Today we host a Peterhead side that has beaten us twice and drawn once this season knowing that a win will secure the League 2 title for the 2020/21 season. Peterhead are bottom of the table, 7 points adrift of Stirling knowing a relegation play-off awaits them (versus the winners of potentially Lossiemouth and Gretna 2008)
There was a 2 week gap between the Annan 2-1 win and today’s game, so there are a few little bits and pieces to go through.
Harry, Dean & Archie in the League 2 Team of the Week 🙂
Our Ressies lost 5-2 to Hamilton Res, goals from Conor McLaughlin & 16yo STC James Doolan.
NEW SIGNING (End of Season)
Ross Sinclair
- 19yo, 6ft 3in GK
- Signing from St. Johnstone on a free on 1st June 2021
- IRL still at St. Johnstone – he started his career there.
- £180/wk, £60 per appearence
Ross comes in as a future replacement for Kyle Allison. Currently he is ranked at 3.5/4* CA, is slighly weaker than Kyle in the air and with regards to quickness, but is better everywhere else.
Next season he will start to become first choice as he progresses, and I hope I can get Kyle started on his coaching badges with an eye to making him a really good GK Coach in the future.
Our U18’s played another friendly, beating Hill of Beath Res 7-1. Goals from Paul McCarthy (18yo STC) and hat-tricks from Conor McLaughlin & Tom Sutherland.
Our Ressies had another game, drawing 0-0 with top team St. Johnstone Res in the league. new signing Ross Sinclair playing a 7.0 for St. Johnstone Res.
Rounding off the non-1st team games the U18’s beat Dalkeith Thistle Res 5-1, goals from 16yo MC Spencer Bennett, 17yo STC Alex Gourlay, Sean McIntosh & a brace from triallist Reg McLaren.
And to Peterhead, knowing a win gives us the League 2 Title in March 🙂 They have lost their last 3 games but we always struggle against the 4-5-1…..
We are going with a positive 4-3-3, McLaughlin in for Balde (AML & R are top of my wishlist for next season) and McIlduff gets more game time at leftback. Peterhead are going with a 4-1-4-1, even more defensive than their 4-5-1…
HT Berwick 1 (MacIver 15) Peterhead 2 (Hopkirk 18 Jordan 20)
There’s some wistful spring sunshine today and Peterhead have started off well, early pressure from set-pieces. The Breakthrough, a great through-ball from Cornelius finds Slaven, whose whipped cross finds MacIver at the back post, volleying home his first goal for the club. It only lasted a few minutes, Hopkirk with the equaliser. Peterhead look like the better team by far, and go 2-1 up 2 minutes later, a Jordan header direct from a Corner. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!! Absolutely shocking, Peterhead look like Tiki Taka gods. We had a few chances late on but we go in 2-1 down.
FT Berwick 4 (MacIver 15, Slaven 46, 90+4, Sutherland 61) Peterhead 2 (Hopkirk 18 Jordan 20) Att 516 (74 Away)
Going for it in the second half, the wingers off, Sutherland and McGrath on as we go to a 4-4-2 Diamond, Much Higher lines, we need to try and break this spell Peterhead seem to have over us (Lets face it, its a bottom v top thing in FM, always has been). 55 seconds, that’s how long it took to get back to 2-2 – a Sutherland ball to McGrath, who had drifted out wide, his cross finding Sean Slaven, who headed home from close in. It’s all Berwick, and in the 61st minute we went 3-2 up, a Turner cross ricocheting about, Tom Sutherland on hand to finish with a lovely strike. Nicolson and McAllister had a coming together, resulting in Harry getting a bruised ankle, but he should be OK for the rest of the game. Last sub, Lewis Faulds for McIllduff, 15 left. And time ticks down…….5 minutes for injuries…. 1 minute left….. And a goal….. IT’S 4-2 BERWICK, a lovely little cross by Dunsmore dinked in at the back post by Sean Slaven. #SCENES, we’ve won the league boys!!!!!
Seems like the 4-4-2 Narrow Diamond is the future 🙂 I’ll definitely have this training as a second tactic. We cut through Peterhead like butter in the 2nd half.
17 Points clear, 15 left to play for. CHAMPIONS 🙂 Cowdenbeath not quite set for the play-offs yet, Elgin 15 points and 18 goals back from them in 5th. Hopefully Peterhead will be set for the relegation playoff 🙂 So glad we wont be playing them next season.
Harry Nicolson – Bruised Ankle – Out for a couple of days tops 🙂
OK – We are currently spending £2.3k/week so that’s more than double on the wages. I think we would struggle to spend the transfer budget – getting 4 top-notch loan signings will be key.
🙂 🙂 🙂 I think the words were “Sort your Shit out” 🙂 🙂 🙂
Next time we will go through the March stats, travel to Brechin for our 32nd league game and have a look at where we need to be squad-wise to stay up in our first season in League 1. See you soon.