21/22 Match Report – 28th May

Even though this was the last League match of the season for both third from top Dunipace and third from bottom Tweedmouth and with little at stake for either, to quote the referee, it was ‘a decent game’, the final score giving a misleading impression of the afternoon’s events.

Despite conceding a goal in the third, Dunipace had the better of the first twenty minutes but found Rangers’ keeper Niall Frampton in top form. He opened with a reflex save to prevent Sam Colley’s close range flick giving the hosts a 2nd minute lead. His foot stopped Wilson Romanis from scoring before again reacting quickly to turn away David Morrison’s 12th minute drive.

Tweedmouth’s opener came after home keeper David Kane could only parry Craig Bell’s volley, Drew Cummings on hand to make sure the consequent free ball hit the net. The Denny side’s 14th minute equaliser was of different style. Morrison crossed with trialist Jamie Lapsley getting in behind the defence unsighted to head the ball home.

An enforced Rangers’ substitution followed. Jay Baverstock was helped off with a knee injury to be replaced by Joao Vieira.

Martin France posed a major threat to Tweedmouth whether attacking through the inside left channel where on one occasion he waltzed past a quartet of players or out on the right wing. There the workload was shared with overlapping full back Liam McCroary acting as a de facto winger. Once the visitors had weathered the early pressure, they began a regular supply of long balls out to Craig Colquhoun to use his pace on their right flank. One led to Colquhoun sending over a cross on the end of which Regan Graham’s header was too high. Minutes earlier, Jack Forster’s lob also went over the top after first rattling the crossbar.

Four minutes from the break, Colquhoun ran on to another accurate ball from Archie Roue. Kane managed to get a touch to the winger’s delivery but the ball was quickly returned the same way. This time, Vieira got a sufficient sniff of it to put the Berwick team back in front.

Dunipace’s opening second half shooting didn’t trouble Frampton. France was well off target with a free kick from just outside the box whilst a good crossfield move ended with McCroary hitting the side netting. At the other end, a Rangers’ corner had the home defence all over the place, Kane earning a yellow card for the manner of his objection to the referee ignoring an alleged Rangers’ misdemeanour during the scramble for the ball. It also resulted in the award of a rare free kick on the 6 yard line but Roue was unable to pierce the wall of defenders with the kick.

With the hosts able to bring on more fresh legs from a full complement of subs on a hot afternoon, the game turned full circle as Dunipace turned on a different kind of heat against a tiring Rangers in the final twenty minutes. Right on 70 minutes with McCroary the provider, Colley’s excellent finish made it 2-all. Danny Ashe then glanced a header wide of the back post after McCroary temporarily switched to the left to take a corner.

With defenders struggling to clear the ball Caleb McNeil finally put ‘Pace ahead in the 78th minute. Two minutes later, Lapsley converted another cross to make it 4-2. Rangers’ sub Michael Robinson came close on turning to connect with Rhys Dixon’s ball from 15 yards inside the home half before the East of Scotland ‘A’ Conference highest scorers went on to add another couple to their season’s haul of goals. Colley got his second despite Frampton stopping France’s initial strike. Jamie Conlin rubbed it in with another header seconds from the final whistle.

Tweedmouth round off the 2021-22 season with a twice postponed League Cup sectional match at home to Thornton Hibs this Tuesday, May 31st. Kick off at Old Shielfield is at 7:30 p.m.