Robert Wilson ( left ) was outstanding in defence against Stirling Albion. ( Photo courtesy of David Glencross )

BERWICK RANGERS 2 STIRLING ALBION 0
( Tuesday, October 20th, 2015 )

Stirling were sitting at the top of the Development League East table
with five wins and a draw from their opening six matches but Berwick
ended their unbeaten record with two well taken first half goals and a
gritty, backs to the wall second half performance.

The second period echoed the first team’s experience on the same pitch
four days earlier. For captain of the night, Robert Wilson, it was
practically a re-run of the second 45 minutes against East Fife which he
also played.

Albion never looked entirely comfortable in the opening 45 as Berwick
got in amongst them to restrict their ball playing opportunities. They
pinned a lot of hopes on tricky left winger Moses Olanweratu who
presented a tough challenge to his marker Alistair McDonald in his first
appearance for Rangers since being carried off with ligament trouble at
Cowdenbeath six weeks earlier.

The first true scoring chance fell to Stirling. Ethan Anderson popped up
on the line to hoof away the ball when, near to one post, Jordan Herron
tried to steer the ball away from keeper Mark Walters and into the net
across by the other post.

David Morris was busy tyring to create chances but it was Cal Sheridan
who initiated the attack which led to Berwick scoring on 18 minutes.
Regan Graham finished it. Albion gave him too much space to advance
before he let rip with a super shot from 30 yards which no one saw
coming.

Graham had two further chances, one in each half, to put the game beyond
Stirling. Relieving Scott Davidson of the ball, he left defenders in his
wake but Cameron Binnie did well to get down to disrupt the attack.

Later, as Berwick showed they could still create chances when they got
men in numbers into the Albion half, an impressive passing sequence
involving Morris, Barry Hogg and Graham ended with Regan shooting wide.

Before all this, Stirling were punished again in the 22nd minute, this
time for losing the ball deep inside their own half. It soon reached
David Sutherland. The little man worked his way between and past
defenders ahead of slipping the ball beyond keeper Binnie.

Rangers were hemmed inside their own half for the first quarter of an
hour following the break prompting coach Neil Oliver to make what proved
a shrewd move. He pulled off Sutherland and moved McDonald forward as an
extra midfielder. Adam Forrest came on to play at the back. It left
Scott Russell as the lone Ranger permanently stationed inside the
visitors’ territory.

Olanweratu still posed a threat but if he did beat the first defender,
Wilson, who hardly put a foot wrong, was there to step in. In addition,
Walters looked secure in goal, covering for any slips by the younger
players in front of him. Hogg was another who shone, running himself
into the ground in a display which underlined his team’s determination
to win.

Berwick Rangers: Walters, McDonald, Anderson, Sheridan ( Swanney 50 ),
Wilson ( capt. ), Hogg, Morris, Regan Graham, Sutherland ( Forrest 57 ),
S.Russell, Dolan ( MacKay 78 )
Unused sub: Shiel (GK)