AT the end of a gruelling 90 minutes of football against a top-flight team, the University of Stirling players hauled their aching limbs over towards their fans in the Jim McLean stand. The supporters - 1,047 in all - chanted, waved green flags, and hurled scarves onto the pitch. One or two of the black-clad students don’t know quite how to react, bursting into laughter or shaking their heads in disbelief.
As well they might. This wasn’t one of the great Scottish Cup upsets that was being sung about by friends, family and teammates, voices hoarse and cries chasing after the Dundee United fans, who had long since made their way out into the night.
By this stage of proceedings, Stirling were out, swatted aside 3-0 by the Premiership team, their dreams of reaching an unthinkably far round in the cup strewn across the pitch. But the pride told its own story.
United, as expected, had too much in the end. But boy did Stirling deserve this standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/TvWa59C2cv
— Jack Haugh (@JackMHaugh) January 21, 2023
“For any team to get this far is an achievement in itself and I think every single player on the team did themselves proud out there, especially that first half,” said goalkeeper Ben Fry, once of Northern Irish Premiership outfit Carrick Rangers. “I'm proud to be part of this team, and these guys I call my mates to be able to put on a performance like that.
“We knew it was always going to be tough, but it was a brilliant performance, and we can all hold our heads high.”
At a time when so many clubs in the lower echelons of the SPFL are relying on the 'same old players', passed around like a Christmas parcel, here had been a collection of academy rejects, spat out the system but going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country.
Tomas Gilmour kept a handle on Aziz Behich - just weeks ago tasked with marking Lionel Messi - for much of the game, James Berry had Craig Sibbald looking around for help on more than one occasion, and, in his manager’s words, plenty of strikers deemed good enough for the Premiership won’t test the United defence nearly as much as Ben Maciver-Redwood.
The biggest compliment you could pay to Stirling is that not only did they really push United in the first half - and Jason Jarvis nearly opened the scoring with an early effort - but such was Liam Fox’s concern about slipping on a potential banana skin that he sent out pretty much a full-strength team.
Throw in the fact the students had defeated League Two Albion Rovers enroute to the Tannadice showpiece - the Cliftonhill side one of many who could do worse than pick up any of Chris Geddes’ players - and it’s easy to see why no one in the underdogs’ squad felt out of place.
“It's the opportunity just to put ourselves on show, and show university football isn't just about guys who just want to have a party and play a bit of football on the side,” Fry, 21, added. “We have a serious set up here. We take it seriously. And obviously we have a bit of fun as well.
“But you know, we're serious about football. That's why I came to Stirling, to have the opportunity to further my career. It's a really good side to be a part of, and, like I say, to have opportunities like playing in the Scottish Cup.”
In his fourth and final year, the Sport and Exercise Science student is one of the Stirling players who will likely have to move on at the end of the season. But the devout Christian is sure his opportunity will come.
“I started off playing football at this wee Coaching for Christ, a Christian charity back home, and I’ve played a few games in the Northern Irish Championship,” he said. “I've come over to Scotland to play university football and now I am playing in the Scottish Cup. I'm trying not to think too far ahead to next year. I am looking to move on to a club, and we’ll see what happens.
“I am a firm believer that God will put me where He wants to put me. That’s massive for me. I think God has brought me here to start with and He’ll take me to the next stage.”
While Fry - who was heading off to join his teammates and much of the travelling support for a ‘quiet’ night out to celebrate the achievement - won’t be in the next round, Behich and his teammates will be.
Even if it wasn’t the result most onlookers wanted, United deserved plenty of credit for eventually getting the job done. And the Australian - whose opening goal was followed by Jamie McGrath and Glenn Middleton strikes - knows only too well how easy it is for events to go the other way, having lost a Turkish Cup match to second division Amed SK while with Bursaspor.
“For them it was like a final coming up against a Premiership team,” the 32-year-old said.
“We knew it was going to be tough and credit to them as they made it difficult in the first half for us.
“For me it is just another football game and you just have to respect your opponent no matter who it is.
“I have been on the end of upsets before when I played in Turkey and it is not nice to be part of that.
“So credit to the boys, the mentality was right.”
