Berwick's hopes blown away by Loons' late winner
Published Date:
19 November 2008
BERWICK Rangers' hopes of ending their recent losing streak were undone by a wonder strike at windswept Station Park on Saturday.
Forfar Athletic 2
Berwick Rangers 1
In a week of change off the field, the manager's reins were held by caretaker boss Jimmy Crease, assisted by Ian Little, as the Wee Gers set about stretching Forfar's run of poor results on their home patch.
The team with the best away record in the division, the Loons have simply been unable to buy a victory at Station park this season - and the miserable run looked like being extended until two minutes from time.
Until then, Berwick had given as good as they were taking, and fully merited a share of the spoils at the very least.
It wasn't a day for pretty football, the biting cold, swirling wind putting paid to that, but both teams got stuck in and the game could have gone either way.
Certainly, Berwick will be regretting not making the most of the few clear-cut opportunities that came their way - the best of them all coming with the game only a minute old.
When a corner was swung in from the right, referee Neill Watters - who had a very poor game, it must be said - stunned everyone by pointing to the spot, claiming to have spotted a push in the box.
There were few appeals, but it was the perfect gift for a Berwick side struggling for points at present.
Alas, the visitors were unable to take it, John Dillon opting to go to the keeper's right with the kick, and Ally Brown guessing correctly to palm away the effort.
In the very next Rangers raid, ex-Loon Darren Gribben, returning from suspension, almost made his mark with a dipping shot, which Brown tipped over the cross-bar.
The visitors continued to battle away in midfield, but, as the game progressed, were pushed further back by a Loons side determined to record a first home league victory of the season.
Tulloch had a great opportunity in 15 minutes when he found himself all alone in front of goal when a free-kick was floated in from the right, but he failed to make a real connection and the ball slipped well wide of the post.
Ross Campbell then tested McGurk with a fierce shot from just outside the box, the keeper palming the effort away for a corner. From the kick the ball was only cleared as far as Brady, whose ferocious shot was brilliantly parried by the Berwick keeper.
On the half-hour mark, with Forfar continuing to press, the referee once again pointed to the penalty spot, judging Robertson to have fouled Campbell in the area.
Again, it looked mightily soft, and Robertson was carded for pains, before Derek Lilley stepped up to blast the home side into the lead.
It was an advantage that was short-lived, for, two minutes later, Berwick were back on level terms, with a well-worked goal.
A Greenhill corner from the left was head-flicked on at the near post and Jamie Ewart arrived on scene to power a header past Brown from six yards.
Late in the first period, Greenhill spurned the opportunity to give his side an interval lead, striking the ball wide of the post after things had opened up for him on the left.
With wind advantage, Forfar upped the ante in the second period, with Berwick having to battle hard to stem the tide.
They did have a couple of half chances early in the period, but neither Robertson nor McMenamin was able to really test Brown with long range efforts.
Gribben almost did the trick with a super strike from the edge of the box, this time Brown having to be alert to palm away from danger.
The home side rung the changes in the knowledge that the next strike would prove to be the winner, Fotheringham coming on for Winter then , in a double swap, McNally and McLeish replacing Dunn and Gordon.
And, ten minutes from time, Ross Campbell tried his luck with a deft head-flick from a right-field cross into the area, the ball striking the base of the post.
With time running out, a score-draw looked an odds on certainty - that is until McLeish wowed the home support with his wonder strike.
Picking the ball up wide left just over the half-way line, he made 15 yards or so before cutting inside and curling a sweet 35-yarder high over McGurk and into the postage stamp corner of the net.
It was hard on Berwick. They had given their all and looked to be comfortably holding on to a precious away point until that stunning strike.
Forfar Athletic - Brown, Gordon (McNally), Donachie, Dunn (McLeish), Tod, Tulloch, Campbell, Winter (Fotheringham), Lilley, Brady and Graham
Berwick Rangers - McGurk, Lennox, Dillon, Ewart, Horn, Callaghan, Robertson, McMenamin, Gribben (Chris Anderson), McLaren and Greenhill.
Referee - N. Watters; crowd 327.
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Last Updated:
19 November 2008 1:32 PM
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Source:
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Location:
Berwick