It was as much Noir et Or as Black and Gold on Tuesday as the Development team featured three French players
Berwick Rangers 1 Forfar Athletic 1 ( Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 ): In a cracking game on a par with last season’s best Reserve League matches, Berwick Rangers scored their first goal and picked up their first point in their third game in the SPFL Development League.
Forfar were captained by Michael Dunlop who was on loan at Shielfield last season. They also included the lofty Chris Templeman up front. For Berwick, Jonny Fairbairn was back in action after a recent illness and Rangers introduced three French players who have been signed on amateur forms. Two of them, Antony Monin and Algerian-born Zak Khouiel were in the starting line up.
Berwick were a goal down after only five minutes. James Yates sliced open the home defence for Paul McLellan to finish off in style. An equaliser looked possible when Jordan Easton broke through but Forfar’s trialist keeper Jason King was able to punch away his shot.
From 25 yards, a Devon Jacobs’ strike finished a little over King’s bar and from a similar distance, Forfar’s Gavin Malin sent a screamer travelling inches beyond Billy Bald’s far post. Rangers then enjoyed a spell of sustained pressure but the visitors pulled men back to keep them out.
In the 52nd minute, Fraser Sutherland limped off to be replaced by the third Frenchman, Matthieu Judor. Berwick were now playing with increasing confidence, their small inside forwards Dean Horribine and Charlie Denton beavering away and Gregor Watson’s surging runs from the back a worry for Forfar. Horribine was inches wide with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Dunlop, well acquainted with Scott Dalziel’s game, successfully bottled up the Berwick striker for most of the match and when Dalziel did get a chance, he headed a Horribine corner straight into King’s arms.
Berwick had to wait until the 71st minute for a deserved equaliser and there was a touch of good fortune about it. King fumbled the ball as he went to pick it up. The handily placed Easton seized his chance to tuck it away inside the near post, the ball passing through the legs of a desperate defender on its way over the line.
Berwick Rangers: Bald, Jacobs ( capt. ), Watson, Monin ( Dunn 62 ), Fairbairn, Khouiel, Easton, Horribine, Dalziel, Denton–Trialist, Sutherland ( Judor 52 )
