Today we face an Alloa side who are sitting in 5th after the first 3 league games.
The scout report on the guys shows a few decent players, but another really small first team squad (15 including 4 loanees). Plus the oldest player is 21!!!!
Their opening-day win v Airdrie is the high point of the last 4 games – draws with bottom-placed Edinburgh City and 2nd placed Montrose and a penalty win v Edinburgh last time out shows inconsistency, though we are no better at the moment TBH.
Small changes to the cup game v Dundee – McIntosh comes in as a holding centre mid, with McManus (DLP(S)) to his left and Davidson as a Mazzala to the right. Both wingbacks on attack. Looking for the George and Sean show up top to start flourishing. Alloa start with a defensive-looking 4-4-1-1, and 7 newgens out of 11!! Lets go.
HT Berwick 1 (Slaven 23) Alloa 0
Alloa kick off in all white in a drizzly Northumberland, and we start in assured fashion, looking good on the ball, Mackie in the game a lot. It took until the 23rd minute for Berwick to take the lead – Mitchell coming short, looping a lovely pass over the back line for Sean to run on and blast the ball past Eadie in the Alloa net. Alloa had their first shot from the kick-off highlight, a speculative long range effort. Alloa started to come out of their shell a bit, but we hit the post twice in the last 15 of the half; a Mackie cross-cum-shot and a Slaven header. 1-0 at HT, Berwick looking good for it.
FT Berwick 2 (Slaven 23, 50) Alloa 0 Att 612 (92 Away)
A slight chance for the second half – McManus back to the middle of the park as a DLP(D), McIntosh further left as a BWM(S). Also going Positive. The Alloa boys are shattered (3 in the 60’s condition, and 1 sub!) And it was 2-0 in the 50th – one of those strange defender-moving-back-with-the-ball-really-slowly, Seany-Boy dispossessed him (looked like a trip TBH) and went on to get his 2nd goal of the game. 57th minute, getting Archie Gardiner on for McIntosh as a 2nd Mezzala. 70 minutes – Seany-Boy off (He’s a bit knackered and we play yet again in 4 days), McGinn on as a PF(D), Mitchell to Poacher. Last 10 – Dempsie on for Mackie, like for like. Alloa hit the bar with a header in the 87th but that was that. 2-0. Professional.
And so 4 games in we sit 4th – everybody beating everybody else, and I’m more hopeful we can possibly win this League this season – those first couple of games must have come down to team Cohesion an a defence needing to get to know each other.
Next up is bottom-placed Edinburgh City at on old stomping ground, Ainslie Park, groundshared by Spartans and a 10 minute walk from Civil Service Strollers home ground Christie Gillies Park… See you then.