Berwick Rangers celebrating first home league win since July

Lewis Barr in action for Berwick Rangers as they beat Albion Rovers 2-0 at home at Shielfield Park on Saturday (Photo: Ian Runciman)

Berwick Rangers ended a seven-game winless streak – and a near-four-month wait for a Scottish Lowland Football League victory at home – by seeing off Albion Rovers 2-0 at Shielfield Park on Saturday.

That long-awaited three-point haul was Rovers’ first league win on home turf since they got the better of Linlithgow Rose on the opening day of the current season at the end of July and their first victory of any description since a 4-2 first-round Scottish Cup knockout of amateurs Cupar Hearts, at home too, a month later.

Manager Thomas Scobbie is hoping they can now build on that return to winning ways by recording their first back-to-back victories in all competitions hosting opposition from three divisions down in the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup’s third round this coming weekend.

Kick-off against East of Scotland Football League second division table-toppers Armadale Thistle is at 3pm this Saturday.

Saturday gone’s win, ending a nine-game unbeaten run in the league for their seventh-placed visitors from North Lanarkshire, was secured by goals from Jamie Watson on 32 minutes and Ben McCrystal on 56.

It moves Rangers up to 12th place in the table, on 18 points from 16 fixtures, ahead of a visit from third-from-bottom Cowdenbeath on Saturday, November 23, also at 3pm.

Looking back over Rovers’ first league win since they got the better of East Stirlingshire by 3-2 away at the start of September, Scobbie told the club’s Facebook page: “I thought we were in control.

“It was a really scrappy game because of the conditions and it was always going to be down to who made the fewest mistakes, and I thought we were excellent.

“I thought we defended brilliantly. Our back four were really, really strong and we had that bit of quality up top.

“All in all, it was a really good day’s work, and we could have got a couple more goals. To get three points and a clean sheet was thoroughly deserved.

“They were tough conditions and there wasn’t really much football played, but, at the end of the day, you’re going to have games like that and I’m really proud of the boys for how they handled it and how professional they were in terms of following the instructions we gave them. It was a great day for everyone.”