I’m not a patient man. Since my interview with Motherwell they’ve lost twice, 3-1 both times. They are 9 points clear at the bottom of the premiership with 21 games left – Give me time to keep them up please!!!! And interestingly Hearts are now available too… Their interview process is over now though.
Back to Berwick, an interesting month to come.
Livi is the tough one, then we play the bottom 4! If I’m still here that is.
3rd in Manager of the Month.
And then the message:
Okay – most probably for the best, they do need to turn it around a fair bit! Inverness CT is also available – 11th in the Premiership, wage bill a bit lower. Might have a nibble 🙂 Might be a better fit? A merry-go-round is happening, as Raith (9th) are now available as well. Brian Kerr – Ex Raith manager – gets the nod for Motherwell.
3rd December 2022 – Livingston (H) – Ladbrokes Championship
We welcome a Livi side in 4th, who have drawn their last 5 games either 1-1 or 0-0… They don’t let in many, nor do they score many either.
Waters & Bow the only changes from the Ayr game – Waters deserves a shot, as does Bow – I think he works better with Nicolson as well. Livi start with a 4-1-2-3 DM Wide – think they have been 4-1-4-1 DM Wide up to this point, so a change from them.
FT Berwick 1 (Carrick 30) Livingston 1 (White 83) Att 1,109 (54 Away)
A high press evident in the opening highlight from Livingston. Otherwise very quiet early doors. And the first highlight brings a goal… to Berwick 🙂 A lovely move, full length of the field, a few attempts to enter the area. Finally a Dunsmore cross goes through the area untouched, Paterson picks it up, a short pas to Waters, and his little dinked cross is flick-headed home by Carrick, top left hand corner. A lovely team goal. 1-0 Berwick. Half Hour gone. Kick-Off highlight… Nearly a Berwick break again. Not long after Slaven misses a clear header… McKay is a bit of a worry – 6.5 again… We go in 1-0 up at the break.
More really nice interplay from the Berwick boys at the start of the half. Waters is having a storming game – 7.9 with his assist, 8, 8.1… 60 minutes done – Paterson & McKay off (Both yellows) – McManus and Marku on. McManus to DLP, Turner to Half Back. Marku as a Mezzala(A). Cautious. 66 minutes, Slaven played through – a 1-on-1 miss 🙁 75 – Slaven off for Macbeath – AF(A). Feeling a sting coming… Yep, an extra-long highlight… And it’s 1-1, White with a volley after a poor Dunsmore clearing header. Fuck. And that’s how it finished. Another game we dominated and couldn’t finish off.
A Hamilton/Dundee draw means the gaps stay the same at the top as we reach the halfway point in the season. QotS back to 4th on GD after their 4-2 win over Ayr. Falkirk next up.
Ok – Inverness get back to me first:
They basically want tall kids – Set Piece focus with young players. Money looks ok. £822k transfer budget – will most probably do loan dealings TBH. £53k/wk Wage Bill (Means we’d possibly have to Cull, which I’m not averse to). Not particularly keen on this one – think they might be tough to keep up.
Our U18’s lost 1-0 to East Kilbride U18’s
Our Ressies beat Queen’s Park Res 4-0, goals from Archie Gardiner, Causso Darame & a brace from James Christie.
Sean Slaven makes the Championship Team of the Week after his hat-trick versus Ayr.
10th December 2022 – Falkirk (H) – Ladbrokes Championship
We welcome Falkirk this Saturday to Shielfield Park. They are having a really topsy-turvy season, DDLWD Last 5 games but have just appointed a new manager, so I expect a tough one.
Only change today from last weekend is McManus in for MacPherson, who is serving a 1-match ban for yellows. Looking for another performance from Waters, plus an uptick in form from McKay. Falkirk start with a 4-2-1-3 DM Wide.
FT Berwick 4 (McKay 7, Slaven 18, Carrick 45, Macbeath 90+2) Falkirk 0 Att 1,762 (689 Away)
Another kit clash – our yellow and black versus the Dark navy and Yellow of Falkirk – Livingston played in Black last week. And it’s a great start from the Lads! 1-0 after 7 minutes; A Waters throw near the corner flag rebounds off of a Falkirk body – Carrick is on hand to half volley a flat-ish cross into the middle, and McKay is on hand to volley the ball cleanly and powerfully home. And the drizzle starts. 18th minute, an absolute sitter missed by Carrick after a superb cross by Dunsmore, but from the rebound the ball ends with Waters, whose gorgeous cross finds Seany-Boy unmarked, and he heads-home his 13th goal of the season. More superb play from the Lads! It tends to be Paterson picking these balls up, passing to Waters, who is in really good nick. Berwick very much in charge. And just before half-time it’s 3 – A bit of pinball, ending up with McKay powering a cross over, a deflection off of a Falkirk Defender, and Carrick scores his most difficult chance of the game so far, from 15 yards. Proper Football Lads. 3-0 at the break.
