BERWICK RANGERS 1 SHIRE 2

An injury-time goal was enough to give Shire a hard-fought, and just-about-deserved victory over Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park.

Andy Rodgers was the hero, scoring both goals, the second of which came in the final seconds when it appeared both teams had settled for a draw.

The win cuts the gap to leaders Cowdenbeath to seven points and move the team back up into second place in the Third Division table, albeit having played two matches more.

Shire coach Jim McInally pulled no surprises with his starting eleven at a windswept Shielfield. As expected Michael Bolochowecky, Eddie Forrest, Andy Rodgers and Jamie Stevenson all made a return after missing the previous weeks’ encounter at Cowdenbeath. David King kept hold of the centre-half berth but Craig Donaldson missed out through injury.

Berwick were unable to field former Shire loan star, Jamie Barclay, who was on Scotland under-21 duty in Albania but they did include striker Darren Gribben who scored a hat-trick the last time the teams met a fortnight ago,

The visitors were quick out the traps and, with the gale at their backs, were able to put plenty of pressure on the Berwick goal. After eight minutes Derek Ure’s corner was headed powerfully towards goal by Brian Graham but home defender Peter McMahon cleared the netbound effort off the line.

A minute later Stevenson hit a corner from the opposite corner and Sean Anderson met it with a near post header which crashed off the crossbar with keeper Marc Lunn beaten.

Three minutes further on Paul Hay hit a deep free-kick from inside his own half and no-one in the home defence picked up the back post run of Bolochoweckyj who sent a great header goalwards but again it hit the crossbar.

Shire’s superiority was evident and it told after 12 minutes. Hay’s throw-in was flicked on by Graham at the near post and Rodgers was unmarked at the back post and he shot home from ten yards.

But the visitors’ lead was shot-lived. Just three minutes later a speculative free-kick was pumped into the box by Stuart Callaghan, Mark Peat couldn’t get any distance on his punch clear and Gribben turned and hooked the ball into the from the edge of the six yard box.

After 24 minutes Shire should have re-gained the lead. Derek Ure swung the ball into the Berwick box from deep and Stevenson arrived at the right time to send a header goalwards but Lunn managed to get enough of a touch on the ball to divert it away.

After 27 minutes Gribben hit a superb free-kickl from 25 yards which Peat had to dive to his right to push round the post for a corner kick.

Graham was doing his best to hold the ball up and get others involved in the game and twice he brought Stevenson in for a shot but on each occasion he dragged his effort wide.

With the strong wind at their backs in the second half there were fears Berwick would have more of the game. And, two minutes in, Callaghan’s free-kick found Fraser McLaren  but he couldn’t guide the ball past Peat from point-blank range.

After 55 minutes a nice one-two between Paul Weaver and Anderson ended with the latter hitting a 20 yarder which skimmed the top of the crossbar. Ten minutes later Shire had a strong shout for a penalty when Jamie Ewart seemed the pull back Rodgers as they both went to a long ball from Forrest but referee Bobby Madden didn’t want to know.

With 20 minutes left Rodgers played Anderson clear but the midfielder wasted a decent opportunity by firing his shot from just inside the box straight at Berwick’s young keeper.

Shire certainly upped the pace in an effort to claim all three points and, with four minutes left, Stevenson tried to find the net direct from a corner kick and would have scored but for a saving on-the-line header from Ewart.

It seemed as though Shire would have to settle for a draw but, in the second minute of injury-time, they pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

Substitute Gary Kelly hooked the ball in behind the Berwick defence, Graham headed it across the face of goal and Rodgers was in the right place at the right time to nod it into the net from inside the six yard box.

BERWICK RANGERS : Lunn, Horn, McMahon, Ewart, Forrest, Callaghan, McMenamin(Mearns 90), Bonar(Little 88), Gribben, McLaren, D. Greenhill.

SHIRE : Peat, Hay(Kelly 89), Forrest, King, Bolochoweckyj, Weaver, Anderson(McKenzie 71), Stevenson(Dunn 90), Graham, Ure, Rodgers.

REFEREE : R. Madden

ATTENDANCE : 431