Berwick Rangers out to go for goal next football season, says manager Kevin Haynes

The Northumbrians only scored 32 goals in 34 league fixtures last time round, the lowest in the table by a margin of seven, on their way to finishing third from bottom and Haynes, manager at Shielfield Park since January, is hoping for a hefty net gain on that total next time out.

The 44-year-old’s summer signings include forwards Greg Binnie and Mikey Mbewe, previously at Penicuik Athletic, and Taylor Hendry from Dunbar United and he’s hoping those new recruits will have a positive impact on Rangers’ goal difference after ending up on -41 last term, the worst in the league by nine.

The club’s other new arrivals are defender or midfielder Struan Mair from Gala Fairydean Rovers and goalkeeper Liam Campbell from Bo’ness United, both fifth-tier rivals of Rangers.

“We identified an area of the pitch that we wanted to improve in and we’ve hit our targets with the players that we’ve brought in,” Haynes, a former attacker himself, told the club’s Facebook page.

“They’re proven goal-scorers and guys who create chances and they’ll all be valuable assets to the club and to the team.

“Couple that up with a couple of fresh faces at the back end of the pitch as well, a new goalkeeper and a new defender, and we’re looking good as a squad.

“We just want to have a style of play that suits us that’s productive. I don’t think we created enough chances in my time here last season. I want us to be creating more chances and I want us to be more clinical.

“I want us to be better on the ball. I want us to look after the ball and control games more, so we’re all geared up for that.

“We’ve got players in that suit that kind of style, so hopefully it’ll all come together.

“That’s the way we’re set up and that’s the way I believe we should be playing and hopefully that come to fruition.”

Rangers began their pre-season schedule with an open training session at Shielfield Park on Saturday and it continues with a friendly at home to a Hibernian development side this coming Saturday, July 5, with kick-off at 3pm.

That’s followed by further friendlies away to Midlothian’s Whitehill Welfare on Tuesday, July 8, with kick-off at 7.30pm, and Newcastle Benfield the Saturday after, the 12th, and a visit from another Midlothian team, Penicuik Athletic, on Saturday, July 19, both 3pm kick-offs.

Haynes’s pre-season interview can be seen at https://youtu.be/U3TYQlR9880