He struck on 68 minutes when he rose highest to head home a Kris Pike free-kick. Indeed, it was a double blow for the visitors after suffering the dismissal of the experienced Paul Evans immediately before following a challenge on Craig McMillen which earned him his second booking of the night.

Both sides came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Aidan McVeigh forced Andy McDonald into a superb stop to keep his half-volley nestling in the top corner while, on the half-hour mark, McMillen played the ball across the face of goal with Stirling just narrowly missing making contact at the far post.

And Stirling might have made it 2-0 on 72 minutes when another header was cleared off the line but the best Banbridge had to offer in response was a late McVeigh effort which bounced wide of the post.