Berwick Rangers 2 Accies 4: 6 March 2004

Scottish League Division 2

Shielfield Park, 6 March 2004

Report by NDP Kid on the Block

Accies got back on the rails with a comprehensive victory over the border. We took command early on with two goals inside the opening 9 minutes and we looked comfortable thereafter. In saying that David McEwan again pulled off some good saves, and we did have a wee shaky spell, but later goals by Lumsden and Gribben gave us a deserved win.

There were a few team changes - the four outfield subs from Tuesday at Airdrie all started, Walker, Blackadder, Gribben and Carrigan, replacing Ferguson, Convery, Whiteford and Corcoran. Ferguson and Convery were missing altogether so Nicoll, for the first time, and Donnelly were on the bench. And we played 3 up front too, and we looked lively from the start and played with real determination. McPhee down the right throughout the first half in particular teased the Berwick full backs, Aitken was more like his usual self, Blackadder worked hard and battled non stop, Thomson and Lumsden were doing fine at the back, and Gribben didn't waste anything that came his way. Walker and Hodge both looked lively too, while Arbuckle again did well.

McPhee set up Arbuckle in the first couple of minutes but the ball broke out. From a throw in on the left in the 3rd minute Blackadder lobbed in for Brian McPhee to head past Neil Inglis. Rangers then threatened when Forrest crossed in and Blackadder gave us a nervous moment when he headed back down to McEwan inside the 6 yard box, but they appeared to have confidence in each other. A minute later we went two up. From Carrigan's corner ball which got deflected out, it fell to Chris Aitken outside the box and his shot took a deflection off a Berwick player on its way in.

We played with confidence after that. Gribben got a half chance but it came back off the keeper, Carrigan tested Inglis with a long drive, while Berwick replied with McCutcheon threatening before Walker knocked out the ball, then Lumsden, playing football in his own goal area, cleared after Berwick dinked a neat free kick into a threatening area. McPhee in particular was on fire (!) down the right causing Berwick all sorts of problems, but with a swift breakaway Connelly broke up field unchallenged but McEwan pulled off a good save. At the break we deserved our two goal lead on chances alone. Arbuckle, Blackadder and McPhee all looked good.

Right at the start of the second half McPhee, Arbuckle and Gribben all combined well but Gribben's cross from the left touchline was beyond everyone. In 47 minutes Hutchison broke up field with a powerful shot which McEwan punched over the bar for a corner. Berwick continued to apply pressure with another corner, then Davy appeared to lose sight of the ball in the sun, but the defence were on hand to clear the danger. McPhee then put in a good cross from the right for Gribben but his header from close in was well over. In the 58th minute Berwick pulled one back when Hutchison broke away and scored with a low drive to McEwan's right. Game on. Berwick continued to threaten with McEwan on top form.

Corcoran came on for Carrigan and straight away had a good run on the ball from half way, cut in, always had Gribben on his left, but lined himself up for a shot which the keeper held. We appeared to fall out it slightly, a few astray passes under intense Berwick pressure but we hit back when a Corcoran effort was knocked out for a corner on the left from which Todd Lumsden headed his second goal for the club in the 73rd minute. Good celebration too! That restored the confidence and comfort to us, although to be fair the early two goal lead had given us a cushion, but the nerves were certainly over in the 81st minute when Darren Gribben made it 4-1.

He ran onto a Corcoran pass and netted under pressure from Murie and McNicoll. Berwick hit back again though when sub Hampshire squeezed one in from a free kick in the 86th minute, then in injury time McEwan again pulled off a good save, tipping a McCutcheon effort over the bar for a corner.

A good win, a necessary win, and a deserved win.

Crowd 468

Ref Tom Brown (poor, as were the linesmen, some offsides were a joke!)

Booked - Lumsden, Blackadder, Aitken

McEwan, Walker, Hodge, Thomson (Whiteford 85), Lumsden, Arbuckle, Carrigan (Corcoran 63), Aitken, Gribben, McPhee, Blackadder (Donnelly 83). Not used - Nicoll, Jellema

Berwick: Inglis, Murie, Bennett, Cowan, McNicoll, Connell, Connelly, Forrest, Hutchison, McCutcheon, Darren Smith.

Subs: Neil, Neill, Hampshire, Gordon, Godfrey.

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