Scottish Sun Lowland League Scottish Sun Lowland League Stirling University 7-0 Threave Rovers By Tom Hardman at Ainslie Park Stirling University turned on the style to net seven against struggling Threave Rovers with seven different names on the score sheet.

It was a record Lowland League result in Stirling’s 250th match since joining the senior ranks in 2008 and the students closed the gap on sixth-placed Dalbeattie to just one point, with two games in hand.

Stirling normally play their Lowland League matches at Forthbank Stadium, but despite this ‘home’ encounter being played in Edinburgh at Spartans’ Ainslie Park, it proved to be an excellent ‘home from home’.

Fittingly it was defender Creag Robertson who opened the scoring on 10 minutes, converting from a corner with a header at the back post. Robertson is the only member of Head Coach Shelley Kerr’s squad who has been with the side since day one.

Threave threatened through Connor Docherty then Kyran Jackson, but Stirling stopper Ryan Marshall kept them at bay whilst a Gary Crooks free-kick from 25-yards out forced Threave goalkeeper Calum Benson into action with a fingertip save.

Strong striker Jeff Kessie doubled Stirling’s lead, his diagonal shot too hot to handle then defender James Drummond knocked in the third after a goalmouth scramble.

It was four before half-time as captain Calum Burns netted from close range after neat work from Kessie and Chris Geddes.

Top scorer Geddes capitalised on some poor marking to score Stirling’s fifth soon after the re-start. And Crooks made it six with a simple tap in following a neat interchange between Robertson, Burns and Kessie.

Former St Mirren Academy player Kyle Faulds almost forced an own goal, Benson to the rescue of his defender Scott Wilby, but Faulds did find the net soon after, his decisive finish from a Burns’ cross completing the scoring.

Next up in the league is Edinburgh University at Peffermill on Wednesday 14 January, kick-off 7.45pm then on Saturday it is Preston Athletic for a Lowland League Cup Group match, kick-off 3pm at Forthbank.

Elsewhere, the Fourth XI, known as the Stirling Dynamos, were also in goalscoring form as they netted five without reply against St Ninian’s Borestone. A brace from McKenzie, one for Marshall and two own goals were more than enough for the win in the Stirling & District League Cup Group match against a side 13 points ahead of them in the league.

Poor weather put paid to the Second XI and Third XI matches.

Stirling University: Marshall, Burns, Sheridan, Sutherland, Drummond, Robertson, Faulds (Kellock), Monguel (Williams), Geddes (Leigh), Crooks, Kessie.