YFS
Stirling High School overcame Alva Academy to lift the Forth Valley Schools Cup in a thrilling encounter at Ochilview Park.
Stirling High, cheered on by their vocal support, started brightly and went ahead within ten minutes through Connor Preston. Alva Academy responded in spectacular style ten minutes later with Ross Kempski lobbing the helpless Chris Nairns from 35 yards out to equalise. With just over 5 minutes remaining, Preston bundled in a Ross MacFarlane cross to ensure the trophy was returning to Stirling High.
The energy from Stirling High's noisy supporters appeared to filter down from the stands as the team in blue started brightly, Beausang forcing a corner early on with his direct running before some intricate interplay between Hutchison and Paul Gillespie had the Alva defence is disarray.
Stirling dominated the early stages and were rewarded for their efforts on the ten minute mark when Alexander Ogilvie danced past two red shirts before laying off Preston to coolly put the boys in blue 1-0 in front.
Alva were struggling to cope with the high intensity of the Stirling team particularly down the left hand side with Gillespie and Hutchison creating havoc with their neat passing and dangerous crosses into the Alva box.
The Alva captain Sam Fisher was becoming increasingly influential making some important challenges to deny Stirling and he almost created a goal for his team with a free kick that Nairns just managed to tip over the bar.
The Alva players who had beginning to look frustrated were rejuvenated half way through the half when Ross Kempski lobbed Nairns from 35 yards out to equalise with a strike he won't be forgetting about in a hurry.
Stirling responded to the set-back quickly, the marauding Hutchison was a constant threat whilst MacFarlane showed flashes of brilliance that had it not been for the awareness of Fisher would have punished Alva.
Half-time was fast approaching and it came to a close much in the same way it had began, this time it was Stirling's number seven Gillespie that raced venomously toward the Alva goal but Alex Neil was quick off his line to clear the danger and the teams went in on level terms.
