Basement stalemate

Brechin City 2 - 2 Berwick Rangers

Michael Renwick's Berwick Rangers had to settle for a point away at Glebe Park today despite twice going ahead in an entertaining game that very few Berwick fans made the trip to see.

I felt today there were signs of improvement as the boss changed things around. He welcomed back Robbie Horn (above) and introduced "emergency" signing Kevin Davison, the former Sunderland and Gretna player on-loan from Hamilton Accies, on the right of midfield. Bolo and McLeish were dropped to the bench. Little partnered Diack upfront while Wood replaced Fraser at right-back.

Overall, I suspect Gary O'Connor was tested more than Craig Nelson (the Brechin keeper), with the veteran of 251 games pulling off some superb saves this afternoon, but never the less Berwick never looked out of this game.

Ian Little (above) got our opening goal after a little over half an hour. Some neat passing play had seen Berwick win a corner and McMullen's set piece was knocked home by Little.


Brechin, masterminded by ex-Berwicker Darren Smith, started to exert more pressure on the visitors at the start of the second half. Maybe lady luck was with Berwick today we began to think as we watched the home side miss an open goal. O'Connor committed himself too early and allowed Brechin's Kevin Byres to round him before watching in vain as he shot towards the unguarded net infront of him but the ball went wide. Not long after, O'Connor was forced into a tremendous save only for the ball to fall kindly for Charlie King (above with McMullen) who fired home from the edge of the box. All level again.


Berwick's new man Davison (above) got our second goal on his debut after more good build up from Berwick and he strode into the box and calmly fired beyond Nelson. Iain Diack, who put in a decent shift today, could have made it 1-3 not long after when he popped up unchallenged in the box only to knock the ball over the bar.

The game started to turn a little ugly and the ref awarded a penalty to Brechin away at the far end from where I was which Callaghan hammered home, sending O'Connor the wrong way. Again from the same distance I thought Brechin were probably due another penalty not long after but the ref thought otherwise and booked King for diving.

Former Elgin goal-machine Martin Johnson was sent off towards the end for an elbow on Horn but Berwick were unable to carve out another chance to win the game.

above: Gary Wood - played at right back today - possibly to cancel out Darren Smith's threat.

above: David Greenhill, playing on the left wing today jumps above former Berwick right back David Murie.