SHIRE 1 BERWICK RANGERS 0

An Andy Rodgers goal barely two minutes into the second half was enough to give Shire all three points in a close game with Berwick Rangers.

In what was a disappointing 90 minutes there were still enough chances at either end to leave both sets of players and fans thinking they should have won, but it was Shire that got the break that counted.

The team now sits second in the Third Division table, two points behind leaders Albion Rovers and well-placed for the long trip to Elgin City next Saturday.

There was good news for Shire before the game when Scotland under-21 boss Billy Stark opted to release keeper Jamie Barclay from his squad to face Belarus allowing him to face Berwick Rangers.

David King also gave coach Jim McInally a boost when he declared himself fit after missing last week’s 3-0 defeat at Albion Rovers with a groin problem. Craig Donaldson’s ankle injury cleared up but there wasn’t space for him in the starting eleven after three weeks on the sidelines, so he had to make do with a space on the substitutes bench.

Former Shire keeper, Mark Peat, was in goal for the visitors who had a number of injury worries to contend with.

Berwick started the match in a hurry and inside the first mninute they had managed two attempts on goal; Jamie Ewart’s header from Paul Currie’s free-kick looped over Barclay’s bar and Steven Notman’s cross-cum-shot went harmlessly over.

After 15 minutes Shire managed a shot on target but Simon Lynch was ruled offside from Stephen McGuire’s right-wing cross. In any case, Peat made a decent block from the striker’s effort.

Five minutes later Shire should have had a penalty when Ewart was guilty of a blatant jersey pull on Lynch inside the box as the ball came towards them. Unfortunately, the referee was unsighted and in no position to make the award.

On 31 minutes Richardson’s right-wing corner found McGuire at the near post but his glancing header went into the side netting. Three minutes later Berwick conjured up the best chance of the game to that point when Alan Brazil sent in a speculative effort from 25 yards which cracked off the bar with Barclay beaten.

Three minutes from the break Paul Hay’s long throw was flicked on by Lynch into the path of Tully but the Shire man’s shot from inside the six yard box was blocked by Ewart.

On the stroke of half-time Rodgers should have given Shire the lead after being sent clear inside the box by McGuire but his effort was always rising over the bar.

But inside a minute of the re-start Rodgers did find the target to give Shire the lead. A throw-in down the left found McGuire who laid it off for Rodgers to run into the box and score with a great shot low at the keeper’s near post.

After 55 minutes Lynch got theball wide on the right and crossed for Tully to send in a powerful header that Peat tiped over the bar although, surprisingly, no corner kick was given. A minute later McGuire collected Hay’s crossed and fired a looping effort over Peat that crashed off the bar and found no takers for the rebound.

Berwick came back into things and on 60 minutes Ewart headed Stuart Callaghan’s right-wing corner onto the ball, although Barclay was on hand to catch the rebound safely.

Shire took off Tully, Rodgers and McGuire and brought on Ure, Donaldson and McKenzie in their place but the changes didn’t seem to work well. The team got off lightly after 78 minutes when Currie hit a spectacular long-range effort that Michael Bolochoweckyj deflected wide.

McKenzie and Donaldson combined well on the edge of the box with barely a minute left and it looked as though Squib would finish the game off there and then, but he tried to flick the ball over the advancing Peat and only succeeded in pushing it into the keeper’s arms.

There was a real let-off in the third minute of stoppage time when Berwick substitute Owen Russell was clean through but his effort was blocked by Barclay’s full-length diving save.

SHIRE : Barclay, Hay, Richardson, King, Bolochoweckyj, Tully(Donaldson 72), Weaver, Stevenson, Lynch, McGuire(McKenzie 76), Rodgers(Ure 72).

BERWICK RANGERS : Peat, Notman, Smith, Guy, Ewart, Callaghan, Little(Russell 86), Currie, Brazil, Radzinski(McMenamin 86), D. Grenhill.

REFEREE : S. McLean

ATTENDANCE : 464.