Final Score: Stirling 2-2 Glasgow
Venue: Stirling University Wednesday, 12 February
Competition: BUCS League Match—Men’s Football
The match between Stirling Men’s 4s and Glasgow 3s kicked off at 13:00, with both teams showing early signs of intensity.
Glasgow had the first major chance of the game with an early penalty.
Stirling’s keeper, Luke Mazoyer, brilliantly saved the initial shot.
Glasgow tried to score on the rebound, but Luke kept focused and made another key save.
However, just shy of 10 minutes in, Glasgow’s tenacity paid off with a fumbled save from the keeper, putting the visitors ahead.
Stirling responded quickly, however, and their efforts paid off when striker Etienne Kemp took on the back line and levelled the score to 1-1.
Both teams continued to press, with Luke continuing to make crucial saves throughout the end of the half.
Throughout the first half, Nick McNulty offered crucial on-pitch tactics, supporting morale and watching how play devolved around the pitch.
Stirling came close again with a well-struck free kick just outside the box, but Glasgow’s keeper got hands to it before Stirling could.
As the first half progressed, Stirling continued to apply pressure with a close goal from Ewan Ross after Dylan Jones skilfully outmanoeuvred a defender, leaving them completely wrong-footed and on the floor.
They won back-to-back corners at the half’s end, but despite well-placed deliveries from Etienne, they were unable to convert.
Half-time: 1-1
Second Half:
The second half started strong as Stirling took the lead within the first five minutes, with Etienne netting his second goal to make it 2-1.
A brilliant move down the right flank set up the chance; one clever fake shot sent a defender sliding out of the play, while a second feint left another defender and the goalkeeper scrambling, leaving Etienne with an open goal to finish with ease.
Ewan Ross kept up a top performance up front with him taking the lead on the second half’s goal attempts.
His confidence on the ball shone through with him taking on multiple defenders regularly, seeming unbothered by their attempts to tackle him.
The home side continued to display solid defensive work, with four crucial defensive stops preventing Glasgow from finding a quick equaliser.
Shortly after, Stirling made a key substitution, with Etienne coming off despite his key performance.
Not long after that, Glasgow kept up the pressure and earned a penalty, which they successfully converted to level the score at 2-2.
In the final 10 minutes, frustration grew on both sides as play became scrappier. The poor pitch conditions further disrupted the game, making it difficult for either team to create clear chances.
The match ended with both teams pushing for the win, but neither side was able to find the decisive goal, resulting in a well-fought draw.
Stirling’s keeper delivered an outstanding performance, making multiple crucial saves and rightfully earning the Man of the Match award.
In a post-match interview striker Etienne talked me through the match:
“I thought the team played fairly well. There was some good play, some strong passing movements, and the second goal was a really nice move down the right-hand side.”
“However, at times we were a bit slow on the ball, taking a few too many touches. Given the poor quality of the pitch, playing quick football wasn’t easy, but overall, I’d say it was a decent performance that maybe didn’t get the result it deserved.”
When asked about the main challenges they faced on the pitch he replied:
“Well it was just a couple lapses in concentration obviously conceding two penalties is never ideal in a football game, I think it’s just about keeping our heads cool.”
“Defending corners we were absolutely hopeless which is a running theme with us I’m afraid.”
With this draw, Etienne explained how they stand in the league:
“Yeah, so now we’re virtually guaranteed second place unless we lose again next week. But yeah, it’s been frustrating—going from five points clear to sitting mathematically out of the title race just three or four games later.”
“So yeah, it’s been a really disappointing run of results. But yeah, the performances have been alright for the most part, so I can’t complain too much. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.”
Feature Image Credit: Dylan Burt
Current Gaming & Tech Editor
Instagram: @dylan.byline
Email: dylanburt2005@gmail.com