More of the same early in the 2nd half from Berwick, lots of attacking intent. And Falkirk have a DC on 48%… 60 minutes arrives with no fanfare – no need to make changes yet. Falkirk looking a little bit more dangerous – drawing a couple of good saves from Sinclair. Gardiner for Paterson on 70. i80 minutes, Macbeath for Carrick, F9. Mackie on for a knackered Dunsmore with 5 left, IWB(S). And in Injury time we make it 4 – a gorgeous quick break, McKay to Slaven, who lays it across to Macbeath to score to the keeper’s left for his 3rd of the season. Very very nice indeed. A demolition job. 4-0 it finished. And McKay with MotM!!!!
Back into 2nd as Hamilton slip-up away to QotS – Dundee stay 4 points above us as they beat Livingston 3-1. Dunfermline, who are next up, get a good 2-0 win at Partick Thistle.
Sent him on holiday for a week – Dunfermline will be the first League game he’s missed in over 2 seasons!!!
Our U18’s beat Edinburgh Utd U18’s 6-1, goals from Ross MacIver, Thomas Demsie, James Doolan and a hat-trick from James Christie.
And a note from Inverness…
Steve Clarke takes the post – manager of Livingston until the end of the 21/22 season. Fair enough. Think when I get my Continental A Licence I’ll be at the same reputation though…
Just the 6 lads in the Championship team of the Week this week – Calum, Harry, Arron, David, Michael & Sean 🙂
Our Ressies beat Dalkeith Thistle Res 4-0, goals from Triallist Robbie Deas, Tom Sutherland, Thomas Dempsie & James Doolan.
And then I get a call from Kirkcaldy…
They are currently 11th, but 8th to 11th is separated by 1 point…
A smaller club than Motherwell or Inverness. £33k transfer budget and £33k/wk wages is a bit low. That said it’s over 5-times what i have currently. Don’t know about this one. Should I stick with a Berwick team that could be going places? Doubt I’ll be offered the role TBH.
17th December 2022 – Dunfermline (A) – Ladbrokes Championship
A tough one today – we go to Dunfermline knowing they are unbeaten in 6 games, coming off the back of no win in 7. They have switched to a 4-5-1 so look like they are choking the life out of games.
As the jaded Dunsmore is off on hols MacIver gets a shot at Wingback – he can play as WB(R) so DR (WB(A)) should be too far out of his wheelhouse. Also getting Mackie training as an IWB(A). Otherwise no change after the comprehensive thumping of Falkirk. Dunfermline are indeed going 4-5-1, with Winger Chris Barras playing in Centre Mid…
FT Dunfermline 1 (Smith 16) Berwick 1 (Carrick 35) Att 4,731 (174 Away)
White & Black versus Yellow & Black today – Dunfermline looking good early on. And they open the scoring in the 16th minute, Callum Smith with a header from a Scougall cross. Feels like a midfield overload currently. 33rd minute, Slaven with another 1-on-1 miss. But we equalise in the 35th minute – Maciver with a lovely cross that deceives the Keeper (He came for it but didn’t get anywhere near it – no-mans-land), Carrick on hand to head into an empty net. 1-1. A good reply after being behind the game early on. 1-1 at the break.
60 minutes arrives with just a Dunfermline corner to show for it. MacPherson on for McManus (BWM(S) – Turner to DLP(D) at DM), Macbeath on for Slaven as an AF. 67th minute – a wonderful pass from MacPherson puts Macbeath in, but he misses a 1-on-1 as well 🙁 Feels pretty open. Just coming up to 75 mins, Gardiner on for McKay. Time running down, going Positive. Just need 1 chance. End to end during stoppage time, but the game ends 1-1. Feels fair, a decent away point. And Ross Maciver gets man-of-the-match – may have a new position for him 🙂
Back down to 3rd as Hamilton beat Ayr, but still only 4 points off of top as Dundee draw 0-0 away at Falkirk. 7 points back to QotS in 4th as they also draw 0-0. 16 games left, all to play for. Partick up next on Christmas Eve at Shielfield Park.
Our U18’s beat Leith U18’s 2-1, goals from James Christie & Joel Macbeath. Cammy Palmer also back in full training 🙂
Harry Nicolson in the Team of the Week.
Raith have asked for my staff wish-list (I’ll be taking a lot of the team)…So is it happening??? (And do I want it???)
Our Ressies beat Threave Rovers Res 2-0, goals from James Doolan and Causso Darame.
And here we are – A Raith Offer:
19 games to keep them up. They finished 6th last season!!!! ……….. Go on then.
With that I will leave it there – Next Post we will explore Kirkcaldy, find somewhere to live and get Raith to 2023, hopefully picking up some points. I leave you with our final Berwick Key Highlights package for December so far. See you soon.