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Sorry end to winning streak

Berwick Rangers 2 Queen's Park 0

Berwick: Barclay, Elliot Smith, McLeod (McLean), Townsley, Deland, McDonald, Notman, Currie, Ross Gray, Gribben (Lavery 72), Noble (Damon Gray 81). Subs Not Used: Wood, Ponton. Booked: Gribben. Goals: Noble, Damon Gray . Queen's Park: Parry, McGinn, Little, Meggatt, Burns, Anderson, Stewart (Smith), McBride, Watt (Daly), Longworth, Murray. Subs Not Used: Strain, Brough, Gallagher. Booked: Stewart, Burns, Little, McGinn. Att: 449 Ref: Barry Cook

Today marked the end of the league campaign's first third - and the report card made decent reading as we headed for Berwick.
After what can best be described as a slow start, the Spiders have hit the ground running in the last few weeks. Four wins and two draws is a good return from our last six games - and surely puts our Gaffer in the reckoning for the Manager of the Month Award when October's gong's are dished out.
The way things were going, we certainly had reason to be hopeful as we dug out the passports to head across the border to Englandshire this morning.
The sun was splitting the sky, the hangover from last night's annual dinner was being kept under control by the marvels of paracetamol - and from Gulliver's point of view there was the prospect of a welcome reunion with his old Geordie Chum.
More important for those of us who were looking for a "Magnificent Seven" on the results front, was the news that Davie Anderson was back in the engine room. The wee man has been a big player for us again so far this season, and his return to the team gave us all a lift.
Anderson returned at the expense of Paul Gallacher, while a lingering doubt over Mick Daly's ankle injury saw him take a seat on the bench with Paul Stewart coming in.
With McBride, Anderson and Stewart in midfield, we had a strong looking backbone to the team, and hopes were high that we could rediscover our shooting boots after last week's blank against Annan. The hopes may have been high - at the end of a bitterly disappointing afternoon, those hopes were a bit tattered.
There was little sign of the sickeners to come as we kicked off and took the game to our hosts. Despite playing up the Shielfield slope in the first half, Queen's enjoyed the bulk of the early possession. McBride curled in a decent looking ball after Anderson won the first foul of the game. Meggatt's header sailed over the top, but we were on the front foot.
We continued to have more of the ball than our opponents, but didn't do too much with it. Barclay was seldom troubled in the home goal, while Parry was little more than a spectator for much of the first period.When you see that the two keepers had quiet afternoons - at least during the opening 45 minutes - you'll get the message that goalmouth action was at a bit of a premium.
Most of the attacking did come from the Spiders. A decent move after 17 minutes saw McBride and Murray combine to give Stewart the opportunity to shoot. His effort flew wide, as did a David Murray effort a few minutes later after Ian Watt shook off the shackles of his marker to set up his fellow wideman.
We were approaching the first quarter of the game, and apart from Murray and Watt switching positions, there really was precious little to occupy the scribes.
Berwick, who had been content to hit on the break, had their best moment after 28 minutes when McDonald found space at the back post. Fortunately for Queen's his effort could only hit the side net.
The attack did spark the home side into more life, however, and Notman soon shot over when he should really have done better. Queen's tried to respond, mainly driven on by McBride, and we did manage to win a couple of corners to raise hopes of the breakthrough. None of the flag kicks produced anything of note, and the stalemate continued.
A couple of yellow cards livened up proceedings as the interval approached. First in the book was Gribben after referee Cook had tried to play a good advantage for Queen's - and then Paul Stewart also fell foul of the whistler. Typically of much of the afternoon, Stewart's sliding challenge failed to make contact with his opponent, but the tackle had been a bit reckless.
Five minutes from the interval came our best attack to date. McBride's lung-bursting run looked seriously promising, but despite getting himself into space in the box, his left-foot shot fizzed wide of the post.
Sean Burns then got the chance to fire in a shot, but failed to make Barclay work.
With the refree poised to blow the whistle, Berwick engineered a chance to steal the lead. Noble's effort at least hit the target, but presented Parry with no real problems. As saves go, it was pretty routine, but it was the first time either keepoer had been forced to do anything other than catch crosses or deal with passbacks. Disappointing, you bet.

Half-time
Berwick Rangers 0 Queen's Park 0.

Despite the stalemate of the first period, the feeling in the Hoops' camp was that things would surely get better. After all, we have produced some stonking second-half performances in our recent run and we had the advantage of the slope.
Not only did they not better, things got a whole lot worse as the afternoon progressed.
Berwick stepped things up from the off and Parry was called into action after only two minutes to deal with a lovely Smith cross. Noble was next to try his luck for the home side, but his shot was turned behind for a corner which Queen's managed to clear after some difficulty.
The escape sparked us into life and Ricky Little sent Murray scampering downhill. His ball inside gave Jamie Longworth visrtually a first sight at goal, but although teh striker got his shot on target (as he usually does) it carried little power and was easily dealt with by Barclay.
At least it was getting livelier, and it exploded into action after 55 minutes. Burns tripped Gray in the box and Gribben stepped up to take the penalty. Parry plunged to his left to save; leapt to his feet to keep out the rebound - and then finished off a magnificent triple block to keep us on level terms.
Surely such a moment would give us a huge lift?
Surely the momentum would now swing our way?
Surely we woud kick-on as our opponents rued the golden opportunity that they had missed?
Sadly, the answer to all three questions is a resounding "No".
The pattern of the game continued with both sides probing, without looking too likely to find a way through.And the longer the afternoon wore on, the more it looked like ending in a tame draw.
Chuckie Watt fired a shot over the top, while Longworth dragged another effort wide.
At the other end, Parry produced a few routine stops and catches, but the signs were not good. Berwick were looking more dangerous, if that's not stretching the word too much.
Gardner Speirs brought on Craig Smith for Paul Stewart, but the change did little to influence proceedings.
Twelve minutes from the end, McBride again produced a ball to give Murray the chance to drive in on goal. The wee man did that, got his shot away - but saw Barclay produce a good save to deny him.
Naturally, the home side went back up the field and opened the scoring.
Queen's had failed to cut out a number of through balls during the afternoon, and finally paid the ultimate price. The ball was slipped behind Burns, and although Parry produced a great save to deny Noble, he was powerless to stop the striker getting his head to the ball as the rebound was crossed back in.
One-nil Berwick, and with the minutes running away from us, the action got a wee bit frantic.
The card count grew with McGinn and Little joining Burns and Stewart in the book. Daly was intorduced at the expense of Watt - but still we couldn't find a way through.
And as is so often the case in games like this, we were put out of our misery by a quick sucker punch. Another ball got behind the QP defence and as it was laid back, substitute Gray gleefully smacked it into the net. It was just about his first touch after coming on; it was the last meaningful action of a shocker of an afternoon for Queen's.
All good things, as they say, have to come to an end. We all knew that we couldn't avoid defeat for ever. What we couldn't have foreseen - and really didn't want to witness, was an afternoon like this where we all went into it in such high hopes - and came out feeling as if we had been dragged through a mangle backwards.
Looking for positives, every other side in the league drew, so damage is limited in that sense ... and we have plenty time left to get back up the table. But before we can think about that, there is the little matter of a horrendously-difficult Scottish Cup tie next weekend in Elgin.
Then again, what better time could there be to get the season back on track?
Keep the faith ... the good times will be back.

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