Berwick Rangers drawn away to William Hill Championship table-toppers Stenhousemuir in KDM Evolution Trophy
Berwick Rangers have been drawn away to William Hill Championship table-toppers Stenhousemuir in the first knockout round of this football season’s KDM Evolution Trophy next month.
Manager Martin Scott’s Scottish Lowland Football League East outfit will play their round-of-32 tie away to opposite number Marvin Bartley’s Warriors at Ochilview Park on Tuesday, November 3, or Wednesday, November 4.
The Northumbrians made it to the knockout stages of the trophy, alias the Scottish Professional Football League Challenge Cup, after finishing 17th of 40 in its league phase, on ten points from six fixtures, with the top 22 going on to the next round and all ten championship clubs entering the competition at that point.
They won three of their league-stage games, all at home at Shielfield Park – by 1-0 versus Queen of the South at Shielfield Park on Tuesday this week and Hibernian B last month and 3-2 against Stranraer later in September – and drew one, 2-2 away to Annan Athletic in Dumfries and Galloway August – to secure progress.
Their two defeats were by 7-1 away to Airdrieonians at the end of last month and 4-3 at home to Heart of Midlothian B in August.
Almost four leagues separate Stenny and Berwick, the former occupying pole position in Scottish football’s second tier, on 22 points from nine fixtures, and the latter 13th of 16 in the fifth tier’s eastern half, on five from nine.
Berwick last played Stenhousemuir competitively in April 2018 in what was known as known as Ladbrokes League Two at the time, drawing 2-2 at home, with Jack Hamilton and Paul Willis scoring their goals and Andy Dallas and Colin McMenamin netting for the visitors.
That was one of four meetings that season prior to Stenny’s promotion the month after and Berwick’s relegation in May 2019, with the others yielding a goalless draw at Shiefield Park seven days earlier and away defeats for the English outfit by 4-0 in February 2018 and 3-0 in September 2017.
They’ve since met for a pre-season friendly in June 2022, drawing 1-1 at Shielfield Park, with Lewis Baker on target for the hosts and Tam Orr netting for the visitors.
The next round’s 15 other ties include Berwick’s fifth-tier rivals Bonnyrigg Rose hosting Dunfermline Athletic and defending champions Raith Rovers playing Hamilton Academical away.
Rangers are also through to round four of this term’s South Region Challenge Cup and will go up against Eddlewood away in Hamilton on Saturday, November 14.
That will be the two teams’ first meeting.
The South Lanarkshire side are currently top of the West of Scotland Football League’s fourth division, on 18 points from seven fixtures.