Today we look to continue our superb form versus a tough East Fife side, and we will continue through the transfer window.
A very strong U18’s team beat Heriot Watt Uni Res 4-0, goals from Lewis Allan & a Kieran McGrath hat-trick.
This seems to be a bug – I wanted to extend Sean’s loan to the end of 21/22 (I put in a bid for him but Hamilton triggered a contract extension for him) but apparently I can’t as it seems to be counted as another loan, even though it’s just an extension……… Really hope I can keep him, though Kieran McGrath is coming on leaps and bounds as well.
We have had some contract renewals in, all 2 years:
- Kyle Allison (30yo GK, £70/wk)
- Dean Cornelius (19yo MC, £75/wk)
- Marky Munro (19yo DR, £55/wk)
- Rodrigue Nanitelamio (24yo DC, £100/wk)
A good start, our talisman GK who plays well above his start rating, our best owened player in Cornelius, a very promising DR who likes playing wingback in Marky Munro & Big Rod, our DC stalwart.
A few in the team of the week, Allison, Big Rod, Lewis Barr & Seany-Boy
Lewis Faulds (18yo DL, £50/wk) signs until Summer 2023 – He will be my starting left-back for a while.
Our Ressies beat Inverness Athletic Res 4-0, goals from Lewis Allan & Cameron McGinn with a hat-trick.
A few more extensions:
- Archie Gardiner (20yo MC, £80/wk)
- Ryan Scullion (19yo MR, £45/wk)
- Yusuf Hussain (19yo DC, £60/wk)
- Tom Sutherland (19yo AMC, £100/wk)
- Aaron Dunsmore (24yo DR, £160/wk)
Really good to get Dunsmore for 2 years, and I see Archie Gardiner stepping up soon. Ryan Scullion is having a superb season at BSC Glasgow so he may start moving into the side ahead of McLaughlin soon as well. Tom Sutherland is a tough one – he needs to learn to play on the left and in centre-mid as I rarely use an AMC. Yusuf Hussain is very much my 3rd defender at the moment.
NEW SIGNING (End of Season)
Jordan Bow
- 18yo Centre Back
- 5ft 11in
- Started his career at St. Johnstone
- £250/wk
A like-for-like replacement for Harry Nicolson (Especially if he doesn’t extend his loan at the end of the season). Very nice heading, tackling, strength, decisions & positioning, and still only 18. We welcome him to Shielfield Park for (hopefully) our first season in League 1.
Transfer Out – Jake Davidson
Jake moves to Airdrie after 17 games at East Kilbride (5th in the Lowland League), averaging 6.94. He was 3* PA and getting in the 1st team wasn’t looking likely. Interesting that he was courted by a few higher league teams though (Alloa & Clyde)
Transfer Out – Lewis Allan
Lewis was never going to get any game time and was getting restless so he goes to Peterhead on a free. He played 18 competitive games for Berwick, scoring just the once….. I’m making sure I part company on good terms though, its just the right thing to do.
So to our match with an East Fife side that are doing well this season compared to last – 5th with 26 points after 20 games, after finishing 2019/20 rock bottom with 31 points in 36 games. They’ve signed a goof few players this season after releasing double-digit numbers of player both this season and last. East Fife released Aaron Dunsmore (When they should have been building the team around him) and we’ve reaped the rewards this season – 7.32 average, 1 goal, 7 assists from DR(WB/S). This is a game we should win, but we know how dangerous it can be to even think that in FM…..
4-3-3, Cautious but will moved to Balanced if it looks like we will benefit. Gardiner in for Turner, allowing Cornelius to go back to the right side of midfield. Healy gets a start as AMR as an IF – Run at defence on as Balde has 14 Dribbling and Healy 11. AML & AMR are where I will be looking to strengthen both in this window and in the summer. East Fife go with a 4-5-1 – Dowds up front can be dangerous so we will need to watch him. Seems to be Cautious v Defensive, might change that relatively quickly.
HT Berwick 2 (Slaven 2, Gardiner 11) East Fife 0
A mizzily drizzly January day, but Berwick flew out of the traps and were 1-0 up in the 2nd minute; a Healy Direct FK parried by the Keeper, Slaven on hand to keep his run going. 1-0. And it was 2 in the 11th minute, Langan in the east Fife Defence with a bad touch allowing Archie Gardiner to hit an absolute Howitzer from 20 yards. An amazing start. We look absolutely deadly today on the Comprehensive highlights, their keeper Long has kept them in the game. Really last-ditch defending from East Fife today. It was nearly 3 just before HT after a lovely break from an East Fife corner but it finished 2-0 – must be careful not to get complacent in the second half and really finish this off. The stats don’t really show the one-sidedness of the game, only really the shots.
FT Berwick 2 (Slaven 2, Gardiner 11) East Fife 0 Att 525 (76 Away)
Some really nice passing play by Berwick early in the second half, plenty of attacking intent even on Cautious. McLaughlin on for Healy for the last half hour. And we almost scored a crazy goal straight after, Balde with a Rabona cross to Slaven, the keeper saving magnificently. Turner on for Barr with 20 left, stepping back a bit to DM (DLP/D). East Fife were really coming at us now, with Allison/Alisson pulling off a couple of blinders to keep it 2-0. McGrath on for the last 10 as a different threat up top – AF – lines pushed up a bit, longer passing slow it down, yadda yadda yadda. This stifled them going forward and we walked away with a very nice 2-0 win indeed. Archie Gardiner with a creditable MotM. 8 League wins on the trot and a new record 🙂
We’re only 15 points clear lads & ladies!!!! Cowdenbeath continue to have a mid-season crisis losing 3-1 at home to Annan. Stenny are only a point back from them now, beating our next opponents Peterhead 3-1. Stranraer are also there-or-therabouts and 5th to 8th places are separated by 2 points.
As mentioned above we have Peterhead on the Wednesday, so only 4 full days between games, the main boys will be resting up. See you then.