Students Stun Spartans with Late Screamer

Posted on Sunday, November 12th, 2017

Edusport Academy stunned Spartans with a stoppage winner after an even match in the South Challenge Cup at Galabank, Annan.

With Greenhill, Tolmie and Guthrie unavailable there was an unfamiliar look to centre of the Spartans defence with youngster Adam Corbett paired with Jack Nixon

The first half was a midfield slog with chances few and far between. Of note was a booking for notorious Spartans hardman Blair Atkinson…

Spartans best chance of the half came just before the break when Nixon met a Maxwell corner but headed the ball over the bar.

HT  Edusport Academy 0 Spartans 0

Spartans kept pressing for a goal after the break and when after 51 minutes, Maxwell hit the deck outside the box; the ref awarded what seemed a softish foul. This did not bother Maxwell who brushed himself down and fired the resulting free kick into the net.

More Spartans pressure led to a shot from Brown being blocked before the ball was scrambled to safety by the home defence.

Edusport were beginning to look dangerous and when a ball over the top led to one on one between the Stobie and home forward Babel, it took great
reflexes from the keeper to keep the Frenchman at bay.  The respite was to be temporary as just four minutes later, a ball round defence put Babel in on goal again – he did not miss this time.

Both teams pushed for a winner but in the second minute of stoppage time, Connor Higgins picked up the ball near the half way line and drove forward.
With the Spartans defence backing off he let fly from 25 yards and ball gave Stobie no chance as it ended up in the net via the inside of the post.

FT Edusport Academy 2 Spartans 1

Malt and Hops Man of the Match –  Craig Stevenson

Team

Stobie, Herd, Stevenson, Nixon , Corbett,  Brown, Atkinson, McFarland, Allum,  Dishington, Maxwell (Khutsisvili). Subs Not used Carswell (GK), Thomson, Hand.