Saturday, August 3rd, 2013

Scottish League Cup First Round

Berwick Rangers  0  Cowdenbeath  5

 

After the Lord Mayor’s Show……….not exactly but following the euphoria over the previous weekend’s elimination from the Ramsdens Cup of Championship side Livingston, Cowdenbeath from the same division, were convincing winners in this League Cup tie.

 

The Fifers may be the ‘Blue Brazil’ but at times they looked like the real Brazil in comparison with Rangers. Whereas Livi tended to go for the high ball only to find Berwick centre backs Stephen Tulloch and Dean Hoskins in fine form, Cowdenbeath kept the ball on the ground, often moving it wide. Kane Hemmings hit a hat trick and it is unlikely we’ll see a better strike at Shielfield this season than the one which brought his second goal.

 

A visiting journalist who interviewed Ian Little after the match found the Berwick boss in phlegmatic mood acknowledging that his team could learn from this game. On the same day, Forfar Athletic, with whom Berwick drew in a recent pre-season game, knocked out Glasgow Rangers from the League Cup. The Ibrox men, are of course, our next Ramsdens opponents so hope springs eternal…

 

Berwick begin their long League 2 campaign away to Clyde this Saturday ( Aug 10th ). The Reserves are also away in their opening competitive fixture on the same day, an East of Scotland Qualifying League game at Peebles Rovers. Originally scheduled for Berwick, it was switched because of the evening’s big speedway event.

 

The Reserves are then at home to Coldstream in the same competition on Tuesday, August 13th, kick off 7:45 p.m. The two teams met on Sunday ( Aug 4th ) in a Coldstream Civic Week encounter, Berwick winning 3-2.