Before we entertain 6th-placed Annan at Shielfield Park we have the usual weekly admin to go through. We played Annan in the Scottish Cup last year with Civil Service, going out in a replay.
On Sunday 19th our U18 drew 1-1 with BSC Glasgow Reserves, 18 yo left winger Ryan Grant with the goal.
Monday 20th January 2020 – NEW SIGNING
Lewis Allan (23, 6ft) comes in after being released by Hibs. His career to this point has been on loan in League 1 & League 2. IRL he plays for Raith Rovers in the Championship, joining this season after 13 years with Hibs, and has scored 4 in 7!!! (-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Allan_(footballer)
15 Heading, 15 Off-the-Ball, 12 Jumping reach – Welcome to our new Target Man 🙂
Feel like a very solid signing – a focal point for our wing-play tactic.
Our Reserves lost 2-0 to Edinburgh City Res in the SPFL Reserve League 2
2 players this week in the League 2 TotW – Kyle Allison for the second week ina row and Archie Gardiner after his break-away goal.
17 yo Leftback Lewis Faulds goes out to Inverurie Locos in the Highland League for the rest of the season, hoping he gets some good game-time.
Tuesday 21st January 2020 – NEW SIGNING
Liam Watt (26, 5ft 9) comes in on a free after leaving East Fife in the summer. He has plenty of Championship and league 1 experience, and will be our starting left winger, £100/wk makes him the highest paid player at the club. IRL he is still at East Fife in League 1 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Watt
Good passing, solid crossing, decent stamina – hoping a 25% cross completion to Lewis Allan up top will lead to a good few goals.
Again, a great signing IMO – a player who should be peaking in the next couple of years.
17 yo GK Tom Warburton goes off to Leith in the EoS Conference until the end of the season.
Saturday 25th January 2020 – NEW SIGNING
Ross Lyon (21, 5ft 9) joins on a free until the end of the season, after leaving Clyde. He spent 2017/18 at Stranraer on loan in League 1 from Rangers and 2018-19 joined Clyde. IRL he joined Clyde in Sep 2018.
Really solid back-up to Conor McLaughlin who can play in a number of positions.
We can take a look at his progression at the end of the season as to giving him another season.
So to today’s game with Annan Athletic. They are currently 4 points above us, and so far this season it is W1 (2-0 in August) D1 (1-1 in November) for Berwick, but they have won their last 2 matches (Stirling & Buckie Thistle). The scout report isn’t amazing for Annan, very similar in star level to us.
4-4-1-1 Wingplay – Healy is out suspended so new-boy Allan starts up top on his own, with fellow new-boy Watt on the left wing. Unchanged otherwise, very interesting to see if the new signings fit in well in their first game – I’m not pinning any hopes on it, but it would be nice. Annan go 4-4-2. Let’s go.
HT Berwick 0 Annan 0
A decent enough start, Berwick with plenty of the ball, and some backs-to-the-wall defending by Annan. Annan then came into the game, looking dangerous. New boy Watt hit the base of the post at the end of a counter attack after 25 minutes. Annan finished off the half looking more dangerous – 0-0 it finished. We go 4-4-2 for the second half, Adamson on for Gardiner.
FT Berwick 3 (McNiff 50, Adamson 89, Barr 90+2) Annan 2 (McKernon 79, McMillan 90+5) Att 377 (18 Away)
Anna started strongly, but Berwick gradually pulled themselves into the game with some nice attacking play. And in the 50th minute McNiff scored directly from a free Kick to make it 1-0 Berwick, back to Balanced from Positive. We definitely look better with 2 up top. Orru on for Watt. Ross Lyon on for McLaughlin. And again from nowhere a 20 yard screamer from McKernon (79th minute) undoes all our hard work. 1-1. Demanding more!! and we get more!! – 89th minute, the wing-play comes good, a beautiful cross from Meechan finding Adamson, who half-volleyed home unchallenged. 2-1. And we made it 3 in the 2nd minute of injury time, Barr with the finish after a poor headed clearence. 3-1. Somehow in the last minute of injury time Annan made it 3-2, McMillan at the far post. And that’s how it finished, 3-2 Berwick, another priceless 3 points.
A superb weekend for us, making back 2 points at least against everybody around us. 13 games left, we already have more points than Berwick got all last season (25). Think 45 points may well be good enough to get 6th, so 18 points from 13 games…..Hoping for a bit more than that TBH.
Next up is Stirling Albion (9th) Away, a chance to distance ourselves from relegation even more (Currently 10 points away) and also rub their noses in it for turning me down for the managerial role 🙂 A month-end will also have passed so we can have a look at the stats for our first month in charge. See you soon.