Cumbernauld Colts left with nothing to show from Stirling effort

Colts played some open and expansive football but a defensively well marshalled home side who made sure the three points didn’t return to Broadwood.

The game started brightly with Craig Murray and Stephen O’Neill causing the home side some concern. But Stirling gave early notice that the Colts would have to work hard if the wished to take anything from this game.

This led to frustration in the away teams’ ranks and it wasn’t long before Murray found his way into the book for a needless trip on his Stirling counterpart.

Colts were having the majority of possession and pressure but a lapse in concentration allowed the home side to take the lead on the 30th minute when a slack pass in the midst of a Colts’ attack led to a loss of possession and a swift counter attack which led to O’Brien slotting the ball past the helpless Currie.

It was a bitter pill to swallow given the Colts dominance, but they continued to have the upper hand as they tried desperately, but in vain, to restore parity going into half-time.

Colts started the second half as they left off and continued to press the University side for an equaliser.

Craig Murray’s powerful shot from outside the box looked netbound until the home keeper Walker produced an acrobatic save to knock the ball out for a corner.

Sean Brown then connected with a ball into the Stirling six-yard box but again the home keeper was a match, this time leaping to his left to parry the ball around the post.

Colts turned to the bench for answers with Craig Holmes and Jeff Fergus making way for Michael Wallace and Lewis Wilson, on his first appearance since returning from Clyde on loan.

The changes added fresh impetus but the Stirling rearguard refused to be breached.

Wallace was looking lively and when on a move down the right he cut inside leaving his marker in his wake and unleashed a drive from 25 yards out which looked goal bound only to see Walker again come to the home side’s rescue with a spectacular save high to his left.

The home side reverted to their bench and it almost had an immediate effect when substitute Lyons almost slotted home with his first touch of the ball.

It wasn’t long though until they did get their second, against the run of play, when Bonar ghosted in at the back post to tap a diagonal free-kick into the back of the net with seven minutes remaining,

Colts however refused to admit defeat and continued to trouble the home side with Brown being released on a one to one with Walker, only to see him again pulling off a fantastic save to deny the big striker.

In the end there was no more scoring and the Cumbernauld side and their supporters left the Falkirk Stadium at a loss to understand how they had failed to take anything from the game.