Stirling Albion...6

Cumbernauld Colts...0

Stirling Albion set up a Scottish Cup tie with holders Inverness as they emphatically saw off Cumbernauld Colts at Forthbank.

Steven Doris and Craig Beattie each scored twice while Sean Dickson and Kyle Lander also got on the scoresheet.

The margin of victory could have been even greater but for a missed penalty from Doris in the opening minutes and a fine performance from teenage goalkeeper Ross Doohan.

Manager Stuart McLaren opted to change the Binos’ formation, with Mark Lamont and Darren Smith coming in to replace Ross Smith and Sandy Cunningham.

It almost paid dividends with just three minutes on the clock. Lamont sent in an excellent cross from the right and Doris shaped to shoot, but was upended by Robbie Duncan. The striker stepped up to take the spot-kick himself, only to see the ball come crashing back off the crossbar.

Lamont was causing real issues for the visitors and he flashed an effort just wide before Doohan was called into action for the first time, doing just enough to deny Smith after the Binos frontman had raced onto an underhit backpass.

But the home side’s pressure would pay off with a quarter of an hour played and once again it was the combination of Lamont and Doris which brought the Binos joy. A corner from Lamont fell to his team-mate, who negotiated a pile of bodies in the Colts’ six-yard box to smash home and atone for his earlier miss.

Doohan was called into action again seconds later when Smith raced onto a through ball into the box, with the keeper making an excellent diving save to deny the former Motherwell man.

Lamont was the provider again for the Binos’ second goal. He ran on to a fantastic pass from Darren Smith and whipped the ball into the box, with Sean Dickson rising to head beyond Doohan from close range.

The visitors were struggling to get a foothold in the game and were unable to control the threat of Lamont, who looked threatening every time he was in possession.

Moments into the second half Doris netted his second of the evening. Stand-in skipper Willie Robertson chipped a lovely ball through and the striker raced in to squeeze a shot past the helpless Doohan.

Smith drew a fine save from the young keeper after he cut inside onto his right foot and fired a venomous shot towards the Colts net.

Doris, in search of his hat-trick, went close with what would have been the pick of the goals, shaving the post from all of 30 yards.

But the fourth goal would soon arrive, and it was Doris’ replacement Craig Beattie, making his first appearance since recovering from the injury he sustained back in August, who got it. Dickson was the creator with a driving run at the tiring Colts’ defence, and he played in the former Scotland international who swept the ball home from the edge of the box.

The veteran striker was denied again as Doohan made yet another save to keep the Binos at bay.

But the goalkeeper was unable to prevent the hosts adding a fifth. Again Lamont played a crucial role, firing in a low shot which Doohan could only parry into the path of Kyle Lander, who rolled the ball home for his first senior goal.

The St Johnstone loanee could have added to his tally but he was denied by Doohan, before David Verlaque suffered a similar fate.

With the final kick of the game, Beattie added his second to make it six of the best for the Binos. Ross Forsyth brought the ball out of defence and played in the 31-year-old, who dispatched his shot into the bottom corner to firmly seal Albion’s place in the fourth round.

Stirling Albion: C. Smith, Verlaque, McKinlay, Mazel (Comrie), McGeachie, Forsyth, Lamont, Robertson, Doris (Beattie), D. Smith (Lander), Dickson.