Ploj double as Latics ease to Stirling victory

STIRLING ALBION 0, ATHLETIC 5

SLOVENIAN trialist Alen Ploj hit two goals as Athletic eased to a 5-0 victory against over-run part-timers Stirling Albion.

The forward struck once in both halves at the Forthbank Stadium, adding to goals from Danny Philliskirk, Dominic Poleon and Rhys Turner to earn manager Darren Kelly his second win from three pre-season outings.

This one was a mis-match against a side who were last term relegated to Scottish League Two last term, but at the very least it got Athletic's attacking game into gear on a soggy night north of the border.

Philliskirk opened the scoring after seven minutes, applying a low finish to a Rhys Murphy pass, and the advantage doubled nine minutes before the break when Ploj played a neat one-two with Poleon and fired home past Albion 'keeper Chris Smith.

Ex-Leeds man Poelon was having a field day and got the third himself after racing past his marker four minutes later.

Athletic made seven changes at the break but it was still one-way traffic against outclassed opponents, in front of a noisy band of travelling fans.

Ploj rolled home into an empty goal at the far post from Poleon's centre five minutes into the second period and on 65 minutes, Turner raced down the middle from George Green's delivery to finish with conviction.

Athletic entered cruise control as the game reached its conclusion, with Philliskirk and Danny Byrnes going close to adding a sixth.