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Round 3 - Stirling Lions v Sorrento |
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
 A large crowd turned up to Macedonia Park on Saturday to witness a titanic tussle between northern neighbours Stirling Lions and the Sorrento Gulls with points shared in a very even 1-1 draw. The big crowd were treated to some exhillarating end to end football and hoping to see new Lions signing Mark Redshaw bag some more goals. {Video Highlights added}
Match Report
Stirling Lions had the return from England of Steve Porter in their line up for the first time this season, whilst Sorrento had James Morgan and Danny Hill back from suspension. Hill took a spot on the bench whilst Morgan started in the midfield for the Gulls. It was the Lions who were driven by Porter in the middle who took the game forward.
The Lions were first to attack with midfield dynamo Stevie Porter sending Jordan Rhodes through on the left with his pin point cross finding Andy Brown at the far post only for his inviting header going cross goal with no Lions on hand to finish the great build up.
Mark Redshaw had his first sight of the Gulls net on 7 minutes, but he fired well over with his left footed attempt. The Gulls first real attack was on 11 minutes when a Cross from the left by Stuart Banks was meet by Stuart Montgomery, but his header was held Lions keeper, Phil Straker.
A tight contest was broken by the referee's whistle on 18 minutes when Michael Pugliese was booked for a tackle on the Gulls Stuart Montgomery. Stuart Banks smacked the free kick into the defensive wall and the loose ball was swung into the danger area by James Morgan where Steve McDonald looping header was confidently grabbed by Straker. The Gulls small period of dominance saw them with another free kick on 25 minutes, which was taken by Glen Thomas, but Shaun Kilkelly headed over for the team in sky blue.
Then on 29 minutes it was the home team grabbing the lead. A low cross from the right was missed or touched by Kilkelly, which deceived Neil Young and the ball bounced through to the unmarked and ever alert Redshaw who promptly headed in from 2 meters. A minute before the break the Gulls fashioned a chance through Todd Harnwell who raced down the left and cut back into the path of Thomas, but Straker was well positioned to save well. Then seconds later, Thomas set up Montgomery and again Straker was good to dive low and tip the shot around the right post.
The start of the second half saw a flurry of cautions as the midfield battle ensured in the end to end contest. The Gull's Scott Neville did have a glimmer of opportunity on 64 minutes, but his snap shot was across the face. 3 minutes later it was Neville who sped down the right and cut across his marker into the area to pull back to Montgomery, but the Gulls striker smacked his shot off the right post. Then on 71 minutes a quick free kick taken by Scott Bulloch was to Michael Ord who quickly feed Todd Harnwell down the right and his pass into Montgomery was well relieved as the recently signed striker belted the ball pass Straker to bring the Gulls level. The Lions took the set back in their stride and within a minute Phil Arnold was crossing to Redshaw, but the Lion's forward saw his effort tipped over by Young.
The home team with driving force Porter who lobbed over the defensive line on 76 minutes had team mate Redshaw and opponents Kilkelly and Young all contesting and in contact for possession, but the toe poke from Redshaw was just wide of the Gulls right post. Lions Coach, Mick Lyons brought on Marc Anthony for the tiring Rhodes to add more forward fire power to the Lions in the 79 minute.
Both teams were hard at it, but neither could break the opponents defensive shackles. The Gulls did have an opportunity to grab the winner on 82 minutes when following a Thomas corner from the left resulted in a goal mouth scramble that saw the ball bobble up to hit the cross bar and Straker was brave to smother the ball on the goal line with boots flying. Soon after it was Redshaw who was one on one with keeper Young with Young saving bravely at the feet of the busy striker
STIRLING LIONS 1 ( Redshaw 29) v SORRENTO 1 (S Montgomery 71)
HT: 1-0 Sorrento (4-4-2): Young, Banks (Hill 59), Kilkelly, S McDonald, Ord, Neville, Thomas, Morgan, Bulloch (Flatt 79), Montgomery, Harnwell. Subs not used: Cochrane, Yorke, Trajkoski. Cautioned: Harnwell, Morgan.
Stirling Lions (4-4-2): P Straker, Pugliese, Ilomanoski, Hesketh, Rhodes (Anthony 79), Porter, A Brown, Muir, Evans, Redshaw, Arnold. Subs not used: Bentley, Micevski. Cautioned: Pugliese, Hesketh, Porter, Muir.
Referee: Dave Currie
Match Reporter Don Evans
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