Today we have a bit of a crunch game versus favourites-for-the-league Airdrie, currently in 2nd after losing (like us) their first 2 league games, but then winning their last 4 on the bounce.
Airdrie were in the Championship as recently as the 12/13 season and have been League 1 ever since. IRL they finished the truncated 19/20 season 3rd in League 1.
We have the luxury of 7 days between games for the first time this season(!) so hopefully this will allow the guys to train properly, especially those in the first 11.
PLAYER LEAVING
Dimunitive prodigy Spencer Bennett moves to Falkirk for an initial £13k. However the 40% of Next Sale is in there – As a 1* CA I figured he wouldn’t get much game time nor develop particularly well with our facilities, so for the club it would be best to take a little bit of money (3 weeks wage bill) with a small chance of a 6-figure payday in the coming years. Falkirk are top of the Championship – 15 points from 5 games – so are looking likely to be a Premiership side next year – hoping we can get some juicy loans at some point 🙂
Our U18’s beat St Andrews Utd. Res 2-0, Cameron McGinn with the goals (He’s starting to force his way into first team plans)
We’ve had a scout report on Airdrie – They’ve a team of 4* CA plus based on our scout ratings….
Our Ressies lost 2-0 to Dunfermline Res – We also had 3 sendings off!! (Barr, Dempsie & Gardiner), so all are unavailable for the Airdrie game…
Ross Sinclair & Sean McIntosh in the League 1 team of the week for match day 6.
PLAYER LEAVING (LOAN)
Right winger Ryan Scullion goes to Deveronvale (Mid-table in the Highland League after 3 games) until January.
PLAYER JOINING (LOAN)
Jordan Armstrong
- 22yo DC/WBL
- 6ft 3in
- Comes in from Clyde – has League 1 and Championship experience
- IRL he’s with Stenhousemuir, joining from Motherwell in January 2019
Jordan comes in as a rotational centre-back/cover for Sean Mackie at WB(L), mainly because he’s tall TBH. We’re paying his wages – best of a bad bunch available to me unfortunately as Berwick doesn’t have a high enough rep to get really good loanee youngsters.
And so to the Airdrie game – they are apparently debt-ridden as per the weekend preview – and I’m expecting a really tough game. The bookies have Airdrie 5/4 favourites, us 7/4 so it should be a close one but i feel we’ve not progressed in the last few games – defensive fraility is a problem when last year we were so strong with Harry & Rod working so well together.
A small change, moving to a 2-1 AM/ST setup with Tom Sutherland (Who’s had a bit of a moan) working with Davidson, ahead of more defensively minded McIntosh & McManus. Slaven keeps place as a spearhead, and I will turn underlaps on before the game to get Sutherland and Davidson make it a 5-2-3 in attack. Big Rod goes to the left side of the back 3, Morgyn now central as he’s taller and better with his head. The change in formation is possibly dangerous against the predicted best team in the league, but I see it as being slightly more defensive if anything. Airdrie start with a 4-4-1-1… So many more defensive setups in League 1. Team talk suggests I say we owe Airdrie after our last match, which was… A penalty loss in the Betfred AT THE START OF LAST SEASON… 🙂 They love it, obviously.
HT Berwick 0 Airdrie 0
A nice late-summer (this far north) afternoon, Airdrie in their white with red chevron kit. Berwick with a decent amount of the ball early on, though Airdrie look assured when they have the ball. A pretty tight game overall. 0-0 at the half. No chances registered for either side.
FT Berwick 0 Airdrie 0 Att 597 (75 Away)
Still a very tight game for the first 15 minutes. Davidson off for Turner just after 60 minutes, going to a midfield diamond – a draw would be a great result. Leitch on for McIntosh with 20 left. Mitchell on for Sutherland with 10 left – going a bit long ball, as are Airdrie, who nearly catch us out but Sinclair was quick off-of-his-line to clear (Don’t think I’ve seen that this save!!). And it finished 0-0, very tight but we acquitted ourselves well against a team who had won 5 straight competitive games. It was a bit of a stalemate – no chances recorded for either team.
Still just 7 points off top after 7 games – put a few wins together and you are there-or-thereabouts. Albion Rovers have started well after finishing 7th last season.
So that’s August done – next game is in 2 weeks(!) away to top-of-the-table Albion Rovers, so i may slip a friendly in for the weekend off I think. See you soon.