A late first-half goal from Arron Lyall gave the Gers the lead at the halftime break, but the hosts fought back in the second 45 to make it all level.
It was Ross McCausland who netted the winner in the final ten minutes of the match to gain a positive victory away from home in the league campaign.
It was a warm summer afternoon in Stirling with several travelling supporters in the stands to back McCallum’s side as they looked to carry momentum following their dominant result on Tuesday night against Dumbarton in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
From the team that started midweek, the B team boss made four changes to his starting line-up.
Jack Harkness joined the defending backline alongside Robbie Fraser, Connor Allan, and Lewis MacKinnon, with Lewis Budinauckas behind them in goals.
Darren McInally made his first league start of the season this afternoon as he stepped into the middle of the park alongside Mackenzie Strachan and Kane Ritchie-Hosler, with Arron Lyall and Ross McCausland supporting Zak Lovelace up front.
The Light Blues began the match with great passages of play to drive their way into the Stirling Uni final third, but the backline did well to read the early danger that was presented by the attacking front three.
Stirling Uni looked bright to quickly divert the pressure towards Budinauckas in goals but, likewise, the defensive line remained composed to collect the squad’s efforts.
On the fifteen-minute mark, McCausland and Lovelace worked well to break down the right flank towards Fry in the Stirling Uni goal. McCausland sent a paced effort from the corner flag to link up with the youngster in the box, Lovelace made a good connection with his delivery, but it, unfortunately, drifted over the crossbar.
The home side reacted quickly to this challenge and looked to threaten the Gers backline to gain the advantage. Stokes was close to opening the scoring for his side after he got on the end of a corner kick within the Light Blues box, but his effort fell just wide of the front post.
McCallum’s side continued to maintain possession in the Stirling Uni half as they looked to dissect the defensive line and secure the opening goal before the half time break, but the home side were able to read the squad’s play and intercepted their challenges.
In the final ten minutes of the first half, the young Gers looked more likely to break the deadlock and gain the lead. McInally and Lovelace both made superb individual runs to deliver the ball into dangerous positions within the home side's box, but the ball was just unable to see the back of the net.
On the cusp of half time, Lyall looked in the mood and dangerous amongst the Stirling back four. Unsurprisingly, Lovelace made a superb drive down the right side and cut the ball to the on-running youngster in the box. Lyall made a fantastic connection with the ball to send a powerful volley past Fry to give the Gers the lead as they headed into the halftime break.
As the squad returned to the pitch for the second 45, McCallum’s team looked eager to build on their lead and double the gap.
However, it was Stirling Uni who nearly found the equaliser to close the deficit. Rae made a threatening run into the Rangers final third and found some space to get a shot away on the edge of the box, but Budinauckas made a sensational save to deny their effort.
The youngsters reacted quickly to this threat with Lovelace being a force of power down the middle of the park. The striker made an outstanding solo run from within his own half to weave past several defenders and push towards the opposition's goal. He managed to find some space to get his shot away, but it agonisingly rattled off the post.
The squad built from this rhythm and worked well to create a positive play around the home side’s box. Substitute, Charlie Lindsay threaded a sublime ball to Lovelace who broke into the final third, but the ball was intercepted before he could send an effort towards the goal.
Around 60 minutes, the hosts found a burst of energy and maintained pressure amongst the Rangers box as they aimed to find the leveller. Soon after, Stirling were able to find their equaliser after Jarvis slotted a close range effort past Budinauckas from within a heavily congested Rangers box.
The squad eagerly looked to rectify the score line and take the three points from the match. Sub, Connor Young, looked to make a positive impact on the pitch and was able to do so after assisting McCausland with the second goal of the afternoon.
With just ten minutes left on the clock at Forthbank, the youngsters piled on the final third pressure to take the lead once more. Young drove down the left side and was able to pick out McCausland advancing into the box in front of him, the striker was able to lay it off to him where he took an angled strike to send it into the bottom right corner to end the score 2-1.
RANGERS: Bodypacks, Fraser, Allan, MacKinnon, Harkness, McInally (Lindsay, 46), Strachan, Ritchie-Hosler Lyall, McCausland, Lovelace (Young, 65).
SUBS: Pazikas, K. Ewen, H. Ewen.
STIRLING UNI: Fry, Heal, Lavery, Service, Burrows, Berry, Jarvis, Rae, Stokes, McAnich, MacIver-Redwood.
SUBS: Russell, Mirzsalimov, Godik, McGill, Torreggiani, Bainbridge, Woloszyn.
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