2Match Report
Stenhousemuir v Berwick Rangers at Ochilview Park on 20.9.08
Scottish League Division Three Att 446
Stenhousemuir 2 [Ovenstone 20, Dalziel 76 pen] Berwick Rangers 0
Going into this game there was more intrigue than normal about how events would go with John Coughlin and Matt Kerr facing Berwick for the first time since leaving the Borderers to join Stenhousemuir and in the Berwick dugout there were two ex- Stenhousemuir personnel as ex-assistant Alan McGonigal in his first season as gaffer and his deputy is ex-Warrior Martin Mooney. There was also the fact that Chris McGroarty, Jordan Smith and Iain Thomson in the home ranks were ex-Berwick players and Ryan McGurk and John Dillon ex-Stenhousemuir players featured for Berwick. Add all this to the on off sage earlier in the season of whether Jim Lister was going to be at Ochilview or Shielfield and this all made for an appetizing encounter.
In the end it was John Coughlin who managed to get one over his old side as Stenhousemuir maintained their top of the table spot with a 2-0 victory.
Berwick had started with promise with Lister eager to show what he was made of and he had the first direct effort of the game in the 5th minute of the game but his weak effort was comfortably saved by Kieron Renton. Gradually Stenhousemuir took control of the game and they almost took the lead in the 18th minute when a high ball was headed on by Scott Dalziel to Stevie Ferguson whose header from close range was saved by Ryan McGurk
They did not have wait long until they made the breakthrough though as they scored in the 20th minute when John Ovenstone powered home a Kevin Motion corner.
For the rest of the first period the Warriors had the bulk of the play but failed to make their possession count by creating any real chances but by the half time whistle they looked fairly comfortable.
Berwick had more territorial play in the opening stages of the second half but they rarely threatened the Stenhousemuir goal and their best efforts came from long range efforts. They should have done better with a free kick just outside the box but a poorly struck effort by Dillon went wide of the target. Still with only one goal in the game at this stage there was still all to play for and they eventually tested Renton for the first time in the 64th minute with an effort from the edge of the box that the keeper turned round the post.
A minute later Stenhousemuir brought on Robert Love for his first game after injury and he immediately injected more life into the attacking areas of the pitch. The Warriors seemed to get a lift from this and they were awarded a penalty in the 76th minute when a through ball by Scott Dalziel was met by Kevin Motion who burst into the box only to be tripped by the hapless Tommy Lennox. Dalziel converted the spot kick to make it 2-0 and the remainder of the game saw the Warriors in command without ever being startling.
Stenhousemuir – Renton, Lyle , McGroarty [b54] Smith, Ovenstone , Thomson [Tyrrell 75], Brazil [Hampshire 86] , Ferguson , Dalziel , Brand [Love 65] and Motion . Subs not used – Bennett, Shirra,
Berwick Rangers – McGurk , Guy [D.Greenhill 59], Lennox, Ewart , Horn , Bonnar [b39], McLaren , G.Greenhill [Chris Anderson 75], Gribben [Craig Anderson 82], Lister and Dillon. Subs not used – Lunn and Callaghan
Referee – John McKendrick
Assistants – Wes Boulstridge and Douglas Potter
