Berwick Rangers end six-game losing streak with draw away to Bo’ness United

Ben McCrystal, seen here in action for Berwick Rangers during their 3-0 loss at home to Threave Rovers in October, got their goal at Bo'ness on Tuesday (Pic: Alan Bell)

Berwick Rangers halted a six-game losing streak in all competitions away to Bo’ness United on Tuesday night and manager Thomas Scobbie is hoping they can build on that change in fortunes at home to Albion Rangers this coming Saturday.

Rangers’ 1-1 draw at Newtown Park in midweek not only went some of the way towards making amends for a 1-0 defeat at home to Bo’ness at Shielfield Park at the start of October but also earned them their first Scottish Lowland Football League point since a goalless draw away to Celtic B in mid-September.

On top of that, it was the first time they’ve not lost a game of any description since a 4-2 win hosting Fife amateur outfit Cupar Hearts in the Scottish Cup’s first round at the end of September and Scobbie is hoping it will prove to be a turning point in their season, following on from a 3-0 defeat away to Broxburn Athletic on Saturday.

“We’ve got to make sure we look at the positives from the game and there were lots of positives, as well as loads of stuff we can fix and we will look to fix for Saturday,” the 36-year-old told the club’s Facebook page afterwards.

“In terms of the attitude that our players came with here tonight, after that disappointing performance against Broxburn, they were excellent to a man, so we’ll take the one-all draw and look to go again on Saturday.

“We dealt with pretty much 99% of what Bo’ness threw at us. We knew they were going to be physical.

“Going against performances from the last number of weeks, tonight was a vast improvement as our attitude hadn’t been 100% and our energy levels hadn’t been really at it.”

Midfielder Ben McCrystal, on loan from St Johsnstone until mid-January, put the Northumbrians ahead against Bo’ness, from an assist from new signing Niall Kemp with 22 minutes on the clock and they held onto that lead until within five minutes of the final whistle, Louis Kennedy levelling for their hosts at that stage for a point apiece.

Gary Brass scored twice for Broxburn at the weekend, on 38 minutes and 55, and Errol Douglas once, on 70.

Berwick are currently 14th in the table, on 15 points from as many fixtures, with their visitors from Coatbridge this weekend, 2-1 winners away to Edinburgh’s Civil Service Strollers on Tuesday, being seven places and 11 points better off.