'The third goal's an embarrassment to the league' - Berwick Rangers boss Stuart Malcolm assesses 3-0 defeat to Rangers B

Late goals by Connor Allan, Charlie Lindsay and James Graham did the damage for David McCallum’s youngsters and sickened his Berwick managerial counterpart Stuart Malcolm.

“We were lucky to get through the first five minutes without conceding a goal,” Malcolm told the Berwickshire News. "Once we got established in the game we should have gone 1-0 up by half-time.

“At the start of the second half Liam Buchanan missed two chances that he probably on another day would score.

"The game is not played over 80 minutes. We then concede a free-kick on the edge of the box and we fail to defend the cross which was pretty poor.

"Then they scored quite quickly after that because we had to open up a little bit. We then go with two strikers trying to get ourselves back into the game.

"And then the third goal’s an absolute embarrassment to the league. There’s two footballs on the park, our goalkeeper is out kicking a ball off the park, the throw-in’s allowed to be taken, the game continues and they score at the back post.

"I’ve never seen a game where you’re allowed to continue with two balls on the park. It’s totally against the rules.

"Usually teams get a chance to regroup in their area when the extra ball’s been dealt with.”

Berwick, 12th with 17 points from 13 games, host Cowdenbeath in the league this Saturday.

Malcolm said: “We are a team this season that’s making chances and failing to take them.

"Then we end up shooting ourselves in the foot at the other end.

"We should be scoring more goals, there’s no question about that.

“The pleasing thing is we’re making chances. The frustrating side is we’re not taking them.”