Stirling University were yesterday crowned Scottish Sun League Cup winners with a convincing win over Preston Athletic.
Chris Geddes opened the scoring in the opening minutes when he got on the end of a long ball forward and he composed himself well to slot the ball past the advancing keeper. Twenty minutes later he doubled is account for the day when he went through one-on-one with the keeper and slotted the ball low in the corner of the net.
The students struck again barely two minutes after the restart, delivering another sucker punch to Preston. Geddes this time took a turn to provide the assist, setting up Sludden to rifle home from 12 yards.
Geddes completed his hat-trick in the 59th minute with an audacious lob over Gilbertson, and then tapped in for his fourth in the 64th minute after Sludden had stolen the ball from Dodd at the near touchline.
Just before Geddes had grabbed his third and fourth goals to wrap up the victory for Stirling, Bingham had taken to the field to partner Michael Osborne in attack. Although too late to change the result, Bingham latched on to a low cross from the right to direct the ball into the net in the 66th minute, prompting Preston’s brightest spell of the match. Ryan Marshall knocked Osborne off the ball five minutes later to gift Athletic a penalty, and although the Stirling goalkeeper stopped Ross Elliot’s spot-kick, Elliot buried the rebound.
After the match at Netherdale Arena Chris Geddes said ““The other boys have all won three medals already this season so this was extra special for me to be part of the team winning the Lowland League Cup.
“I’m delighted with my goals, too – scoring four goals in any cup final is a big achievement.
“To score so quickly was a bonus. I know that for Preston to lose a goal so early, and then to lose a goal so early in the second half as well, would have changed their whole game plan.”
Preston Manager David Bingham said ““I’d easily have given up my goal for a closer game, I said to the boys before the match that during my career I played for 19 years and made it to two cup finals – they don’t come around very often, and so you’ve got make the most of it.
