Today we entertain Annan in front of our home fans for the first time in ages, in a game that if we win could potentially put us 18 points clear with 18 points to play for.
Before then out U18’s lost 2-0 to Motherwell Reserves and our Reserves lost 3-0 to Rangers Reserves.
The 4 intake players I mentioned in the last post have all signed youth contracts.
Annan Athletic – currently 5th but 7 points behind Stranraer in 4th – time is running out for them to get into the playoffs. their form is very inconsistent, their last 5 games are LDDWL (1-0 to Cowdenbeath last time out) and they tend to play a 4-4-2, so hopefully less park-the-bus than East Fife were last Saturday.
Balde & MacIver back in, as is Faulds at leftback. Stopping the press as I noticed it really drawing our players out of position in the last match. McGrath starts as an AF up top. Annan start with a 4-4-2.
HT Berwick 0 Annan 0
A sunny day in Northumberland, Berwick could have scored in the first 15 seconds, a MacIver header straight at the keeper. Annan starting out very strong though with two good chances. I changed the set piece routines after the last game as they were very wasterfull, and we’ve had some good chances from them so far. The best chance so far was on 40, McGrath missing a close 1-on-1. 0-0 at HT. Tense.
FT Berwick 2 (Gardiner 47, Cornelius 70) Annan 1 (Mitchell 63) Att 551 (24 Away)
What to change? Centre Mids go to Mezzalas, trying to find space in congested areas. Also putting the attacking line up 1 to try and make a bit more space. Will get Lewis Barr on soonish I reckon. 64 seconds is what it took – Archie Gardiner from the edge of the area 🙂 1-0 Berwick. Slaven on for McGrath on 60. Annan really pushing though, and it was 1-1 in the 63rd, Mitchell with a tap in. Very disappointing. Barr on for Turner in the 68th – up to Centre Mid as the DLP(D), going 4-3-3. Within a minute it was 2-1, a poor clearance an a lovely Cornelius strike from almost the same place as Gardiner’s goal. John Balde scored in the 72nd after a scramble from a corner but was found to be offside – Absolute horseshit, as there was a defender on the line……… Healy on for Balde, who is playing really badly, for the last 10. Nearly an Allison assist in the 89th, long bomb to Slaven who had his shot saved well. We’ve done really well since their equaliser. And it finished 2-1, a brilliant win when playing very tentatively indeed.
Only 5 goals today in the 5 games, 3 in ours!!! 17 points clear, 18 to play. Almost there now 🙂
Next time (2 weeks time as we’ve a weekend off) we face our Nemeses – Peterhead – Win and we’ve won the league with 5 games left to play 🙂 See you then.