Went to the game at Shielfield last night, what a load of crap. Some of the worst football I've seen from grown men in a long time, both sides included by the way. Only consolation was we didn't loose but in my opinion certainly lost two points, but I suppose some might say we didn't deserve any.
I've included a match report from Saturdays game at Stenny written by fellow Trust board member Dave Cook to remind us that we can actually play football......
A Fraser McLaren wonder goal gave a resurgent Berwick Rangers side a deserved victory on the Ochilview plastic against championship contenders Stenhousemuir on Saturday. McLaren's ability and commitment has never been in doubt,but his goal scoring record is poor for a striker.With Rangers turning up the heat on the home side,and a mere nine minutes left on the clock,those concerns were forgotten when he directed a brilliant 45 yard lob over Warrior's keeper Renton,leaving him spreadeagled in the rigging with a face the colour of a lion tamers' waistcoat.
Rangers have won their last two encounters with the Warriors,reinforcing the widely-held view that Cowdenbeath apart,there isn't a lot separating the teams from second place to ninth position,serial wooden-spooners Elgin City excepted.With ex-Gers manager John Coughlin at the helm,and with four former Rangers players in their starting line up,defeat was a bitter pill for the home side to swallow.More importantly for the Black and Gold,it signals a return to form and builds nicely on the point earned at play-off hopefuls Montrose.
The sixty Rangers fans who travelled to Larbert were in for a couple of surprises of their own when the Gers' starting eleven was announced.Keeper McGurk,who had been carrying a knock for a few weeks,was replaced by debutant Jamie Barclay,ex-East Stirling,and former Dundee player Eddie Mearns kept his place in midfield despite collecting a red card at Montrose.
I've had more fun lancing boils than watching the opening quarter of an hour,but the game spluttered into life in the 16th minute when Dalziel had a goal chalked off after Barclay lost the ball in the box.It looked to be a lucky escape,but one that Rangers failed to learn from,with Barclay and Mearns the fall guys when the Warriors finally took the lead in the 28th minute,Dalziel slotting home the loose ball from 12 yards out.A minute later Shielfield Hall of Fame member Ian Diack missed a sitter,slicing wide from close range after Rangers continued the general sloppiness in clearing their lines.Six minutes before the interval,it was Rangers' turn to feel hard done by,McLaren's close range finish disallowed for an invisible handball after Renton parried Forrest's fierce volley straight to his feet.
Whatever Jimmy Crease said at half-time,it had the desired effect,because Rangers looked like team transformed after the break.Players posted missing in the opening forty-five decided to turn up,and Stuart Callaghan in particular must have been delighted to discover that he had three others playing alonsgide him in midfield.It was'nt all one-way traffic,but after Jordan Smith headed inches wide in the 50th minute,Rangers bossed the game through to the finish.The impressive Callaghan hammered a 20 yard effort off the outside of Renton's psot before going one better in the 67th minute,his corner searing past the keeper for a slightly unusual but extremely welcome equaliser.The goal lifted Rangers and had the opposite effect on Stenhousemuir.Coughlin sides are'nt reknowned for their goalscoring feats,and they wore the look of a team that knew the game was up.With Dillon and Guy battening down the hatches in Rangers' defence,and Gribben showing off some brilliant link-up play,it was Rangers who looked like championship contenders and not the increasingly lame home side.The goals apart,Gribben produced the best moment of the match in the 70th minute,executing a Cruyff-like turn on the edge of the box to leave Ovenstone and Lyle on their backsides.McMenamin just failed to force home the resulting cross.
Five minutes later,McGroarty headed another Callaghan corner off the line with Renton beaten again,but the winner was'nt long in coming.With Rangers on the breakout,McLaren collected the bouncing ball,looked up to see Renton just off his line,and volleyed an inch-perfect lob over the keeper from the edge of the "D" on the halfway line.Pure genius,and thoroughly deserved.What also impressed was the way in which Rangers killed off any hopes Stenhousemuir had of rescuing the game in the time that remained,taking the ball for a walk into the corners and playing with an intelligence that has been missing for far too long.Jimmy Crease has built an increasingly confident and competitive outfit who are a match for anyone in the league on their day.
Barclay 6;Guy 8;Ewart 7;Forrst 6;Dillon 8; Greenhill 2; Callaghan 9;McMenamin 5;Mearns 6; McLaren 7;Gribben 8.
David Cook
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