Edinburgh City v Berwick Rangers

Recap

John Coughlin admitted his Berwick team were let completely off the hook after coming from a goal down to beat Scottish League Two new-boys Edinburgh City at Meadowbank.

Ousman See acrobatically put City ahead just after the hour mark after the ‘Gers failed to clear their lines from a corner before Jordyn Sheerin equalised from the spot on 74 minutes after Steven Notman was needlessly brought down in the box.

Jordyn Sheerin now has 3 goals, making him the division’s joint-top scorer.

And, four minutes later, the turn-around was completed as a quick break from a corner resulted in Sheerin lifting the ball over Calum Antell to seal the three points.

The ‘Gers’ line-up featured the attacking trio of Sheerin, Darren Lavery and new loan signing Greg Hurst but, if truth be told, they failed to link up effectively throughout, with the final ball letting the team down countless times in a first half which was devoid of any quality.

Lavery may have been awarded a penalty inside the first minute only for the referee to wave away his claims, while Robert Wilson rose at the near post to head Steven Thomson’s corner onto the roof of the net.

City had their chances in the first half, too, with Aaron Dunsmore in particular impressing in midfield and he tested Kevin Walker on a couple of occasions, but the keeper, in arguably one of his best performances for the Black & Gold, was more than equal to them.

Sheerin tested Antell with a fierce strike midway through the first half after good work from Hurst, who looked lively in spells on his ‘Gers debut, but that was as exciting as the first half got, before the City deservedly took the lead on 65 minutes after starting the second half the stronger of the two sides.

Dunsmore’s corner found its way to the back post and, after being nodded down to See in the six-yard box, the striker reacted quickest to fire an overhead kick past the helpless Walker.

John Dunn could’ve put the game to bed when he fizzed a strike past Walker’s post before, on 74 minutes, Coughlin’s men were undeservedly handed a lifeline back into the game when Notman was needlessly fouled going away from goal in the area. Sheerin sent Antell the wrong way to level things up and suddenly, there was an urgency that hadn’t been there for the entire match to go on and take all three points.

But before Berwick grabbed the winner, Walker produced an excellent one-on-one save, rushing out to divert See’s shot past the post after the forward got in behind a shaky defence well marshalled by Brian Martin.

And it was the centre-back’s pressure and perseverance that led to the winner, charging out from a City corner to force a mistake from Joe Mbu. The ball fell to Notman whose inch perfect pass sent Sheerin through and his shot was tipped by the onrushing Antell but fortunately dropped into the net.

However, the remaining minutes weren’t all plain sailing with a handful of City corners causing danger before, moments from full-time, Walker did well to thwart Ross Allum who had found space at the back post.

By Martin Inglis