Today we make the trip to the central belt to face a Stirling side on a decent loss-less streak of 6 games. If we can win we will be at least 14 points clear with 7 games left.
Before then the usual bits and/or pieces.
The appeal for the Cornelius Red Card was turned down – only ever had one overturned I think. No reaction from the Scottish FA on my ‘dissent’ either, as I questioned the validity of the sending off in the post match presser.
Our U18’s beat Tweedmouth Res 3-1 in a friendly, Non-players Kieran Fotheringham & Chris McGale and 16yo STC James Doolan with the goals.
Barr & Gardiner in the League 2 Team of the Week after their goals v Cowdenbeath.
A little toe-in-the-water from the board – love the wording 🙂 New deal being offered shortly 🙂
Our Ressies won 3-1 as well – a friendly away to Lochmaben Res – Conor McLaughlin, Ross Gilmour & Ben Sedgwick with the goals.
NEW CONTRACT SIGNED – £625/wk, up from £450/wk. Hopefully we can give League 1 a good go (if we go up obviously….)
So to Stirling we wend our merry way – 98 miles to the Forthbank Stadium (Shared with Stirling Uni). A decent squad with a good record over the last 6 weeks. We need to keep it tight and grind them down. Hoping the news of me signing a new contract has rallied the troops as well 🙂
Andy Turner is back so starts as a Half Back – he’ll get 60 mins or so. We go 4-1-2-3, Gardiner in for Cornelius as he’s banned. McGrath starts up top as the more natural AF. Going pretty cautious still, Stirling go with a narrowish 4-4-2 by the looks of it.
HT Stirling 0 Berwick 0
Pouring with rain yet again – its a good job there are so many 4G pitches in Scotland. Stirling very much on top in the opening few minutes – feel we are drawing them on a bit so go to Balanced. This worked well, we started to attack a bit more. Barr had a couple of free kicks saved brilliantly and the Stirling defence were blocking shots like their lives depended on it.
FT Stirling 0 Berwick 1 (Gardiner 87) Att 637 (60 Away)
Andy Turner now moved to the DLP – Barr CM(S) can do what he does. Healy on for MacIver, playing as an IF(A), cutting in. Bugger, 55 gone, looks like Andy Turner has done knee ligaments – McIntosh in as a BWM(D) for him. Balde had a great chance just after 60, but the keeper made a double save. Slaven on for McGrath for the last 25. A very quiet half so far. Going positive, moving the front line up 1. Allison made a great save on 75 minutes, low to his left. And the breakthrough, 87 on the clock, a lovely break and back-post ball by Slaven left Gardiner in acres, and he tapped home to make it 1-0 Berwick. #Scenes. Allison pulled off another blinder in injury time to keep it 1-0 as Stirling really pushed, and plucked a couple of amazing catches. It finished 1-0, a superb win away from home against a team who hadn’t lost in 7.
17 points clear, 24 to play for, both Cowdenbeath and Stenny losing, Stenny in a game of the year candidate – losing 4-3, Annan were 2-0 up in the 67th minute, it went 2-2, then 3-3 in the next 8 minutes before Annan won it in the 87th – 5 goals in 20 minutes. Could be 2 games from the title!!
Shouldn’t need to worry about this TBH. Also Andy Turner is not showing as injured after the game, so that’s superb!
Next time we will be travelling to Leven for our last away game in our row of 5 v East Fife, and as we move into March (Only 3 games in the month) we will look at the stats for February 2021. See you soon.