stirling Uni skipper Mailer drove through the Colts defence and drilled a shot high past Grier into the top right corner to set up a tense finish.

With only 5 minutes remaining on the clock Wright created himself a great chance to secure victory for Colts cutting through the Stirling Uni defence before rolling a shot past Walker which agonisingly rebounded off the post, then Wright had another chance from the rebound, but he blasted over the bar.

And that miss was to prove costly for Colts with only 2 minutes remaining when the hosts incredibly salvaged a share of the points after Colts defence failed to clear the danger from another Stirling Uni attack and sub Kennedy curled a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box leaving Grier helpless.

Colts will be disappointed not to have taken all three points and will now turn their attention to the visit of high flying Kelty Hearts at Broadwood next week.

University of Stirling; Walker, Burrows, Webb, Mailer, Downie, McGale, Brown, Berry, Baird, Jarvis, Peden. Subs; Heath, Kennedy, Bremner, Doan, Pemker, Nixon, Allan.