Michael Osborne at the double in Whitehill Welfare win

Michael Osborne was the key man for Whitehill

The visitors started well and, with only six minutes on the clock, they carved the Whitehill defence open and took the lead. Paul McAfferty timed his run into the box perfectly and squared for Lewis Bonar to tap into the empty net.

The home side gradually got a foothold in the game and John Williams forced Ryan Marshall into a good stop with a free-kick from distance.

The turning point of the game came on the stroke of half-time. Whitehill were forced to defend a Stirling corner and moments later the advancing John-Ross Kerr was fouled 25 yards from goal. From the resultant free-kick, Michael Osborne curled a lovely strike into the far corner giving the keeper no chance.

Whitehill started the second half well. A Kerr cross was fizzed across goal and went narrowly wide off Scott Gormley.

On 62 minutes, a diagonal ball from Charlie Denton on the right was knocked down at the back post by Daryl Healy and Osborne blasted in his second goal of the game to give Whitehill the lead.

Inside a minute, it was 3-1 when Denton’s low shot went in via the near post.

Stirling immediately looked for a way back into the game and Tomos Jones saw an effort saved by Bryan Young after he had found space in the box. At the other end, a clever chipped shot from Denton struck the crossbar and went to safety. Moments later, though, Whitehill did have the ball in the net again when Gormley broke clear and produced a brilliant lob over the out-rushing Marshall to score.

Deep into injury time, McAfferty crossed for Peter Byrne to head in a consolation goal for the students.

Whitehill Welfare: Young, Hall, Williams, O’Hara, Manson, Osborne, Swann, Denton, Gormley, Healy, Kerr. Subs Russell, Dodds, Keane, Chalmers, Trialist, Jardine.

Stirling University: Marshall, Cuff, Kellock, Ashe, Nixon, Leigh, Jones, Gillon, Geddes, McAfferty, Bonar. Subs Touhy, McEwan, Hunter, Moyes, McAnespie, Byrne, Brown.