Captions:  Goalkeeper Craig Cockburn was in great from at Stark’s Park ( picture by John Bell )

RAITH ROVERS  1  BERWICK RANGERS  1
( Monday, February 22nd, 2016 )

An honourable draw for Berwick’s Development League team at Stark’s Park
where Raith beat them 5-0 in September. Rovers had enough clear cut
chances this time to run up a similar tally though that doesn’t tell the
whole story even allowing for Berwick goalie Craig Cockburn being in
inspired form. His acrobatic save from a trialist number 10 in the 32nd
minute was particularly noteworthy.

Johnny Court had missed an earlier opportunity to put Raith in front
when clean through after hesitancy in the visitors’ defence but
generally, Berwick were looking comfortable even though they had to wait
almost 35 minutes before winning a corner.  After this, Elliot Ford
headed away a cross from Dwayne Coultress before it could reach Alex
Dimitrov. The Bulgarian trialist, who scored twice against Cowdenbeath
in the previous game, was denied a legitimate strike on goal when a good
build up ended with the ball hitting his arm.

So it remained goalless at half time but shortly after the resumption,
Cockburn made another good save. Nine minutes into the half, he had no
chance as Court rose above the defence to powerfully head in a corner
ball. He came close to getting a second from another corner four minutes
later.

Ford rushed into the Rangers’ area from the left before the ball was cut
back to Ross Matthews on the edge of the box. Cockburn dived to push
away his well hit shot for another corner. Matthews tried again with a
fierce one from 30 yards but Cockburn just had to watch this one go
wide.

Berwick’s equaliser, ten minutes from time, came out of the blue. Ewan
Herriot, normally a defender, was brought on to play in midfield.
Finding himself with a bit of space, he lobbed the ball from left to
right in the general direction of goal. It looked likely to finish high
and wide but to everyone’s surprise, it dropped into the bottom far
corner of the Raith net.

Ewan Herriot scored Berwick’s 80th minute equaliser ( picture by John Bell )

Raith tried to hit back. Cockburn used both hands to knock away another
Court effort. The number nine then tried an angled drive as he ran in
from the right but was six yards off target. Lewis Swaney’s timely
intervention disrupted the number 10’s prospects of also having a late
crack.

Berwick earned the point not least because when under pressure, they
never pressed the panic button. Of the outfield players, team boss Myles
Allan picked out defenders Swaney and Dean McConnell and midfield men
Kieran Ingram and Barry Hogg for particular praise. Daniel Watt put in
his usual hardworking stint up front without getting many realistic
scoring opportunities.  Berwick manager John Coughlin, watching in the
stand, was delighted with what he saw welcoming an oportunity to gain
more knowledge about some of the club’s younger players.

Berwick Rangers: Cockburn, McDonald ( Forrest 71 ), Anderson, Hogg,
McConnell, Swaney, Dimitrov, Ingram ( Herriot 71 ), Watt, R.Graham (
Chitemere 58 ), Coultress
Unused sub: S. Allan (GK)