Berwick Rangers end near-four-year winless streak v Bo’ness United

​That was the Northumbrians’ first Scottish Lowland Football League win against the Newtown Park outfit since February 2022 and it lifts manager Kevin Haynes’ side up one place in the table to 12th, on 25 points from 19 fixtures.

Their scorers were Taylor Hendry on 45 minutes, Ben McCrystal on 62 and Greg Binnie on 88, with Kyle Johnston on target past visiting goalkeeper Liam Campbell for Stuart Hunter’s hosts on 77.

Haynes, 44, credited a resolute defending display for his team’s seventh win this term, telling the club’s Facebook page: “Defensively I thought we were outstanding.

“In general, I think our defensive unit doesn’t get a lot of credit, but I thought we defended really, really well.

“Bo’ness put us under a lot of pressure. We had to defend set-pieces – they had 12 corners maybe and obviously they were trying to isolate our goalkeeper and target him but Liam dealt with those corners pretty well.

“In the first half, we weren’t great, but how we defended allowed us to nick a goal, if I’m honest, before half-time, and in the second half, we were much better.

“In the first half, we huffed and puffed a wee bit and we couldn’t get into the game. In the second half, we were much better on the ball.”

That was Rangers’ second three-goal haul in their last three matches, following a 3-2 win hosting Gretna 2008 two weeks prior, and Haynes was glad to see his side going for goal despite the departure of veteran striker Liam Buchanan, though Niall Kemp has been recalled from loan at East of Scotland Football League premier division side Penicuik Athletic to help fill the gap left by the 40-year-old’s release from a contract due to run until next June.

“We had a problem last year in that we didn’t score enough goals, so we targeted strikers to come in and score goals and I’m delighted,” he said.

“Taylor’s workmanship and performance, his link-up play, his hold-up play, how he fights centre-halves, he doesn’t give any centre-half an easy day.

“Greg makes a lot of his own luck with his work and his determination and his reward was a goal. He persevered and he kept pressing and he kept hassling and he won the ball and put it away at the end there.”

Next up for Rangers after a trip to Edinburgh’s Civil Service Strollers tonight, December 9, with kick-off at 7.45pm, is a visit from fifth-placed Broxburn Athletic this coming Saturday, with kick-off at Shielfield Park at 3pm.

Thanking fans for their support during his two spells with Rangers, from July 2022 to September of the year after and since January of last year, ex-Livingston and Raith Rovers player Buchanan posted: “Since I walked through the doors, I couldn’t speak highly enough of the club and how they’ve made me feel, so it was a difficult decision for me to ask to leave.

“I’ve had two spells at the club and was top goal-scorer every season, something which I’m proud of.

“Berwick are a club I will mostly hold fond memories of, so best of luck in the future. I will always keep eye on your scores.”