Cameraman Alan Bell captured the incident which led to Berwick’s Dwayne Coultress ( in blue ) being booked for diving. But the picture suggests instead, it should have been a penalty to Berwick.

BERWICK RANGERS O
LOTHIAN THISTLE HUTCHISON VALE 0

( Berwick won 4-3 on penalties )

Ultimately, goalkeeper Mark Walters won the 2014-15 City Cup Final for
Berwick Rangers by saving two penalties in the post 90 minutes shoot
out. ( Saturday, Oct. 10th, 2015 )

Berwick fielded a composite side but one biased towards the first team
squad. Most of the regular Development team were on duty for the
non-league clubs to which they have been farmed out for weekend
football. Judged on the number of bookings received, there was little
hint that Rangers were not taking the game seriously. Stevie Notman for
a foul on Darren Smith, Blair Henderson and Dwayne Coultress for
simulation and David Banjo for what some might consider to be an old
fashioned shoulder charge were all shown the yellow card by David Doig.

Berwick were in the new light blue away strip whilst confusingly, the
Edinburgh club’s black and yellow stripes approximated to Rangers’
traditional garb. Holding a League 2 side to a draw over the normal
course of a game should be a confidence booster to the the club with the
long name ahead of their forthcoming Scottish Cup tie at home to
Montrose. That name came about four seasons ago with the merger of the
existing East of Scotland League club Lothian Thistle with the
prodigious youth set up at Hutchison Vale.

Berwick’s Dwayne Coultress on the attack ( Photo copyright of Alan Bell )

At the start and finish of the first half, LTHV had good scoring
chances. In the 2nd minute, Scott Moffat fired over the bar. His team
were frequently beaten by Rangers’ offside trap but near the end sprang
it with a punt to Scott Gormley. Walters made a second good save from
the striker having earlier dived to turn away a shot when the trail
towards goal was laid by Dean Cummings cutting inside Kieran Ainslie.

As for Berwick, Ainslie twice headed over Colin Cameron free kicks. A
through ball from the manager found Andy Russell but it was Kevin
Swain’s turn to save well. Later, he could only knock a Coultress
piledriver skywards before catching the ball with no Berwick player
following through.

In the second half, Ross Drummond gained 50 yards on a run from inside
his own half before crossing to nobody, an indictment of the lack of
support.

Play was halted when Moffat hit the deck in a collision with Notman and
was stretchered off. After the match, his club officials reported that
he was back on his feet.

Berwick’s Barry Hogg controls the ball as LTHV’s Eddie Mearns approaches
( Photo copyright of Alan Bell )

Another Berwick chance arose when David Morris played the ball into
Darren Lavery. From a yard out, he attempted to simply tap the ball over
the line giving a grateful Swain the opportunity to fall on it.

It must be a concern that Berwick were unable to wear down their EoS
League opponents. In fact, in the final twenty minutes, it was a toss up
which team, if either, would score what would probably have been the
match winning goal. As neither did, it meant penalties. For the record,
Russell, Regan Graham ( who made a 70th minute first senior start ),
Morris and Banjo succeeded with theirs. Walters did the rest.

Atendance: 107

Berwick Rangers: Walters, Notman ( capt. ), Drummond, Cameron ( Banjo 46
), Ainslie, Wilson, Morris, Hogg ( Regan Graham 70 ), Henderson ( Lavery
46 ), A.Russell, Coultress