Today we travel inland to face bottom-placed Stenhousemuir in a game that could see us go top if other games go in our favour.
Before then we have a few more bits to go through.
DECISION POINT – HIBERNIAN OFFER JOB INTERVIEW
FFS, one of the big 4, £5.6M wage bill per year and I really can’t take the interview without causing a real ruckus with the Berwick board… Turning this one down. Lets get Berwick promoted to the Championship first, then possibly take a look at the bigger jobs.
Just the 4 players in the League 1 Team of the Week this week.
Our Ressies played Motherwell Res and got a creditable 1-1 draw, James Christie with the goal.
I’ve had 3 loan extensions asked for – MacDonald for Forres Mechanics, Marky Munro for Preston AThletic & Ryan Scullion for Deveronvale.
CONTRACT EXTENSION
Ross Sinclair – 3.5 year contract at £200/wk is an absolute bargain I think. At 20 he’s only going to get better as well with game time (6.98 average in the league this season is superb for a Keeper). 3.5* CA, 4.5* PA.
Our U18’s beat At. Andrews Utd U18’s 5-1, goals from Morgyn Neill, Thomas Demsie, Rod Nanitelamio, Cameron McGinn & 17yo STC James Doolan.
CONTRACT EXTENSION
Jordan Bow – 2.5 year contract & £200/wk is another bargain, and stands us in good stead for the future. 3* CA, 4.5* PA. I think that’s it for the May 2022 contract expiries, maybe Morgyn Neill as a back-up centre back.
And we are at Boxing Day – we make the 92 mile journey to the Central Belt to play a Stenhousemuir team in the doldrums. W1 D3 L4 in their last 8 games, but they have gained 5 points in the last 3 games, including a shock 2-1 win versus Airdrie. They are only a win away from getting out of the relegation places such is the league at the moment. But you know two 3-0 back to back wins versus 1st and 2nd in the league means nothing when you are playing bottom.
Leitch gets his chance as the Carillero in Centre Mid after Palmer’s early injury in the last game and his lovely goal from 22 yards. Mitchell gets his chance up front – Slaven may now be playing a bit above his level and it’s showing. Maybe its form, but Mitchell deserves a chance. Stenhousemuir go with a 5-2-3 WB – very similar to Morton… We will be playing very wide.
FT Stenhousemuir 0 Berwick 2 (Mackie pen 33, Leitch 90+3) Att 498 (66 Away)
A slow start today – maybe getting over the Mince Pies. First chance to Stenhousemuir, woodwork struck from a direct free kick. We started coming it to it a bit after that, macIver denied at the near post by Jackson in the Stenny net. It’s a very narrow pitch this one, very congested. 32nd minute, Leitch denied after a very nice shot on target from outside the area, looking like berwick are taking control. And in the 32nd minute we get a penalty – Bow shoved at a corner. Mackie steps up… and score unconvincingly almost straight down the middle… 1-0 Berwick. And with that time ticks down and we go in 1-0 up.
Only slight change at half time is to push Mackie on a bit with overlaps on, underlaps on the right to get Davidson up a bit. Very quiet, first extended highlight in the 58th minute. Double subbage in the 61st – McLaughlin for Dow as an IF(S), Martin for Mitchell as a DLF(A). 70 gone, last sub, Palmer for Davidson, like for like. Domination from Berwick, feels like a sting in the tail is coming though… Time is running down though. And it so very nearly is 1-1, Hurst with a 25-yard banana hitting the to of left-post and bar just into injury time. And there’s a goal!!! 2-0 Berwick, 3rd minute of injury time, a Berwick corner is cleaered, but the ball comes is retrieved by Palmer, passes wide to Mackie, who takes it to the byline, cuts it back to Leitch, who hammers home a stunning strike from 15 yards, off the upright. Deserved. 2-0 at Full Time.
We top the table for the start of the new year 🙂 Dumbarton losing at home to Albion Rovers and Morton losing at home to Forfar the big results for us. Next up on New Years Day 2022 we play Dumbarton at home in a top-of-the-table clash. See you then.