Students see off Preston to make final

Stirling University 1 Preston Athletic 0

THE University of Stirling will face Spartans in the final of the King Cup.

The students put on a fine display against their Premier League opponents and a Lee Nichol strike in the first half was enough to give them the win.

Stirling started the game superbly. Craig Mason, the former Wales under-19 internationalist, was the focal point for most of the attacks, holding the ball up and bringing his team-mates into the game.

However it was on-loan Falkirk FC midfielder Craig McLeish who had the first good chance. Michael Pentland beat his man before whipping in a great cross to the back post. McLeish timed his run perfectly, sneaking in front of his marker, but missed the ball completely.

But Stirling took the lead after 15 minutes through Nichol. The ball dropped to the midfielder at the edge of the box and he drove it low and hard into the corner of the net. They almost went two up through Craig Mason after 25 minutes. A long cross-field pass by Chris McKee was caught on the volley by Mason from just outside the box but the ball cracked off the bar.

Preston's half-time team-talk must have consisted of some stern words because they looked like a different team in the second period. The game changed completely as Stirling sat back in an attempt to defend their 1-0 lead, whilst the away side pressed forward looking for the equaliser.

However, the students never looked like conceding. Preston only ever seemed like troubling Stirling from set pieces but goalkeeper Sam Filler was dominant in his area, claiming the ball time after time as it was floated in.

The win topped a successful week for Stirling who were assured of promotion on Tuesday after a 2-0 victory against Easthouses.

Stirling University: Filler, McCullagh, Atkins, Milne, McKee, McLeish, Anderson, Stallard, Nichol, Pentland, Mason. Subs: McCulloch, Black, Neilson, Keller, Bolam.

Preston Athletic: Thomson, Laidlaw, McCaul, Laighfield, Scott, McColl, Wales, Stewart, Miller, Manson, Kerr. Subs: Haynes, Docherty, Cairnie, Cathcart, Gilpin.