Berwick Rangers end season in eighth place after 4-2 home win v Bo’ness United
Berwick Rangers ended their latest Scottish Lowland Football League season with a 4-2 home victory against Bo’ness United on Saturday, earning them an eighth-placed finish in the table.
That top-half finish, on 49 points from 34 fixtures, is their highest since they ended up seventh, on 61 from 36, in 2023, having placed 16th last time round on 33 from 34 and 13th in 2024 on 42 from 34.
They secured their 14th league win of the season, lifting them up from tenth place, with two goals past visiting No 1 Allan Fleming from Greg Binnie, on 17 minutes from the penalty spot and 81, bookending efforts from Harry Wright on 36 and Caelan McCrone on 41 to take their tally for this term to 62, up 30 year on year.
Their visitors’ two goals in the other direction beyond home keeper Liam Campbell were put away by Lewis Hodgkiss just ahead of the hour mark and Kieran Mitchell on 85 minutes.
That season-concluding victory at Shielfield Park saw manager Kevin Haynes’ hosts chalk up a winning double against ninth-placed Bo’ness, having also beaten them in December’s reverse fixture at Newtown Park, by 3-1, with Binnie, Taylor Hendry and Ben McCrystal on target back then and Kyle Johnston replying.
Haynes, 44, was glad to wrap up his first full season as Berwick boss with a flourish, telling the club’s Facebook page: “I think the biggest one for me is that we’ve actually accumulated 50% more points than last season’s total.
“The players deserve massive credit. They’ve been professional, they’ve been very committed and they’re getting that little bit of a reward for the progression that they’ve shown.
“There was a lot to be said about the players that we signed in the summer, but if you look at our top three goal-scorers, they are players that we brought in in the summer, a couple of them who hadn’t played at this level before, so I’m delighted with that. I’m delighted with all the guys that came in and I’m delighted with the massive change we made in the summer.
“The guys have really taken to the club and shown what they’re all about, so I’m delighted with that too.
“There’s a good group there and I really think it’s a group we can keep progressing with.
“They’ve built up a wee bit of momentum.”