Here we are – Champions of League 2 (And my 2nd league title in 3 seasons don’t forget!!) with 5 games left of the season, time to experiment a bit I think.
Firstly a few bits before the end of March.
Our U18’s beat Newton Stewart Res 2-0 – Balde with the brace. Unfortunately Daryl Healy pulled his thigh – Out for a week or so.
Allison, Sutherland & Slaven make the League 2 team of the week.
Our Ressies beat Edinburgh Utd Res 3-0, goals from 19yo MC Ben Sedgwick and a brace from Ross Gilmour.
And with that March 2021 is done. 3 games, W2 D1. Stats and changes below.
Lots of gains in March, Youngster John Graham (DL, 18yo) doing very well.
Not many falls, but Determination drops – Really not a fan of that….
Passing yet again very good across the team – Tom Sutherland with 3.3 Key Passes per 90. Ross MacIver can’t seemingly cross – an issue for a winger… Seany-Boy again showing a good shots-on-target percentage, and lastly only 3 offsides in 3 games!!!
Today we are travelling to a Brechin side who had a decent February but a poor March – L2 D1 – in our penultimate away game – Our last 3 games are all at home, a celebration of a superb season.
Lets be an attacking force in these last few games – The way we overloaded Peterhead in the 2nd half of the last game was a joy to behold, and the narrow 4-4-2 was the main reason. Slaven & McGrath get to play together, Sutherland gets game time and our trouble positions (AML/AMR) cease to be an issue. McIlduff continues getting game time at left back. Brechin go 4-1-4-1.
HT – Brechin 0 Berwick 0
A decent enough start on a small pitch, threading needles, looking very dangerous in transition. Brechin had some of the play, nearly scoring in the 13th minute after an Allison fumble but otherwise looked pretty ineffectual. Slaven hit the bar in the 30th minute in a real stramash. Brechin ended the half the better. It finished 0-0, we need to do better, especially in centre midfield. McIntosh on for Gardiner, who has not had a good day. Also only 3 shots on target out of 14 – dropping the tempo a bit, work ball into the box now on.
FT – Brechin 0 Berwick 1 (Slaven pen 63) Att 542 (51 Away)
A good start by Berwick and some last ditch defending by Brechin. Barr on for Cornelius on 60, going 4-3-1-2, and before the sub could take place we get a penalty, Slaven brought down central. He took the penalty himself, and scored, straight down the middle. 1-0 Berwick. 25th of the season for Sean. nearly 2 in the 67th, a lovely ball over, Slaven shooting over. Berwick should have made it 2 in the 75th, a lovely counter not finished off, a lovely save by Leitch. 15 left, MacIver on for McGrath, going wide with AMR/AML (Sutherland). Brechin pushed on near the end, leaving a few spaces for the Berwick boys. We scored in the last minute, Turner adjudged to be offside at the back post, and it finished 1-0. Hard fought and a good test of a tactic that (seems) to be a bit too profligate for my liking. That’ll do Pig š
Cowdenbeath pull a win clear of Stenhousemuir with 4 games left with McCormack’s 92nd minute winner v Peterhead, who are now 8 points off of Brechin at the bottom. Stenhousemuir drop points v Elgin and Annan do exactly what they needed to to keep their chances of a play-off spot intact with their 4-0 win over 4th-placed Stranraer – 6 points off, 12 points left. Both Cowdenbeath & Stenny have secured their play-off spots.
Next up is Stenny – our last away game of the season and a dead rubber so I’ll have a look at the tactics again. See you then.